The Catbird Seat

Bench, “Spirit Song Bench”
Designer: Robert and Barbara Tiffany for Diamond Teak
Year: 2000
Description: solid teak with stainless steel hardware
Estimated Cost: ~$3000 to $7500 (depending on length and style)
US Patents: D443,769 (design); 6,824,221 (utility)

Why I picked this chair: I did a Google image search for “wooden chair” and as I was perusing the many images, this chair just jumped off the screen at me. I made this chair my “Week #4″ chair of the week. To see the Spirit Song Chair and my write-up about Diamond Teak,the company that makes the Spirit Song Chair (and Bench), click here.

Even though my love for chairs is a love for, well…chairs, I find the Spirit Song benches truly incredible. They have a fluidity in their design that does not translate to the chair version. The many variations on the bench are unbelievable, and give tribute to the beauty and genius of their design. The Spirit Song benches can be made in a dizzying array of backs (with corners {square} or without {sloped “wings”}), shapes (straight, curved, or compound curved {an “S” shape}), and lengths. They can be used indoor or out. If used outdoors, the teak weathers to an attractive silvery gray.

And they’re comfortable.

My friend, Bonnie, did in fact, sit on the Spirit Song Bench, and was surprised and delighted at its comfort. She also thought it was a really cool design.

So do I.

I just wish I could get the Tiffany’s to re-design all the stuff I use in my house. If they can do THAT with a bench, imagine what they could do with Elizabeth’s changing table! Or the shelved table that holds our keys, bills, and phone books in a completely impractical and useless way. Or my computer desk (and its awful office chair)! Oh, the ways they could make it comfortable and useful and cool! And then there’s Jane’s toy basket…

(sigh.) Why can’t ALL things be designed so well?