Arts and Crafts Settle
An arts and crafts settle brings heavy timber and honest construction into a hallway, offering a seat with a high back and often a hidden storage box.
What an arts and crafts settle is
An arts and crafts settle is a robust wooden bench designed for hallways, window bays, and living spaces, drawing on the design principles of the early twentieth century. These pieces usually feature a high back to block draughts, sometimes incorporating storage beneath the seat in the form of a box base.
The versions most commonly met on this page date from the nineteen hundreds and the Edwardian period, built primarily in solid oak with occasional examples in walnut. Forms range from simple stick-back benches to elaborately carved box settles and convertible monks benches that function as hall tables.
Originating from a movement that valued utility and traditional craftsmanship, these settles reflect the design ethos of prominent firms and regional schools like Glasgow. They serve as both functional seating and focal points in an interior, displaying the straightforward joinery characteristic of the period.
How they were made
Makers constructed these settles using solid timber, predominantly oak and sometimes walnut, chosen for its strength and grain. Carpenters utilised visible tenon joints and pegged construction rather than hiding structural fixings.
Decoration on these pieces relied on carved ornamentation, panelled backs, and occasional boxwood inlay rather than applied veneers. Metal fittings such as hinges and handles were often fashioned from hammered copper, brass, or iron to complement the woodwork.
Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical UK retail prices for arts and crafts settle, calculated from the Sellingantiques database of over a million retail prices indexed since 2003. This retail price guide relies exclusively on Sellingantiques data; no external sources or auction records are used, so the figures do not describe the wider market.
Some box settles stored firewood, proving that Victorian and Edwardian household seating doubled as practical indoor woodsheds.
What varies in quality
The distinction between standard commercial pieces and the finest examples lies in the integrity of the timber selection and the ambition of the design. Superior settles display carefully chosen golden oak with expressive medullary rays, alongside refined hand-carving and thoughtful proportions.
Attribution to notable retailers or regional workshops elevates a piece, as seen in items associated with Liberty and Co, James Shoolbred and Co, Shapland and Petter, or the Glasgow School. The quality of the original hardware, from strap hinges to drop handles, further separates standard workshop production from exceptional maker-signed pieces.
James Shoolbred and Co·Liberty and Co·Shapland and Petter
The Arts and Crafts Settle Glossary
- Box settle
- A wooden bench featuring a storage compartment beneath the lift-up seat. This form provides practical utility in addition to seating.
- Monks bench
- A convertible item of furniture that transforms from a settle with a high back into a table by pivoting the backrest. It functions effectively in smaller spaces.
- Glasgow School
- A circle of artists and designers active in Scotland around nineteen hundred who developed a distinctive style within the movement. Their work often emphasised elongated proportions and restrained decoration.
- Stick back
- A chair or settle construction method where turned wooden spindles are fitted directly into the seat and top rail. This technique lightens the visual weight of the frame.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an arts and crafts settle?
An arts and crafts settle is a heavy wooden bench with a high back, produced around the turn of the twentieth century. They were built to emphasise solid construction and honest materials over excessive ornamentation.
Most examples feature oak timber, straightforward joinery, and sometimes a box base for storing household items beneath the seat.
Where were settles placed in a home?
These benches were traditionally positioned in hallways to block draughts from the front door, or placed beneath windows as window seats. Their high backs provided shelter and privacy in large, open rooms.
Today, they function well in entrance halls, boot rooms, and living areas where sturdy seating and practical storage are required.
How do I identify an Edwardian settle?
Edwardian settles generally date from the first decade of the twentieth century and carry characteristics of the arts and crafts movement. Look for solid oak construction, exposed pegged joints, and simple geometric panels.
Some pieces bear maker marks or retailer stamps from firms like Liberty, while others display regional design traits associated with workshops in Glasgow.
Can a settle double as a table?
Certain variations known as monks benches feature a hinged backrest that folds down flat over the arms to create a tabletop. This dual-purpose design was useful for multitasking in smaller historical rooms.
When buying a convertible settle, check that the pivoting mechanism operates smoothly and that the wooden top remains stable in both positions.