This memorial garden bench was commissioned in memory of my client’s late husband. I am honored to craft such a meaningful piece and I took great care in the design and craftsmanship to build a piece that is beautiful, comfortable and will last a lifetime.
For design, I started with the porch swing I made years ago and perfected it a bit. I shaped the legs with straight, angular elements blended with subtle curves. You can especially see this on the back leg where the shape evolved from a triangular form to a subtle curve where the seat rail is joined. I also added the swept back arm support to flow into the same angle as the back rest. The crest rail of the back has a large sweeping curve to continue with the design theme, and this feature also provided space for the memorial information.
The memorial information was wood burned into the bench with caligraphy. It was fun tapping into this skill that I haven’t used in years, and I’m happy with how it turned out.
The bench was constructed with extra large mortise and tenons and reinforced with heavy duty exterior screws. I always go with the “belt and suspenders” approach with outdoor furniture to be sure that even if the glue joints fail, the screws will hold it together for a lifetime. All of the screws were plugged with to conceal the fasteners.
The bench is made of Sapele which is in the Mahogany family and is extremely rot resistant. It has a deep red color tone and is well known for its ribbon patterns in the grain. I finished the bench with teak oil. This oil is specially formulated for dense outdoor species such as Teak, Mahogany, Sapele, etc. and will provide excellent water resistance and help maintain that deep red luster throughout the year. With a little pressure washing and re-application of oil once a year, this bench will continue to be a stunner for years to come.
Whitehurst Custom Woodworking 