Benches can solve design and decorating problems: They can occupy a narrow space, create a focal point, and be very useful.  Not to mention the fact that many of them are quite beautiful pieces of furniture.

So, I’ve gathered some images of pretty benches that might just help solve a decorating dilemma or simply add a finishing touch to a space.

I love a good entryway bench where you can slip your shoes off and hang up your coat, or just take in the atmosphere of the house before you come or go. The bedroom bench is popular these days, usually placed at the foot of the bed (if you have room, which I do not). Benches in breezeways and loggias, those lovely transitional spaces between indoors and out, can be both useful and charming.

And garden benches just steal my heart. I cannot pass one without sitting down because really it changes our perspective of a place once we do sit on a bench. And to me, the mere fact that someone thought of placing a bench somewhere suggests an invitation to stay for a bit.

I learned some very specific things about choosing a bedroom bench in this article in Architectural Digest.

Whether plain or elaborate, antique or new, benches (inside and out) offer us a moment in our busy busy days to pause and take a deep breath.