Ikhaya Bench

Description

A Bench Built for Home

The Ikhaya Bench is a solid wood storage bench, built to sit at the end of a bed or by a front door and earn its place there every day. It is not a piece kept for one occasion. It carries weight without shouting about it, the same way the rest of the Isiko range does, just built for the everyday rather than the ceremony.

Underneath the seat, the front is fitted with three drawer-front panels for visual balance across the piece. They are decorative, not functional drawers — the storage lives entirely under the lid, not behind the fronts. Lift the seat, and the full depth of the bench opens up in one space.

Solid Wood, Panelled Front

Each bench is built from solid timber and finished by hand. Three drawer-front panels run across the face, fitted with brushed-nickel bar handles for the look of a chest of drawers, though they do not open. Corners are reinforced, not just glued, so the frame holds its shape under real weight for years.

The finish is a deep mahogany tone, close in shade to the rest of the Isiko range, so it sits well alongside a kist or on its own. Grain shows through at every angle, and like all solid wood, no two benches finish quite alike.

A Seat Marked by Hide

The padded lid is upholstered in three panels: leather on the outer thirds, genuine cowhide across the centre stripe. The hide pattern is natural, so the markings on one bench will not match the next. A leather carry handle is set into the front edge of the lid, solid enough to lift the bench by when it needs moving.

Nickel hinges hold the lid in place, finished to match the handles and the block feet beneath. Closed, the bench seats comfortably. Open, it is full-depth storage the whole way down.

Built to Earn Its Place

The Ikhaya Bench is made to stand up to daily use, not just look good on the day it arrives. Every surface is sealed against everyday knocks. The base sits on nickel block feet, lifting the frame clear of the floor.

Wipe the wood down with a dry or lightly damp cloth. Keep the hide panel out of direct, harsh sunlight, and treat it the way you would any leather piece, wiped clean rather than scrubbed. Built the slow way, it should still be standing well after the bench that replaced it has come and gone.