Cane and Rush Workshop
Rattan and Rush is a family run business based in Kirkby Stephen, we have been established for the past twenty years and pride ourselves in a personal and professional approach to cane and Rush seating.
We also handle Sea grass and loom cane commissions at our Market Street location in Kirkby Stephen, so if you have any queries regarding a piece of furniture please feel free to pop in the shop or just give us a call.
Caned furniture
China is thought to be the country of origin of the caned chair. They were commonly available in the east for many centuries before they came westward by the opening of china trade. Caned seating became very popular in England in the middle of the 17th century and the great fire of London in 1666 created a big demand for plain cheap chairs. At that time, following the persecution of the French king Louis X1V. The Hugenots began emigrating to England. They were really excellent caners and were offered shelter by own basket makers. The caners pointed that their chairs were preferable for their lightness and durability and cleanliness from the dust, worm, and moth which invariably attended upholstered chairs.
Although caned seating has gone in and out of fashion, it has never gone out of production. Even though much of it today is machine made there is still a great demand for the beauty of a hand caned chair.