Klapbank – A Foldable Wall Bench

In today’s post I want to share this very cool project called Klapbank – a foldable wall bench created by Xander Wiersma which for me totally proves the saying “simple design is the best design”.  The project will be soon available on Kickstarter and here is what Xander says himself about it:

The idea came from the Swiss mountains

“I was searching for an ideal bench in front of my house because the sun shines there in the late afternoon. I had to be easy to use. So no hassle with chairs, nor have a bench which gets wet, dirty or easy broken.
One spring I stayed with friends on a mountain in Switzerland. In the morning we had breakfast with a spectacular view. Before we could sit down, we had to unfold the bench. Although the weather, the bench was dry and clean. So there it was, the ideal bench!”

And we use it in the urban evening sun

“Because the bench was on the street side it had to be space saving. So it may not have fixed legs where the seat rests on. First I searched for special hinges that would rest on themselves. Unfortunately, no web or local shops had hinges that could hold the weight or bend the way it should. So I decided to design my own solid, weatherproof and easy foldable hinges.”

Why Kickstarter?
After we installed the bench, people frequently asked where they could buy it. This finally let me think of producing the foldable wall mounted benches, so others could enjoy it too! And now it’s on Kickstarter.

About the design

The design had to be very functional. I choose for sustainable and as less material as possible. This gave the bench a raw, almost industrial ‘minimal’ look. I wanted the bench to be folded and unfolded with a fingertip. It had to stay dry, clean and be very space saving. A real urban bench for outside and inside. Very suitable e.g. for a small balcony, above a walkway in your urban garden or in your tiny house. But also for restaurants and shops.
The seat is made of 4 hardwood planks produced in a sustainable way. The hinges are made of 3mm (0,12”) galvanized steel. All put together with stainless steel bolts and nuts. Therefore low on maintenance, very stable and longevous.
The bench could be used not only outside but for interiors as well. It is a great solution for small spaces, which could be beautifully incorporated in Modern, Rustic or Scandinavian style interiors:

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