Furniture Trends: Cane Chairs

Last year we saw a resurgence of chairs woven from natural materials including cane, rattan & bamboo. This year the cane classic continues to be reworked in innovative ways.

What is cane & why is it a great material for contract furniture?

Cane comes from the rattan plant; it's made by peeling off the skin of the rattan vine. It's a natural raw material whose stems have special properties which make it perfect for chair seats and backs. When soaked in a water bath they become very flexible and are therefore easier to weave. What makes cane a particularly attractive material to the contract market is that it’s very durable and resistant to mechanical damage, temperature and moisture. It's less porous than many other materials and can actually repel spillage and it's lightweight in nature so can be moved or transported easily. It's also an attractive material so is often left in its natural state, unlike the rattan which it comes from, which is often painted.

Cane is mostly grown in tropical countries and exported, so it's cheaper than many solid hardwoods. An added bonus is that cane is also highly renewable because the rattan plant from which it's made is very fast growing and can therefore be produced sustainably.  

Weaving cane chairs is an art form which requires a specialist cane weaver. As cane is woven by hand it’s time intensive and elaborate but the end result is a high quality chair that’s been hand crafted and therefore feels imbued with more character and distinction than a piece that is mass produced by machines in a factory. 

Blending Cinnamon with cane

Cinnamon Kitchen in Battersea Power Station sees Design LSM using cane chairs to bring a timeless elegance to an industrial railway arch. In this design, cane seamlessly fuses the modern with the traditional. The scheme is perfectly aligned with the Cinnamon Kitchen culinary experience which blends modern Indian Cuisine with traditional spices. 

Arabella Armchair featured. Photos by James French.

View more images of the Cinnamon Kitchen, Battersea Power Station design.

Cane chairspiration

Click the image below for more product details, or contact the team for more information.

Free Furniture Style Guide: Milan Edition, Summer 2018

Discover more trends from Salone del Mobile including: metal frames as a feature on chairs, cage frames, the colour green  even handbag stools! Download  Furniture Style Guide: Milan Edition Summer 2018 to browse new products from Milan, discover innovative styles and see projects they're applied in.