Woven Furniture Restorations

Mid-Century Modern MCM Weaving Material, Project Samples, and Explanations

Danish Cord, Seagrass, Fibre Rush, and Cane Woven Chair Restoration

Danish Cord Woven Chairs

Single Rail Danish Cord weaving includes Moller, Morgensen, Arne Hovmand-Olsen, Poul Volther, Poul Cadiovius, H W Klein, Skovmand, and Andersen Chairs.

Double rail Danish cord weaving, including Wegner's Dining Chair 23.

Weaving Danish cord using the rushing pattern utilized on Wegner's Wishbone Chair 24 and the J16 Rocking Chair.

Sometimes folks prefer the Danish cord weaving on Peter Hvidt's and Borge Morgensen's chairs as it sits a bit tighter and is a smoother material than seagrass.

Wegner's Round Chair woven with binding cane

Binding Cane / Rattan

Rattan or binding cane is a thicker gauge used to wrap the backs and seats of many mid-century pieces creating intriguing patterns with an airy depth and character.

Often, the cane wraps around the woven piece's frame using a no-nail technique.

Binding cane is also used to wrap lamps and pod chairs and create table magazine shelves.

Hans Olsen's rocking chair is an iconic piece creating intrigue and interest in its simple airy form.

More than once, I've come across beautiful cane back lounge chairs that have been incorrectly restored by drilling holes through the frame of the backrest. There is no reason to butcher these excellent woven chairs. The backrest can be removed and mailed to Caning Canada at our winter site in Fort Langley from mid-October to mid-April for expert cane restoration.

I appreciate that weaving restoration is a lost art, and I would much rather see pieces in use than in a landfill; however, permanently altering these frames is a shame.

Pre-Woven Cane

So many mid-century woven chairs, tables, and even daybeds sport pre-woven cane surfaces.

Many of these pieces were designed with close weave cane patterns.

Care and attention to detail are essential when restoring these beautiful cane pieces. Many of these woven surfaces can be removed from the frame and mailed to Caning Canada for cane restoration.

When a woven piece has multiple panels and curves, cane repair becomes a new dance.

Every piece wants you to step through the cane installation in order.

When you get the dance right, the cane submits and shows its appreciation for decades of beauty.

You can extend the enjoyment of this beauty with proper care and maintenance of the woven surfaces.

Handwoven Cane

Talk about lost art.

Being a master weaver isn't just about years of experience, knowing and understanding weaving techniques, or naturally feeling the form and tension.

It's about finding the reason within the chaos and taming it to structure and form.

Design Styles

Modern furniture - The Modernist movement began in the early 1900s with the Bauhaus School of Design.

Mid-century Modern - a design style of roughly the 1930s through the mid-1960s characterized by clean lines, streamlined organic forms, and lack of embellishment.

Vintage refers to something authentic from an era at least twenty years ago, while retro is new items made to imitate past items.

Bohemian is personal and relaxed. Boho styles are not styled for any other person’s enjoyment but your own.

Japandi design combines the elements of Japanese and Scandinavian designs to create beautiful simplistic functionality and a connection to nature.

Scandinavian design refers to the pieces of Demark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Scandinavian design has returned due to its clean lines, natural elements, and emphasis on sustainability.

Hygge (pronounced “hyoo-guh”) is a Danish word that most closely translates to cozy in English.

A minimalist home showcases pieces like an art gallery and isn't cluttered.

Eclectic interiors can be considered “opposites attract,” for example, mixing a farmhouse-style chair with an art deco piece.

French country balances old with new. Some pieces in the room are new; others might be vintage finds or an heirloom that’s been passed down.

Hollywood interior design is a combination of mid-century modern and art deco. Lines are clean decorative details, balancing beauty and function.

Rustic interiors let natural beauty shine with wood, stone, and other organic elements. Rustic allows the character of each piece to stand out.

Coastal or cottage styles create a soothing place incorporating clean and simple with pops of natural tones and colours.