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What Comes After Rattan? We Asked 4 Designers to Predict the Next Big Material
Rattan, once largely confined to vacation homes and screened-in porches, has experienced a significant resurgence, becoming a versatile material for achieving an airy aesthetic and introducing natural texture into various interior spaces. From swing chairs and pendant lights to area rugs and ottomans, its widespread adoption has prompted a discussion among interior designers about what material might follow in its footsteps as the next dominant trend in home decor.
Kele Dobrinski, from Colossus Mfg, suggests that tambour is poised for a comeback. This ribbed material, popular from the 1950s through the 1980s, was commonly used as a decorative detail on curved surfaces like credenza doors and bread boxes. Tambour's distinctive texture gives pieces a unique, artisanal feel, as exemplified by Anya Sebton and Eva Lilja Löwenhielm’s Palais Royal table with its tambour drum base. Dobrinski notes that its natural element allows it to complement vibrant colors without quickly becoming dated.
Susana Simonpietri, owner and creative director of Chango and Co., is shifting away from rattan's casualness by embracing unglazed ceramics. While rattan brings a laid-back, low-maintenance vibe to spaces, Simonpietri is pairing unglazed ceramics with short-pile cotton velvets to create a sophisticated yet flowing aesthetic. She envisions rattan’s warm yellow and orange tones being reinterpreted in ceramic vases and fabric swatches, offering a fresh take on comfort and style.
Heidi Lachapelle, a Portland, Maine-based designer, anticipates that woven paper cord will emerge as a softer alternative to rattan. While acknowledging the timeless appeal of rush-weave dining chairs, Lachapelle highlights unexpected applications of paper cord, which invites tactile interaction. She describes paper cord pieces as sophisticated, casual, and cool, particularly favoring seating designs such as Norm Architects’s braid sofa, Gestalt’s Saga low chair, and Arthur Umanoff’s settee bench, all of which showcase the material’s unique qualities.
Finally, SoCal designer Raili Clasen is exploring the potential of webbing in furniture design. While she still regards rattan as a classic, Clasen is drawn to a new generation of webbed furniture, experimenting with nylon, leather, and jute webbing for sofas, chair bases, and stretched benches. She sources pieces from Los Angeles-based makers like Croft House and Stephen Kenn, appreciating the casual personality and inherent comfort that webbing brings to furniture. These predictions collectively indicate a move towards materials that offer distinct textures, a blend of natural elements with sophisticated applications, and an emphasis on tactile experiences in contemporary home design.
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