Designer benches: all the latest at the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024

Designer benches are clearly a must for anyone looking for smart solutions without sacrificing style or functionality. Perfect around a table, they can replace chairs on one side, creating a more convivial and relaxed atmosphere. Some models even come with a shelf underneath, doubling the storage space, a space-saving trick that suits small homes or people seeking functional solutions. Benches can work well as alternatives to sofas in smaller sitting rooms or in spaces where the aim is to characterise them with sculptural shapes. This means they’re not just practical, but can make a strong aesthetic impact, thanks to their modern lines and innovative materials.

Often neglected, halls and corridors  lend themselves ideally to benches: small, portable and set against a wall, they are a discreet and functional solution for those seeking a non-bulky surface with a decorative touch. Many models, especially the more contemporary ones, are multi-purpose and can work as practical containers in the home, providing extra storage space for objects, or as elegant luggage rests in hotels, combining good looks and utility. In more dynamic situations, such as airports and waiting rooms, modular versions can be configured in a variety of different ways according to space and need. Lastly, outdoor solutions, produced in weatherproof materials, are ideal for domestic gardens, terraces and balconies, whilst also responding to the demands of contract spaces.

The Stepan Bench, from the new furnishing collection by David Lopez Quincoces for Frigerio, stands out for its pure formal essentiality and additional seat cushion. It boasts an ash veneered top with a matt black lacquered edge.

Designed by Nao Tamura for Porro, Origata is made of aluminium sheet material that has been cut and assembled drawing on ancient Japanese techniques used to make kimonos. Perfect in entrances or other places of passage, it is equally at home in bedrooms or sitting rooms.  

Technogym transformed its iconic Technogym Bench into a work of art for the April edition of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, reinterpreted by 40 world famous designers. Bringing design and wellbeing together, each bench is not just a piece of home gym equipment but also a unique furnishing piece, each with its own, different story to tell.

Practicality and sculptural design meet in the Mule ash benches, designed by Alessandro Stabile for Zilio A&C. Their contained size means that they can be used for temporary seating in contract situations or as table tops at home.