This bench was made for an avid reader — a fifth wedding anniversary gift from a husband to his wife, built around her own little library. We carved the backrest as a shelf of books in solid oak: a leaning stack, a rolled scroll, and an open book at the centre inviting you to read on. Along the spines we lettered some of her best-loved authors, from Jane Austen and Gabriel García Márquez to J.K. Rowling and Richard Osman.
A songbird perches on one post and a carved heart sits opposite, lettered with the couple's names and the years they've shared. We kept the whole piece in natural oak tones rather than paint, with softly rounded corners — partly for the look, partly because there's a toddler in the family. It's a generous two-seater, varnished to live happily outdoors.
Every bench like this is designed from scratch around the person it's for — their books, their words, the details that make them smile. If you'd like a hand-carved book lover's bench of your own, whether as an anniversary gift or just because, we'd love to make one for you.
