What To Consider When Designing Custom Bench Seats

Bench seats are always a big feature in Three Birds Renovations designs and no wonder, being perfect for lounging, dining and big family gatherings. We had the pleasure of working with them on House 11, helping to ‘Hamptonise’ a family home with a variety of Florence Broadhurst furnishing textiles for upholstery, bedhead and cushions.

A ‘Contemporary Cottage’ look was developed for House 12 and we teamed up with The Foam Booth again for their fabulous custom foam bench seats and covers. Much like Materialised, The Foam Booth has been established for over 36 years, with all product made in Australia. They specialise in residential and commercial jobs and can customise absolutely any shape and size, indoor and outdoor.

Bench Seats – Upholstery Fabric Choice

Our commercial-grade upholstery fabric is ideal for bench seats and a busy family home as it needs to withstand the wear and tear of everyday living and lively children!

“Working together with Materialised has been a wonderful experience from day one. They have such an extensive, amazing range of fabrics and prints for all applications, and are an incredibly professional company to deal with.” Joel Scheftz, Managing Director, The Foam Booth.

When choosing your upholstery fabric it is important to consider the ‘rub rate.’

What Is The Rub Rate?

There are two standard tests for rub rate: Martindale and Wyzenbeek. A standard minimum requirement for residential use would be 15,000 rubs; or 30,000 for commercial.

Designing Bench Seats

There are few limitations to the design of bench seats. The size of the bench and width of the fabric will determine whether you need more than one piece of foam (to avoid joins in the fabric) and if you’re using a print you may need the fabric railroaded – which is no problem, as we print on demand right here in Australia!

Then with the design you can get creative with shape and might like to add fluting as Three Birds did.

As Bonnie and Erin mention, the height of the bench seat can be a contentious issue! Erin says 450mm; Bonnie says 500mm. Whichever you prefer, factor in a good 100mm for the thickness of the foam for a lovely comfy seat.

Image credits: Three Birds Renovations

About the Author: Catherine McGowan

Catherine McGowan is an experienced content writer specialising in the interior and architectural design industry since 2010. With a deep understanding of design trends, materials, and spatial aesthetics, Catherine has crafted engaging and insightful content for a variety of platforms, from blogs and articles to product descriptions and marketing materials. Her work reflects a strong passion for design, helping readers stay informed about the latest innovations in the field.