With a niche segment of householders opting for cane furniture, Gharpedia brings you a peep into its history, advantages, disadvantages, popular items of cane furniture and a couple of maintenance hacks on how to take care of cane furniture.
Cane or wicker furniture goes back eons of years. One can see pictures of it in castles, and palaces-right from Egyptian to the Victorian era. In today’s world caned furniture has made it to the waiting lounges of 5-star hotels, the patios of outdoor restaurants and even in bungalows and apartments.
It’s time now to take a closer look at the cane…
What is Wicker? What is Cane?
By definition, wicker is anything that is woven – reeds, rush, willow… even paper. Most wicker furniture is made from the long, tough, slender stems of rattan climbing palms. Cane is the skin of the rattan pole and is used for certain parts of the furniture – most often for seats – and for wrapping the joints of wicker furniture.
Cane Furniture History
Here’s what the Encyclopaedia Britannica has to say about the history of cane furniture “Cane furniture, furniture in which a mesh of split canes is stretched over parts of the framework, principally on the backs and seats of chairs. It was made in India as early as the 2nd century AD, and was also known in China. Cane was imported into Europe by the East India Company, and cane furniture became a trend in England and the Netherlands toward the end of the 17th century. It is particularly associated with the high-backed chairs with ornately carved front stretchers made at the time of the English Restoration. In France, cane work was popular for less opulent furniture during the Régence and was still used in the Louis XV period. It gradually returned to favour in early 19th-century England with the use of furniture in the Chinese taste.”
Thomas Sheraton suggested in The Cabinet Dictionary (1803) that cane should be used for bed ends and “anything where lightness, elasticity, cleanness, and durability, ought to be combined.” Cane furniture based on English styles was introduced into Germany, Spain, and the American colonies; the council chamber in Williamsburg, Va., for example, was furnished with cane chairs early in the 18th century. Cane work has never entirely gone out of fashion and is still used.”
Cane Furniture Products
Of course cane finds a place in showpieces and other paraphernalia and knick-knacks, but when it comes to the furniture segment one can see cane in the following items –
- Swings
- Beds
- Chairs
- Stools (Mura)
- Sofa-sets
- Dining Sets
- Bookshelves
- Dressing Tables
- Patio Furniture
- Wall Shelves
And lots more…!
Academician Rashmi Trivedi[384] shares “I remember how as a child I used to love to pop over to the Iyengar family in my neighbourhood. It was less of the yummy idlis, which tempted me, but more of the opportunity to sit on their cane swing. I felt as protected as a baby feels in the cocoon-shaped swing with its maroon-coloured velvet cushion. It was one of the rare houses, which had practically 80 per cent of their furniture in cane. I realize now with hindsight that perhaps it was so as Mr Iyengar had a transferable job so moving with bulky wooden furniture would have been a hassle in those days…”
Benefits of Cane Furniture
Albeit, cane furniture is used maximum in the outdoor, natural settings owing to its organic roots yet it looks perfect indoors too.
Here’s sharing some pluses of wicker furniture i.e. advantages of cane furniture that set it apart from its wooden, plastic, or metal counterparts. Cane is renowned for optimizing functionality with aesthetics and packs-in multiple benefits like –
- It adds a natural, artistic and elegant touch to the ambience making it an evergreen choice when it comes to furniture… moreover as the bamboo strings are prepared from natural material, caned furniture complements the character of the space.
- As it’s extremely light in weight vis-à-vis its wooden counterpart it gives you the freedom to move it anywhere you want to – any corner of the indoors or even from indoors to outdoors. So it allows you to play around with the look of your house.
- Purchasing cane furniture provides you with an opportunity to contribute towards strengthening the livelihoods of the wicker weaving artisans.
- Cane promises to remain in fashion in the world of interior design till a long, long time.
- Its long life is another plus… with just a tad of maintenance cane furniture can easily last for three decades.
- Enables you to save on your carbon footprint as not only is cane furniture prepared from natural material but the entire process deploys natural techniques too.
- Cane furniture lends you warmth in winter and coolness in summer.
If you have still not convinced to use modern cane furniture, here are some reasons for the same to use them in your homes:
Drawbacks of Cane Furniture
Well, let’s be balanced and cast a glance at some of the minuses which cane furniture packs-in i.e. disadvantages of cane furniture –
- Cane strips loosen over time. Hence, if not strengthened, the entire piece of furniture may fall apart.
- When compared to wood and plastic, many people find sitting on cane furniture slightly uncomfortable.
- Cane furniture calls for a lot of care and maintenance.
- Cane furniture does not offer much variety in terms of design.
- As it’s highly inflammable. Hence, one needs to take extra care to keep cane furniture away from fire.
- The cost of cane furniture is slightly higher as it’s handmade.
Taking Care of Cane Furniture
If you want to know how to take care of wicker furniture, Gharpedia shares with you easy hacks for fixing two major issues that cane furniture pose. Here are some cane furniture maintenance hacks –
01. Preventing Yellowing
If you have new natural-coloured wicker furniture, sponge it down with a solution made from a half cup of table salt mixed in 1 quart of warm water. Let it air dry.
02. Fixing a Sagging Seat
To firm up a sagging cane seat, turn the chair bottom side-up and sponge the seat’s underside with hot water. The seat will shrink if you let it air dry, preferably in the sun.
Now that you have know about wicker furniture care, if you have got cane chairs at your homes and you want to restore them, here are the ways to do so:
Conclusion
So if you’re one of those artistic souls who nurtures the belief that ‘Furniture must have personality, as well as beauty’ then do consider a piece of cane furniture for your home sweet home!
Image Courtesy: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6, Image 7, Image 8, Image 9, Image 10, Image 11, Image 12, Image 13
Author Bio
Huta Raval – An English Literature and Journalism Topper, Huta Raval has graduated from the L D Arts College, Ahmedabad. Post serving for 23 years in the NBFC and Public Library Sectors her desire for ‘writing the unwritten’ brought her to the creative field of content writing. Her clientele comprises of NGOs, Blogging Platforms, Newspapers, Academic Institutions, et al.
