French farmhouse bench on trestle legs – solid wood, early 20th century

Long French wooden farmhouse bench on trestle legs – banc de ferme

A long, slender French farmhouse bench (banc de ferme) of almost 1.80 metres: a single solid wooden seat plank on two V-shaped trestle legs with stretchers. Benches like this stood in French farmhouses, wine cellars and bistros alongside the long dining table. The wood has a warm, lived-in patina with the scratches and marks of decades of use. An honest, understated piece of vintage furniture that looks just as good in a modern interior as in a country home.

Why we chose this piece

We keep falling for these simple French benches: the construction is pared back to the essentials, yet the line is elegant. The narrow plank and angled legs make the bench look light, while the wood shows the traces of a long life. That kind of authenticity cannot be imitated.

Style and interior

Beautiful at a long dining or kitchen table, in a hallway, under a window or at the foot of a bed. The bench suits a country or French brocante interior, but also a wabi-sabi, minimalist or industrial interior, where the plain wood contrasts nicely with clean lines. It also works very well as a narrow console for books, plants or baskets.

Dimensions: length 177.6 cm, seat height 46 cm, seat plank depth 16.8 cm, base depth 30.5 cm
Material: solid wood (seat plank elm or chestnut), base stained darker
Style: French country, farmhouse bench / banc de ferme
Period: first half of the 20th century (c. 1900–1940)
Origin: France
Condition: good, used condition with a beautiful, untouched patina. The seat plank shows wear along its full length: scratches, small dents, small marks and dark discolouration. One end has a dark stain with a small shrinkage crack in the end grain (photo 6). In the middle of the plank there is a dark stain and a few small shrinkage cracks around a knot (photo 7); this is typical of old solid wood. The trestles are joined and secured with nails/pins (photo 8) and show wear to the edges and feet. The wood has not been re-varnished or sanded.
Price:
€ 195 * GERESERVEERD / ON HOLD *

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More about this style: French country living: wood, stone and the calm of country life

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