The bench I snapped the other day was loosely inspired by the English garden bench.

It doesn’t have the curves a traditional one would have, but the bigger issue is the construction.

The bench I broke is a collection of Pine 2x4s, held together with metal screws and finished with toxic paint. These decisions lower the (initial) cost and time to build the bench, but these kinds of shortcuts often have unintended consequences.

Combined with the outdoor elements, these material and construction choices were the direct causes that led to the premature retirement of this bench. Re-building this bench every five years will certainly cost more time and money than the upfront costs of building a bench the right way.

So let's build a bench that looks better, is more functional, and can last decades while exposed to the elements...