The above Bench is Version 2 of the Group W Bench.  The original (show below) was specifically designed to fit a space about 6 feet long.  When Designing this bench The length was decided more by form and proportion rather than to fit a space.  I think the end result complemented the Japanese architecture that inspired it.

This version is about 42″ long 14″ deep, and 18″ tall

It is made from cherry and accented with walnut.  The walnut bow ties are inlay-ed by hand using only a mallet and chisel, then flushed with a hand-plane.  The piece of wood used for the arched trestle was specifically selected for the curvature in the grain.

Project Location, Old Colorado City, in Colorado Springs

The above is the original version of the Group W Bench.  It’s made from American Cherry and is accented with Walnut. The Walnut is used in the butterfly inlay on the top to accent the crack in the wood, as well as on the joinery of the legs. I used it to wedge the through tenon in place on the trestle support beam.

Sizes are approximate

18″ tall
60″ wide
15″ deep

This piece is a great example of having custom furniture in your home. It was built specifically as an entryway bench, sized perfectly to fit just inside the door. It will give your guests a great first impression of the style in your home. With the angled legs and walnut butterflies inlayed into the top, it is a welcoming place to sit down and take your shoes off.

The name of the bench came from a song called Alice’s Restaurant, by Arlo Guthrie. I originally built the bench for my entryway so the kids could take off their shoes when they came in. However, it became a convenient place to put them in time out, or made them sit while I decided what their punishment should be. Therefore, I started calling it the “Group W Bench”. Like in the song “Alice’s Restaurant”, it became a place for them to set while they waited to see how much trouble they were in.