Where to Find an Antique Wooden Bench/Stool

Adding an antique piece to a room is a good way to give character to your interior. These days we see a lot of these long narrow wooden benches that come from China and date back to the beginning of the 20th century. In a previous article, I showed you the house of the founders of Artilliert in which we find this kind of bench and stool in almost every room of the house. These pieces are at the origin of the feeling of authenticity and curation that this house exudes. This is the beauty of antique pieces, they instantly give a certain patina and a lived-in feel to a house.

One versatile piece of furniture

These long, narrow benches are often more decorative than useful and can be placed in almost any room of the house. They are perfect for furnishing a narrow hallway or a small empty corner. But most often, they are unanimously approved when placed at the end of the bed. In this configuration, they also become practical because you can put the bedspread on them when you go to sleep for example.

100-year-old Chinese wooden bench

If you are planning to find an authentic 100-year-old Chinese wooden bench at the flea market, you will have to be patient.
Although it is not impossible to source this kind of antique bench at flea markets, it is quite rare. Indeed, these benches being very much in demand, the chances of finding a nice piece at the right size in your local flea market are slim. You are more likely to find them at specialized fairs, but you will probably have to make a trip to get there.

That said, there are sellers on the market who specialize in this kind of small furniture and therefore make our task much easier. Here, I have gathered for you my shopping selection of the best antique benches (including the source from where I bought my bench). I’ve also added two pieces that are not antique but that are more accessible and that make an excellent job at faking the patina of time.