Cheap Lee Valley Hall Seat Bracket

The inspiration for this seat bracket was a fold-down streetcar seat we admired for its elegance – both from an aesthetic perspective and an engineering one. Our cast steel version is a space-efficient way to add a perch in an entryway, on a patio or anywhere else you frequently need a seat but don’t want the bulk of a regular chair. With the arm down, the 6″ tall bracket projects 8″ from the wall (without a seat); folded, it projects only 2 5/8″.

Instead of folding up automatically like the original, our version stays put when folded down and locks in the upright position with a spring catch. You choose the seat material and design; a single bracket can support a small seat, and two can be used to make a bench. The pitch can be adjusted by adding or removing washers from the button-head screw beneath the arm. Fasteners to attach the seat and mount the bracket on a wall not included.

The bracket should not be installed directly onto drywall; for this application, you will need a pair of Veritas 1/2″ drywall nuts with a head diameter of 5/8″ (available separately) and two 1/4-20 × 1/2″ long flat-head or oval-head machine screws.