One good thing about a sunny day when you are in the store and your customers are out in the sunshine is that you can catch up on paperwork and research. Aside from greeting a few friends in search of a good cup of coffee and a cupcake, Saturday was a good day for paperwork. And for learning about rattan furniture.
What do you think of this lovely 5-band rattan chair and ottoman? This vintage set is at least 40-50 years old. Older ones often have 6 to 10 bands. The style shows the influence of Austrian-American designer Paul T. Frankl. His Art Deco furniture, in rattan and other materials, helped launch the modern, streamlined look of the 1920's through the 1950's.
Did you know that, unlike bamboo, rattan is solid, and although it is as strong as iron, it becomes as flexible as a garden hose when you steam it? It is relatively lightweight (I'm pretty sure these cushions weigh more than the rattan). Designers have had lots of fun with these qualities, as you can see in the photos.
The chair and ottoman of this set fit together to form a
chaise longue (or chaise lounge, as it's come to be called in America). Reminds me of deck chairs on cruise ships in old movies.
Sunday, we had a great afternoon at the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival. Saw lots of beautiful, creative, and fun art, some of which we hope will be found in The Living Room soon. And we're so glad, now the festival is over, that Liz Marshall's pieces are back on our gallery wall:
