We read somewhere a long time ago that a bench (or a footboard) at the end of the bed can be good Feng Shui in the right context, since it keeps energy from windows and/or doors from rushing onto the bed and disturbing your sleep. Although we're not really Feng Shui practitioners, this detail stuck with us and—as goofy as it sounds—it made us look at benches in a new way.

Suddenly, benches didn't seem like psuedo-seating anymore. They seemed like grounded protectors of the home—pieces of furniture that could offer an extra seat, a tabletop surface, shelving, or even some energy adjustment when needed.

When we see bedrooms with benches, we think of them as somehow tapping into this sense that a bed needs to be anchored in a room. Maybe we're crazy, but there's something reassuring about a bedroom with a bench.

SHOWN ABOVE
• 1 Jeff & Jennifer Isbell's Half-Circle Home
• 2 Dan's MMC (Mostly Mid-Century) Home and Gallery
• 3 Terisa, Colin, and Lauren's Family Home
• 4 Martha and Ben's Southern Mix
• 5 Becke and Lee's Vintage Cabin

Photos: Evan Thomas (1, 2), Sarah Coffey (3, 4), Becke Gainforth (5)

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