French Antique 19th Century Limestone Bench

A French antique 19th century limestone bench with a thick, heavily pitted slab resting on two pale squared blocks. The limestone is coarse, soft gray and pale beige, and the top carries large patches of dark green and golden yellow lichen that show how porous the stone is. The lower edges have lost material over the years and the corners are chipped, so the profile is softened by wear while the two block legs keep their straighter cuts.

It measures 54 inches wide, 14 inches deep and 17 1/2 inches high, a comfortable seat height for a limestone bench. The pockmarks are deep enough to hold water after rain, which is part of why the lichen does so well; it can be left or gently brushed back as you prefer. The stone is 19th-century French limestone and has been outdoors all its life.

It belongs in a transitional place, a covered terrace or an open mudroom, where it pulls the garden toward the house, or beside a dirt path or an open fire pit where a chunky, weatherproof seat is wanted. Against smooth new paving the pitting shows more. See this limestone garden bench by appointment in Marina Del Rey, or we will send more photographs and a quote.