ECO THERAPY BENCH
ROYAL CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2024
GOLD MEDAL WINNING GARDEN by TOM BANNISTER STUDIO (www.tombannisterstudio.com)
BENCH Designed & Made by: RICHARD BUTLER
WOOD: English Olive Ash & Oak dowels
"Massive thanks for making the most beautiful bench at the drop of a hat - the judges loved the details on this and it became a great talking point within the garden"
Tom Bannister
D E S I G N
Collaborating with Tom for this late addition to his Gold Medal winning garden was a race against the clock, but as he stated on the phone just two weeks before the show previewed- “the most creative work often comes about when we’re under a bit of pressure!”
The brief: to design a small bench so one could sit and contemplate amongst the quiet calm of the ecotherapy garden before, and after submerging in the eco pool.
It was critical that the proportions of the bench matched Toms design, it needed to nestle between a planter and pool, and be subtle enough to not detract from the overall feel of the meticulous design of the garden.
The bench incorporated saddled joinery to marry with the multi-tiered aspects of Tom’s design, it also had water drops carved on the rail that split the two bench tops apart. as if to mimic the droplets from a gardener who’d just taken a plunge.
