Based on Sir Herbert Baker’s original 1925 design, this beautiful and eminently comfortable bench is set to become a classic, saysJenny Oldaker
OBJECT OF DESIRE
On his return from Africa in the 1920s, the celebrated architect and designer Sir Herbert Baker set about using the skills he’d honed over the preceding decades to create a garden bench for his family. The resulting piece was a beautiful feat of craftsmanship; all flowing lines, sturdy joints and a pleasingly smooth finish. For decades it was a fixture in the grounds of Owletts, Baker’s family home in Kent. Today – almost 100 years later – it can still be found at the property, which is now owned by the National Trust.
The designer’s great-granddaughter, Camilla Baker, discovered her ancestor’s original 1925 drawings for the design among his archives and the find proved a catalyst for the launch of Herbert Baker Furniture – a company dedicated to preserving his legacy through handcrafted furniture that reflects the values of beautiful, bespoke British design.
It took time to get the bench just right and involved finding a craftsperson whose ethos matched that of Baker’s. ‘Herbert was an absolute detail fanatic,’ explains Camilla. ‘He was very precise and, in his lifetime, was dedicated to promoting excellence in craftsmanship.’ Frustratingly, the first attempt failed to make the grade: ‘The makers worked solely from the drawings, and the resulting bench was clunky and didn’t work,’ says Camilla. However, exhaustive research led her to a craftsman based in Faversham in Herbert’s beloved Kent. ‘As well as working from the drawings he came to Owletts to look at the original bench,’ says Camilla. ‘He wanted to really see how it was put together and was impressed by aspects such as the focus on the joints, which are really visible. Herbert Baker made a point of showing these as a purposeful part of the design.’
The resulting bench, wrought in sustainably grown English and E
