Our Favorite Benches for Entryways, Dining, & More
Modern Scandinavian-inspired benches for everyday use
Take a seat and stay awhile as we show you our favorite modern Scandinavian benches, including entryway benches, clever benches with storage, and benches that can serve many purposes in the home.
Modern Benches: Bauhaus Lounge Bench - Kristina Dam Studio
Kristina Dam never fails to make functional furniture a sculptural and minimal work of art.
Adding architectural character wherever it’s styled, her Bauhaus Lounge Bench is ready to be placed indoors or outdoors thanks to a weather-resistant powder coating atop the durable steel frame.
The Bauhaus Lounge Bench is one of several Bauhaus-inspired pieces from Kristina Dam Studio that merge both comfort and minimalism. Let it be a place for conversation in an outdoor living space, a spot to dress in a bedroom, or even the main seating in a living room––the options are endless!
Modern Benches: Curved Bench - Kristina Dam Studio
The Curved Bench is another glorious sculptural bench from Kristina Dam. Its strong and graphic presence is durable, thanks to the powder-coated steel material.
Available in black or beige, the Curved Bench is the perfect surface to display your most loved design objects, with each curve providing the option for storage, too. We love how it looks styled at the foot of the bed, but it works just as well in an entryway, a hallway, or even as a coffee table in a living room.
Modern Benches: Bench 153A, 153B - Artek
Founded in Helsinki in the 1930s, Artek remains a leader in modern and innovative furniture designs. The name Artek is a synthesis of art and technology, key components of the international modernist movement which came to rise in the 1920s. Each piece fits the Arek ethos of clarity, functionality, and poetic simplicity.
Just look to the Artek benches as proof. Shown above is the Bench 153B in Natural Birch. Originally introduced in 1945, the lightweight and versatile design is popular thanks to its vertical recesses that make it light and easy to move around. The warmth of the Finnish birch makes it a cozy and natural option for entryways or hallways. A signature element of this bench is Alvar Aalto’s ground-breaking L-leg system, where the bench legs are mounted directly to the seat without any complicated connecting elements. For a longer option, take a look at the Bench 153A in Natural Birch.
Modern Benches: A Line Storage Bench - Form and Refine
Designed in collaboration with Herman Studio, the A Line Storage Bench is Danish design brand Form and Refine’s updated version of a classic stowaway bench. “The stowaway bench is a reinterpretation of a classic and highly versatile piece of furniture. Particularly the way in which it opens with a leather strap is an important element of interaction with the bench,” says Herman Studio.
The leather strap is such a lovely way to access anything you hide away within the two separated compartments. Lift the handle and allow the bench to hold the lid while you grab whatever you need. Whether it’s in a hallway, bedroom, or entryway, the A Line Storage Bench adds a minimalist flair to a classic bench with storage.
Modern Benches: Linear Wood Bench - MUUTO Design
For a classic solid wood Scandinavian bench, turn to MUUTO’s Linear Wood Bench. With two sizes––170 x 34 and 110 x 34––this bench pairs perfectly with any of the Linear Wood Tables.
“The Linear Wood Series was designed from the idea of bringing the warm and friendly sentiment of wood into a timeless, understated shape with its form language inspired by the notion of meetings—the meetings of lines and shapes,” says Thomas Bentzen, a Copenhagen-based designer who collaborated with MUUTO. “The design is defined by its straight lines for a contemporary yet honest aesthetic through the details of its thinly elegant overhang and half-circular intersecting legs. It is through these subtle elements that the Linear Wood Series translates the values of elegance, longevity and functionality into modern Scandinavian design.“
Modern Benches: Cutter Bench - Skagerak
We can’t get enough of the Cutter Bench, which we have featured in countless blog posts and are one of our most popular pieces from Skagerak.
“The idea behind the Cutter Bench is the coherent progression of the frame and the stringent repetition of the slats,” says designer Niels Hvass.
Modern Benches: Hven Bench - Skagerak
Made with solid, untreated oak, the Hven Bench features a gorgeous grain pattern.
Its minimalist design, including round legs and corners, makes the Hven Bench an easy piece to combine with other items in your home. You can also pair it with the Hven Table for a solid dining room set. The durable solid oak construction is made to last for generations, inviting you to rearrange it based on your needs over the years.
Modern Benches: Georg Bench - Skagerak
Like the entire Georg collection, the Georg Bench is where Nordic sensuality and Japanese minimalism meet. It’s the perfect entryway bench that can also be used in a Scandinavian dining room, at the foot of a bed, or in a mudroom.
Each Georg Bench comes with a durable and soft woolen cushion kept in place by two braided leather straps. Choose between oak or black oak!
Modern Benches: Maissi Bench - Skagerak
How beautiful are the round yet edgy lines of Skagerak’s Maissi Bench?
Inspired by the handrails found on classic staircases and industrial machinery, the Maissi Bench is a solid wood bench that looks beautiful wherever you place it. We love its simple single-arm design and minimal back that looks so lovely in a little nook, pushed up against a wall in an entryway, or practically anywhere else.
Modern Benches: Vent Bench - Skagerak
The Vent Bench is another thoughtful bench design from Skagerak that featured a unique braided paper cord seat, handmade in collaboration with a company that employs visually impaired people to handcraft designs like this bench.
The name Vent is Danish for wait, inviting you to be patient and enjoy the moment on these two-seater bench with a black steel frame.
Modern Benches: Place Bench - Ferm Living
The Place Bench is not just a place to sit, or ‘place’ a few items––it is truly an art piece with an audacious and robust expression.
The long and tranquil lines of the Place Bench give it a simple outline with striking geometric parts. The powder-coated steel is sleek for use as seating or as a surface to display design objects. We love how the look of this modern bench changes based on your perspective in a room.
Modern Benches: Oblique Bench - Ferm Living
The Oblique Bench fuses Japanese woodworking techniques with Scandinavian design sensibilities, inviting you to embrace ‘low living’ in a functional way.
Use it at the foot of a low profile bed for storing books, plants, blankets, or other design objects.
The solid oak seat can also be the perfect sculptural piece in a hallway or entryway.
Its name is taken from the tilted angles of the few elements that make up its minimal solid wood construction.
Shop All Scandinavian-inspired seating here.
More Like This: Entryway Furniture Ideas from Danish Design Brands
Batten Home carefully curates Scandinavian furniture designs and minimalist decor objects for the modern home. We are inspired by a Scandinavian aesthetic and Danish design philosophies with a new modern design feel we like to call new Nordic design.
Have any questions for us? We’re family-owned and independently operated, and we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at hello@battenhome.co or find more inspiration on Pinterest.