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Every living room needs a focal point, whether it’s a colorful sofa, a work of art…or a fireplace fender. Brooklyn Decker introduced us to the centerpiece on Instagram over the weekend. Called club fenders, these bench-like blockades came into popularity in England in the early 1900s, according to manufacturer Rockingham Fender Seats, but they’re coming back in fashion.
Decker shared a photo of her husband, tennis star Andy Roddick, cozied up with a book in front of the bumper, which offers a foot or so of empty space between the herringbone-tiled hearth and the rug. Back in the day, fenders were used for purely functional purposes (they prevent logs from rolling around), which is why you’d typically find them in dark, chilly spaces like a billiards room or library. Now, though, they’re simply another hangout spot. (Psst: You can actually sit on a lot of them.)
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If you want to exude quintessential British style (supermodel Claudia Schiffer has a leather bench in her Tudor mansion in England, and London antiques dealer Will Fisher has made a point of collecting and selling old guards), look no further than this piece. While Decker’s design seems to be a custom job—the fabric mimics the scenic Zuber wall covering she recently installed in another room—you can create your own statement perch with one of these shoppable finds:
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