4 Reasons to Integrate Cane into your Interior Decoration

What is Cane?

To put it briefly, cane is the result of weaving plant fibres, in particular natural rattan, into thicker fabric. This technique was brought to Europe by Dutch and English traders and involves showing the distinct parts of the linking fibre to give cane furniture a graphic and trendy side. Cane is comfortable, and it more flexible than wood.

This ancient weaving technique arrived during the reign of Louis XIV (1661-1715) but became truly popular in 1774 thanks to Philippe of Orleans and Louis XV. Since it first appeared, cane furniture has had several truly popular iterations. First, it was popular with the nobility and bourgeoise in the 18th century, as they loved it for its light and elegant appearance. After falling into obscurity, the famous Austro-German designer Michael Thonet gave cane furniture a new lease of life with arguably his greatest success – the Bistrot chair. Over 45 million copies of this chair were produced between 1859 and 1903.

Today, cane is no longer only made from rattan fibre, but synthetic fibre cane also exists which ensures durability and long-lasting high quality. This resistant material is transformed into woven resin and is used to make furniture.

Its vintage and retro appearance has gone in and out of fashion over the years, but cane is leaping back into style in 2020. Whether it is used to create a chair, a sofa, a bar stool or even a light fixture, there is always a piece of cane furniture ready to fulfil all your interior decoration needs.

1. Cane – a truly trendy revival!

Fashion is an endless cycle of revival and the same is true of interior decoration. Therefore, the stage was set for cane to make a triumphant comeback, and at the 2016 Milan furniture fair it did so, most notably with the Hermès sofa designed by designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrence.

Other events in the world of designer furniture, such as the Maison & Object show in Paris, further highlighted the return of this trend.

Other designers then followed suit by unveiling their cane creations based on Michael Thonet and his famous Bistrot chair and the more recent works by Pierre Jenneret or Marcel Breuer with the Cesca chair.

This vintage cane chair stands out from all other designer chairs thanks to its chromed steel tube structure. The materials used to make the Cesca chair ensure support, flexibility, and quality.

The reproduction of Pierre Jeanneret’s cane chair represents a traditional and classic design with refined and elegant lines. Its cane seat promises comfort and impressive robustness.

2. Cane – eco-responsible design

There is no way you could have missed the current movement for protecting the environment and action against climate change. This trend extends to the world of interior decoration and the biggest furniture design houses understand this.

If cane is back in fashion today, it is, partly, down to its image as a natural and environmentally friendly material as it is woven from plant fibres. Add to this the sense of artisanal craftmanship and the knowledge of the ancient techniques involved in its creation, and you start to understand the reasons for its latest success.

3. Cane furniture for every room in the house

Originally this robust and natural weaving technique was mainly used for seating. But over time, the range of possibilities has increased as techniques have been adapted and refined. In fact, cane is no longer simply just found on furniture, it is also used for decorative objects such as lights and mirrors. This makes cane the perfect material for every room in your home. Woven cane decorative pieces will easily integrate into different rooms of the home such as the living room, the dining room, the bedroom, the office, or the balcony amongst others.

Cane offers many advantages – cane furniture has a certain lightness, perfect for an interior on the smaller side. Cane goes well with many colours and materials adding to but changing the feel. For example, combine cane with green for a tropical style, or with velvet for a bohemian and romantic feel.

All in all, cane furniture is versatile and, depending on your wants and needs, it can adapt to different styles of interior décor – vintage, modern, Scandinavian, bright colours etc.

4. Cane – add a touch of warmth to your interior

Placing an item of cane furniture in a sleek interior will further emphasize the lines and individuality of the furniture.

The warmth of a room comes mainly from the lighting and materials used to decorate it. Cane is therefore a good material to add a touch of warmth to the atmosphere of your space. Cane not only reflects a warm image thanks to its rattan material and colour, but also because of the associations with natural wood. The association with wood further emphasises the warm and cosy aspect of your interior.

As you can see, cane can be used with many different styles of interior décor, but you must be careful not to overdo it! Cane, when used sparingly, is much more elegant and modern than having a space decorated entirely in cane furniture!