Provence

The traditional “grand-père” style is also available here in synthetic rattan for the garden. A combination of classic lines and the technical qualities of synthetic resin.

The timeless charm of French-style rattan seats

The familiar lines of our “grand-père” rattan armchairs and sofas for the garden is derived from the symbolic rattan seats of the early 20th century. This was part of the ABC of the apprenticeship of every basket and rattan craftsman, and tens of thousands of these seats were scattered even into the most remote country areas by peddlers. Sometimes the only element of comfort in modest homes, it became synonymous with the rare moments of rest or conviviality that were granted at the time: knitting, sewing, reading, vigils, naps, the first broadcasts on the radio... Robust, comfortable, economical, light to move around, these rattan seats were so popular with our elders that there are few family homes where you can’t still find them. In fact, they have come to be affectionately known as “grandfather” or “grandmother” armchairs. What once made them so successful is still very much alive today. KOK has never stopped distributing them since the 20s.

The  advantage of synthetic resin for rattan garden furniture.

The only concession to contemporary modernity here is the use of synthetic resin and aluminium instead of rattan. Rattan is a robust material and relatively resistant to temperature and humidity differences, but not really suitable for “all-weather” outdoor use. In the old days, older people were less fond of sunbathing than we are, and when a rattan sofa was installed in the garden, it was usually in the shade. Above all, respect for the material meant that no one would think of leaving the seating outside at night and, in bad weather, they were always brought in. Today, all this seems to us to be very restrictive and a little outdated: lack of time, new and unstructured ways of living, you can’t blame anyone. We, therefore, felt it was essential to offer a totally “outdoor” version of the good old rattan seat of grand-père rattan seat, to the great delight of our hotelier friends, who can leave their terrace furniture in place throughout the season without worrying about it.

Our rattan chairs are reproduced identically in the synthetic version

A grand-père rattan garden sofa is identical in every respect to its natural rattan alter ego, except of course for the choice of materials. The rattan cane structure is replaced by thermo-lacquered aluminium tubes, and the rattan core weave by synthetic resin filaments. We also have a flat resin profile for the armrests, similar to the split rattan used on the original model. We have even gone so far as to faithfully reproduce all the reinforcing arches, initially made of thin rattan rods, but here with small aluminium tubes, which is technically completely useless but is part of the style of the product. Moreover, we use exactly the same cushions for the natural and garden versions.