This piece was built to go in a transitional area between the pool and the house, so it will hold wet towels and bathing suits, and has a storage shelf for dry towels or slippers and sandals beneath. We chose to build from iron because of the natural water repellent properties of the wood and the beautiful grain and color. Iroko is commonly used in furniture as a teak alternative, as it's less expensive. Iroko is tricky to work with. The boards are very hard and sometimes hold so much tension that when you cut or rip them, they move slightly. As such, as a builder working with Iroko, we need to purchase more material than we need because about 25% of it will not be usable once we cut into it.
This storage bench has an 18" finish height so that it can function as an actual bench. The inside depths of the box is about 9". The bottom of the box is a thick steel wire mesh, so that super wet bathing suits and towels can be thrown in, and water won't pool on a closed wood surface and create the possibility for mold or mildew. This box can breathe. The bottom shelf is slatted, made from iroko.
The entire piece has a "provincial" tint and a marine varnish finish. There are 4 coats of finish and since the piece is indoors and not outdoors, it will be quite some time, decades, before it would even be a consideration to refinish it whereas a piece of furniture that is outdoor year round requires attention annually to ensure longevity. The finish color palette is spectacular- full of rich browns.
The steel frame was of course built custom to this piece. A lot of design work went into this to ensure that it came out exactly as the client's wanted.
If you're interested in having a custom piece of furniture made, please call us at 857-576-2089 or email info@cannonhillwood.com. We work closely with homeowners and designers on every detail.