Since founding her eponymous multi-disciplinary design house, Studioilse, in 2001, London-based Ilse Crawford has gone on to style the interiors of New York’s Soho House, the Electric Cinema in London and the First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. With the overarching aim of easing the individual into their surroundings, Crawford’s interior spaces are undeniably homes away from home that are enhanced by her refined colour palettes, innovative use of materials and considered furniture designs.

Ilse Crawford’s approach to designing is predominantly led by how a piece interacts with the space it’s in, ensuring it supports human needs intelligently. In a quest to extend her empathetic approach to design to a new generation of designers, Crawford founded the department of Man and Wellbeing at the Design Academy Eindhoven. Encouraging students to question why and how their work improves the quality of life of the individual, Ilse Crawford represents a refreshing and thoughtful outlook on the future of design.

Designed by Ilse Crawford for Studioilse, the Settle Bench is a recognisably traditional form with a contemporary edge, crafted from white oak with a tan leather padded seat lending comfort to the clean-lined structure.

With a base crafted from structurally strong Danish white oak, the bench is generously sized and an ideal length for using either alongside a dining table or as a relaxed seating option. The archaic aesthetic of the bench is offset with the soft presence of the leather seat pad and light wood grain, which bring a distinctly stark, contemporary look to the piece.