Rush and cord chair seats, rewoven by hand
Rush seats on country chairs, stools and Orkney-style chairs. Paper and Danish cord on mid-century pieces. All woven in my workshop in Bankfoot, Perthshire.
An Orkney-style chair, back on its feet
Orkney chairs are one of Scotland’s own: tall woven straw backs, first made on islands where wood was so scarce that driftwood went into the frames.
This one came in with the seat worn right through. It went home with its straw back cleaned up and a brand new rush seat.
Why a rush seat has four triangles
Rush is twisted as you go and wrapped round each rail in turn, working from all four corners towards the middle. That is what makes the four triangles you see meeting in the centre.
The seat is packed from underneath as it builds, so it stays firm and doesn’t sag. A good rush seat feels solid when you sit on it, never like a hammock.
Seen a seat with straight lines running across a rectangle? That’s usually cord, below.
Some recent rush seats
Paper and Danish cord
Lots of mid-century Scandinavian-style chairs have woven paper cord seats. They’re lovely to sit on, until one strand snaps and the whole pattern starts to loosen.
The cord is rewoven across the frame, tight and even, so the seat looks like it did when the chair was new.
Questions about rush and cord
Rush, cord or cane: which one have I got?
Twisted strands meeting in four triangles is rush. Flat, even strands in straight lines is usually cord. A fine mesh with little octagon holes is cane, and that’s on the chair caning page.
Can the frame be repaired too?
Yes. With the old seat off is the best time to glue loose joints and freshen up the finish.
How much does a new seat cost?
It depends on the size of the seat and the material. Text a photo of the chair and the seat to 0781 031 9292 for an estimate.
I’m not in Perthshire. Can you still help?
Send a photo and ask. Seating is specialist work and it’s worth a conversation wherever you are in Scotland.
Sagging rush or a snapped cord?
Send a photo of the whole chair and one of the seat to 0781 031 9292. A dreich afternoon is a fine time to dig the auld chair out of the shed.