Banquinho is the “first born” of my interest in transforming traditional objects normally found gathering dust, giving them a more contemporary look and function, without destroying its original character. The name translates into an endearing way to refer to a small stool or bench in Portuguese. My choice for this particular wooden bench as the first piece was related to its strong impact in her childhood, with an emotional connection, an object that grew up with me but over the years got too small.

Designed by Cláudia Rolim

Banquinho as a bedside table with light turned on

It’s the kind of object you could find in any countryside house in the good old days, people would sit on it while knitting or polishing their shoes. My grandmother had one at her house and it was where I’d like to sit because other stools wouldn’t let my feet reach the ground. Years later its original use stopped making sense, so I decided to give him a new use by adding a light installation, turning it into the perfect reading companion, right before bedtime. Banquinho is a repurposed eco-friendly object that uses an energy saving bulb and supports small local stores.

The author’s parents using the original bench in its previous function