Stuart Hough, Sunnyside Trading Co.

Despite its rigid exterior, there’s something magical about a bench. It invites us to rest.

Entryway benches offer a place to sit down (and set all of your stuff) when you get home. Park benches provide a refuge for our feet (and our minds), even if for a minute. A bench placed outside, on a porch or in a garden, beckons us to pause from the busyness of our day.

This invitation is especially intriguing because benches aren’t typically associated with comfort. Think about that: while it’s unlikely you’ll find benches as living room furniture, they have the uncanny ability to facilitate mental and physical rest.

Benches are a staple at Sunnyside Trading Company. In fact, one of the things I am always searching for when I go to India are benches made of sturdy and durable teakwood. Some of the benches I find were once used outside in private gardens or other sanctuaries. These types of benches are often flanked by cast iron sides. Whether interior or exterior, many of our benches contain vestiges of their original paint, dating back to the late nineteenth century.

Some benches are of simple design and others, like one of my favorites (pictured above), contain intricate carvings and feature beautiful painted glass with scenes of outdoor life. Can you imagine this bench at the foot of your bed? What a delightful place to put on your socks and shoes in the morning!

In addition to the benches that we have in our Asheville warehouse, we are excited to welcome a new shipment from India that includes several magnificent new pieces (spotlighted here) among other Silk Road treasures.

As the holiday season begins to ramp up and our lives become filled with all the to-do lists and events, we might do well to harken to the enchanting call of the bench. A call to pause, and rest, even for a moment. An invitation to sit and take in all that is already around us, the little things for which we can truly be grateful.

In that spirit, I would like to note that given the Thanksgiving holiday, this will be our only newsletter in November. So, I want to express my gratitude for your support and patronage these past 6 years.

And, if you’re near our warehouse, I’d love to see you! Stop in and sit for a bit; we’ve got a bench waiting to welcome you…