Clive Payne

Cane Seating Restoration

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Rush & Cane Seating Restoration in Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire

We offer high-quality rush seating restoration in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, and cane chair repair with our antique furniture restoration service.

Rush and cane can offer a much more comfortable seating surface than wood. Antique ladderback chairs, for example, were constructed using cane or rush seating. However, with the advent of central heating, rush and caned work dries out it becomes brittle and breaks apart making the chairs or item unusable.

The Process of Rush & Cane Chair Repair – Re-Caning & Reseating

Rush and cane seating restoration is a skill that is still done by hand. Caning is a method of weaving chair seats while in the process of cane chair repair. Cane work can be conserved, small holes are able to be repaired using matching cane reclaimed from other items. Cane is usually only replaced when it is not possible to restore the original. At Clive Payne, we are able to replace both rush and cane work, re-caning seats and antique furniture.

Member of the British Antique Furniture Restorers Association (BAFRA)

The British Antique Furniture Restorers’ Association (BAFRA) is a nationwide organisation of skilled people engaged in furniture conservation, furniture repair and furniture restoration. Every BAFRA member is an expert in their field and is actively involved in Continual Professional Development to keep abreast of advances in knowledge, skills and technical developments.

Clive Payne and his small team of highly skilled craftsmen have worked with some of the country’s finest houses, museums, antique dealers and collectors of period antiques. Over the years Clive has developed the highest of standards in Rush & Cane Seating Restoration in Oxfordshire and Rush & Cane Seating Restoration in Gloucestershire, joining the British Antique Furniture Restorers Association (BAFRA) in 1997 and now specialises in conserving and restoring oak and country furniture from the 15th to 18th centuries, together with all furniture from the early 18th to 19th centuries.

Rush & Cane Furniture Restoration FAQs

What is rush and cane seating?
Rush seating has been around for hundreds of years and is surprisingly comfortable and durable. However, due to the nature of the material, rush seating may fade or wear over time. Chair caning is specifically the craft of applying rattan cane to a piece of furniture such as the back of chairs or the seats of chairs. The cane used for furniture is typically derived from the rattan vine.
Why might my rush and cane seating require restoration?
Rush and cane seating are surprisingly both comfortable and durable. However, due to the nature of the material, rush and cane seating may fade or wear over time. The restoration of rush and cane chairs is a specialist job that requires each strand to be specially woven together neatly, to create a tightly woven seat. Rush and cane seating restoration should always be performed by an experienced restorer.
What is the method used for rush and cane seating restoration?
Rush and cane seating restoration is an antique method of weaving chair seating. The restoration of rush chairs is a speciality, with each strand being specially woven together neatly from rush of varying thicknesses, to create a tight woven seat. Cane work can be conserved and small holes are usually able to be repaired using matching cane reclaimed from other items. Cane is usually only replaced when it is not possible to restore the original.
What types of seating require rush and cane restoration?
Ladderback chairs get their name from the horizontal spindles that serve as the back support for them, which are reminiscent of a ladder. The majority of antique ladderback chairs are constructed using cane or rush and so typically require this type of restoration.

If you have a piece of cane or rush furniture that has a woven seat, back or surface that you are considering restoring, or if you need your cane chairs re-seated please do not hesitate to contact me. All restoration work is done entirely by hand using traditional techniques.

Call 01608 658856 or click the button below to make an enquiry.

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