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"From medieval banquet halls to Shaker schoolhouses, the bench has long been a practical addition to common areas, providing a seat for two or even more. Lighter than a settee, the backless bench is easy to move around and has an inherently versatile design, allowing people to face in either direction.  For today&amp;#039;s homes, architect David Mann singles out three optimal places for a bench: in an entryway (&amp;quot;superpractical&amp;quot;), at the foot of a bed (&amp;quot;to catch extra blankets and pillows&amp;quot;), and in the living room. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a more casual type of seating,&amp;quot; he says, adding that while upholstered benches are more comfortable, a hard-top one can also double as a display surface. Designer Alessandra Branca often uses one in a hall &amp;quot;for visual punctuation,&amp;quot; but she&amp;#039;s happy bucking the norm: A bench might be used as a cocktail table one year and dining room seating the next. &amp;quot;The idea of mobile, of meuble,&amp;quot; she says of the Italian and French words for furniture, &amp;quot;is that it&amp;#039;s movable, not only in a space but within your life.&amp;quot; Click here to see the gallery for &amp;quot;The Top 10 Benches.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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