Cane can do anything
Cane is classic, and classic is timeless. The naff, low maintenence cost-effective furniture made with microfibre for the masses, has had its mediocre moment, but the eco-movement has made cane even more significant in furniture and accessories. The OG rattan is taking over the market not just of large-scale furniture such as sofas and beds, but also of home decor, including lamps, table runners and other accents.
Too much of any colour, including beige, however, can wash out spaces, especially in the trending Scandinavian and Japandi aesthetics. To get that pop of colour without OD-ing your carefully curated climate cool image, Priyanka Narula of The Wicker Story has launched a new collection ‘Dusk to Dawn.’ It features a wide range of functional creations in rattan—benches, lighting installation, chairs among others.
Adding colour to cane was a big step for Narula. During the first five years as a product designer, she explored the material in its raw avatar. She decided to embrace colour, only after recognising that in India, basketry attains extra relevance through its vibrant hues—each shade possessing cultural significance of its own. She felt that if her work was to truly reflect the soul of India, colour and cane should meet.
The colours in her new collection, therefore, use a palette of shades drawn from the blaze of sunsets and sunrises, especially those overlooking marshy landscapes; the Sunset Bench being a colourful example. A structurally nuanced piece, it captures the graceful arc of the sun’s eternal passage through the sky.
The way it blends brighter tones of dawn and dusk into the warmer hues is a statement of static transition. Sunrise on Mountain, on the other hand, is a series of lighting installations “that can be suspended as works of art or used to illuminate living spaces”, says the founder, adding, “These pieces evoke the serenity of early mornings, casting a gentle glow that whispers of new beginnings.” Along the River is another light installation inspired by Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem The Brook. “Bubbling with the energy of flowing water and the play of light on pebbles, it works both as a chandelier and a suspended cluster,” says Narula.
Rattan is considered as part of the sustainability ethos, as is the trendy Narula. Everyone from NGOs to CSR initiatives and designers wear the sustainability ribbon as if it is the fashionable thing to do. Some, however, like Narula have woven their design philosophy into the whole matrix of creative expression. Her approach goes beyond just aesthetics; it’s a commitment to create responsibly.
“As designers, we’re constantly thinking in terms of material—what we use, how we shape it, and ultimately, its lifecycle. The more you engage, the more you begin to question the waste it generates. I knew sustainability would the heart of all my work, but my search was for materials that are modern, progressive, while being eco-conscious. That ended with rattan and cane,” she says.
Strongly influenced by Iraqi-British architect and artist Zaha Hadid’s dramatic deconstructionist designs, Dawn to Dusk products are derivative in the sense they capture Hadid’s unique sensibility, particularly her mastery of complex geometry. Narula, has added the Indian touch with the choice of material. “I can work with cane for the rest of my life. I am determined to elevate its status and bring them the global recognition they deserve,” she says. She cane.
Thewickerstory.com
‘I knew sustainability would be at the heart of everything I would create, but my only concern was finding materials that were modern, progressive, while being eco-conscious. That search ended with rattan and cane.’