Close-up of a freshly woven rush seat showing the four-way pattern

Chair caning, bergère, rush and cord seating

A seat that has sagged, split or gone right through can nearly always be rewoven. Craig works in cane, rush and cord, by hand, strand by strand.

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Chair caning

Hand caning is woven through drilled holes in the frame, in layers, until it makes the familiar open pattern. A sagging or holed seat is usually cut out and woven fresh.

Backs as well as seats: oval medallions, panels either side of a splat, and the slender bedroom chairs that tend to come in pairs.

Inlaid bedroom chair before work: broken cane back and worn green upholstered seat — Inlaid bedroom chair: the broken cane back rewoven by hand, and a new seat.

The same inlaid chair after: hand-woven cane back panel and a new studded turquoise seat — Inlaid bedroom chair: the broken cane back rewoven by hand, and a new seat.

Close-up of a hand-caned seat with a broken, sagging section before recaning — How they arrive: a broken, sagging section.

Pair of slender bedroom chairs with newly hand-caned seats — A pair of bedroom chairs with new hand-caned seats.

Pair of bergere armchairs with torn cane backs, sides and seats, before recaning

Bergère chairs and suites

Bergère work means cane on the back, the sides and often the seat as well, so a pair of armchairs is a big job. These two arrived with torn cane all round.

If you have a bergère suite that has been sitting in a back room because nobody dares use it, it's worth a photo.

Chair back with two hand-caned panels either side of a figured centre splat — Twin hand-caned panels either side of a figured centre splat.

Rush seats

Rush is twisted by hand and worked from the four corners into the middle, which gives the four-way pattern you can see in close-up at the top of this page.

The Orkney chair, with its tall straw back, is a northern Scottish tradition of its own. This one came in worn through and went home with a bonny new rush seat.

Orkney-style chair with a woven straw back, before restoration, with the seat worn through — Orkney-style chair with a woven straw back: the worn-through seat replaced with new rush.

The same Orkney-style chair after restoration, with its straw back and a new rush seat — Orkney-style chair with a woven straw back: the worn-through seat replaced with new rush.

Pair of ladder-back chairs with rush seats.

Stool with a new rush seat between bobbin-turned rails — A stool with a new rush seat between bobbin-turned rails.

Danish and paper cord

Mid-century dining chairs and armchairs often have woven paper cord seats. When the cord frays and breaks it's rewoven to the original pattern, tight and even.

Mid-century armchair with a worn, broken woven paper cord seat, before reweaving — Mid-century armchair: the broken paper cord seat rewoven.

The same mid-century armchair with a newly woven paper cord seat — Mid-century armchair: the broken paper cord seat rewoven.

Dining chair with a woven Danish cord seat and contrasting keys in the back rail — Dining chair with a woven Danish cord seat.

Oval chair back with hand-woven cane and a carved crest rail, around a figured centre panel

Photograph the seat from above and below

The quickest way to find out what a piece needs is a text with a few photos. Craig will look at them and get back to you.

Or, in his own words, "feel free to phone for an estimate or just for some advice."

The whole piece, standing on its own feet
The damage, close up, in good daylight
Underneath a seat or the back of a carcase, if you can
Any maker's label or stamp you find

Text photos to 0781 031 9292 Or ring for a chat