Every now and then, you stumble across something that feels like opening a time capsule, and that’s exactly what happened with this 1982 guide by Max and Charlotte Alth on making your own cane furniture, which we have just found in our office clearout. It’s the sort of book you pick up expecting a bit of nostalgia, only to realise how much of it still speaks to the way we think about home, craft, and materials today.
The Alths walk through the basics of working with cane and rattan: bending, weaving, shaping. The designs, rooted in that late‑70s aesthetic, have aged far better than you’d expect. Soft curves, open weaves, pieces that feel light both visually and physically.
What really stands out, though, is how relevant the materials still are. The UK might not produce cane and rattan on the scale it once did, but the appeal hasn’t gone anywhere. If anything, it’s grown.
These are fast‑growing, durable, low‑impact materials exactly the kind of thing people look for when they’re trying to make more sustainable choices at home. And there’s something undeniably calming about the look of cane furniture in a conservatory or sunlit corner. It feels honest. Uncomplicated. A little bit nostalgic?
Reading this old guide is a reminder that good craft doesn’t really date. Techniques that worked in 1982 still work now. The pleasure of making something with your hands hasn’t changed. And the quiet beauty of natural materials... well, that never goes out of style 🌿
Take a look:
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