Addington Slipcover Bench

The Addington is a slipcovered dining bench from Four Hands that looks relaxed and sits firmly. A solid oak frame, joined with mortise and tenon and finished with dowel legs in a dark oak stain, carries a fixed seat cushion over S-spring support. A low back and short arms give it the manner of a small settee rather than a plank. The cover is Belgian-sourced flax linen, 100% natural and certified Oeko-Tex Standard 100.

The slipcover is the point of the design, a tailored take on a tradition that usually belongs to sofas and armchairs. The linen is an undyed oatmeal tone with a visible slub, and it will soften and crease with use the way good linen does. Against the dark legs the whole piece reads quiet and graphic, a natural companion for trestle tables, plaster walls, woven rugs, and mismatched wooden chairs.

Pull it up to the long side of a dining table, where it seats a few people without the fuss of pushing in individual chairs. It also works at the foot of a bed, in an entry for pulling on boots, or under a window in a reading corner. The cover lifts off and goes in the washing machine, so spilled wine and muddy paws are less of a worry.