Entryway Bench

This piece will wow guests with its complexity and simplicity. You read that right. It’s got a simple and clean mid-century modern style, but the detail and complexity of the piece is a stunner. Perfect as an entryway bench, a footboard bench, or it’s even been used as a coffee table!

What appears from a distance to be a straight-lined wood grain, similar to bamboo, up close reveals itself as something more. We start with 20 pieces of 1 ½” wide Baltic birch europly to make this bench. After laminating them together on their faces, we turn them 90 degrees and are left with our own specialty sheet, where only the edges of the ply are showing. In its finished form, there are nearly 300 thin strips of solid birch running across the bench.

Handcrafted in Minneapolis. Made to Order.

48”L x 14 ¾”D x 18”H (shown), 60 lbs.
60”L x 14 ¾”D x 18”H, 75 lbs.

Customization available upon request.

(01) Veneered Baltic Birch

Our furniture is made using a beautiful high-end Baltic birch plywood from Columbia Forest Products®. Each of the 13 layers of the ply are solid wood, and a thick veneer in walnut or maple wraps each face in rich tones. The Baltic birch is a sustainable product and will be very stable as the seasons change, unlike some solid wood furniture.

While many woodworkers conceal the edges of the plywood, we have made it our signature look to highlight the striped layers. Not only does this give a nod to the designers of the mid-century era, it makes every piece by Hossle Woodworks a work of art, and a unique, one-of-a-kind, creation.

(02) Finish

We finish our products with a mixture of pure tung oil, boiled linseed oil and wax. This means less harsh chemicals when we are doing the work, and a safer breathing experience for you. The end result is a durable, water-resistant matte finish that feels like a silky-smooth piece of wood.

Another benefit to the finish is that it allows for easy repair when scratches happen. Buff out the scratch with a piece of high-grit sandpaper and rub in some Howard Feed-N-Wax® and your piece is as good as new!

(01) How do I care for this product?

Details can be found on our FAQ page. That said, in general, treat the piece with kindness - use coasters, wipe up spills, and don’t put sharp or rough objects on the furniture. A damp cloth is all you need to clean it (definitely no harsh chemicals), and the piece can be refreshed with a bit of furniture wax when needed.

(02) Does this require assembly?

No. It will be ready to go upon delivery or pickup.

(03) Can I customize this piece?

Please reach out to us before ordering. Some customizations, including but not limited to depth, hardware, and drawer box material, is possible.

Baltic birch europly (a plywood product) is a high quality, all hard-wood engineered material that is sustainable, stable, and artful in design. The product we use has 13 layers of thinly sliced birch between two layers of veneer. That’s 15 total layers of wood in ¾” thickness!

In some of our products, such as this one, we glue and stack the plywood together, which multiplies the layered effect. Then, we cut it vertically in narrow strips and turn the stack on its side, essentially creating our own specialty sheet of material, where all you see is individual layers of birch, and none the top or bottom veneers. We call this “Edge Grain Baltic Birch”, although it’s not technically an edge grain at all. It’s layer after layer of solid wood, and we love this look, using it to maximum effect.

It’s inspired by mid-century style, but is modern, minimalist, and a work of art.