Design Trend: Caning

Caned furniture is having a moment lately, and while I'm definitely not an advocate of blindly chasing every little trend in home decor, I can always get behind a renewed popularity in a classic design element.

Living room designed by Susan Wilson

Why? Because if something has been around for ages already, we know it's got legs, and will continue to look beautiful long past our lifetimes. Plus, when a certain classic colour or material is trending, it means there's going to be a lot of choice out there in the market for us to take advantage of. A perfect example of 'get it while it's hot'.

If you've been following along for a while you'll know that I'm a big fan of timeless interiors, so I'm always on board for adding classic elements to the interiors I decorate. Caned furniture has been around since the 1600's, and has enjoyed popularity in every century since, so I'm pretty sure we can confidently call it a classic ;)

Lutyens designed door at Castle Drogo, early 1900's

And classic caning --antique, vintage or new with a modern twist-- is perfect for creating a layered interior.

Bonus: it also adds texture and natural materials into your home, and you know I'm always down with that. So today I'm going to share with you some ways you can get a little caning into your life.

To illustrate my point, something old, something old-ish, and something new:

Antique. Source

Mid-century. Source

Contemporary wowzer by Philippe Nigro. Source

And right now you can find plenty of armchairs with caning detail for every style:

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Here's a twist on caning, using metal:

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This classic Jeanneret chair, so hot right now:

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This is one of my favourites to use as an occasional chair, with radio weave caning instead of a round/octagonal weave:

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And caning isn't just for sitting on -- armoires and cabinets are out there in abundance, too:

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If you want to add just a touch of caning, there are lots of options for you, as well, in smaller accessories and stools.

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I'm incorporating caning into an upcoming project, with built-in cabinetry to house the clients' media equipment. The caning will allow air to circulate so that electronics won't overheat. Something like these doors designed by Stephanie Dorfman:

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I think they're going to look beautiful, as well as being highly functional. If it's good enough for Sir Edwin Lutyens (and Stephanie), it's good enough for me!

I'll finish off my love letter (it is Valentine's Day after all) to caning with a vignette from another space I decorated, featuring a sweet little caned top side table:

See how much texture and natural vibe a little cane can bring to a room? :)

I hope this has inspired you to consider adding some classic caning to your timeless interior!

If you need help pulling it all together, please reach out to me. Or if you'd like to stay in the loop on colour selection and all things decorating, you can sign up on my website to receive my blog posts straight to your inbox. As a subscriber you'll also get my guide to creating the perfect palette for your home, so check it out :)

Until next time,

Susan