A small studio in pursuit of a quieter home
CalmBench is a Vancouver workshop and shop making ergonomic, beautiful pieces for rest — the things that help a room, and the person in it, slow down.
It started with sore knees
Mara had meditated for years and dreaded every minute of it — not the practice, the posture. Theo, a furniture-maker, offered to build her a bench. The third prototype finally worked, and friends started asking for their own.
That bench is still our bestseller, and it set the standard for everything since: each piece has to earn its place in a calm room by genuinely working, not just looking the part. We’d rather carry nine things we’re proud of than ninety we’re not.
— Mara & Theo, founders
Three things we never compromise
They sound simple. Holding to them is the whole job.
Honest making
Solid woods and natural fibres, joinery you can inspect, and clear specs. No veneer over particle board, no mystery foams.
Kinder by default
Plastic-free packaging, carbon-neutral shipping, and free repairs for five years so pieces stay in homes, not landfills.
Comfort that lasts
We test ergonomics with real bodies and a physiotherapist, then keep the shapes timeless so they don’t date.
From offcut to your living room
Designed slowly
Every product starts as a problem to solve — sore knees, harsh light, restless sleep — and is prototyped until it actually helps.
Made in small batches
We build in runs of a few dozen with BC makers, finishing by hand and checking each piece before it’s boxed.
Sent calmly
Packed plastic-free, shipped carbon-neutral, and backed by a 60-night trial and five years of free repairs.
Who you’re buying from
Mara Olsen
Co-founder & designLong-time meditator who turned her own frustration into the studio’s first product.
Theo Bauer
Co-founder & makerFurniture-maker of fifteen years who insists on joinery you could pass down.
Noor Haddad
Studio & careLooks after the Robson Street studio and helps customers choose the right fit.
Come build a calmer corner
Visit the studio, browse the shop, or just ask us a question. We’re happy to take it slowly with you.