Rush is a beautiful finish; it brings a sense of the rustic into your home and complements the country-influenced design of the ladder back and bobbin back 
chair. We favour Dutch rush for its consistency in size, texture and colour,  
fading over time from rich greens and yellows to the comfortable buff tone 
always associated with this ancient method of chair bottoming.

    Designs vary a little across Europe, but in the main hold true to a quartered pattern where the seat is divided diagonally towards the centre. The chairs themselves are either fixed-frame or drop in seats, both methods produced by ourselves in this most pleasing of materials. For the eco-conscious, it should be noted there is little or no wastage or rush during the process.

     

    








                                
















                                  



                                Some historical notes on rush seating.

            Most people enjoy the historic and with rush seating they can effectively  experience a craft that existed before the Pharaoh’s of Egypt wielded power. Examples of rush seating have been found in Egyptian tombs and in their artwork, so anybody sitting on a rush bottomed seat is in good company.

            There is little to indicate the existence of rush seating before the 17^th century in this country, but one would have thought with the existence of English rush as an available local, natural resource some use would have been made of it. Certainly around the 17^th century, this rustic craft was becoming popular, though perhaps the exponents of the art may not have been. It was said you could smell a rush-worker from quite some distance. Happily, this is not the case today. Our wide circle of returning customers have voiced no complaints in this area!

            As with all things, rush seating lost some of its popularity for a time, but with the coming of the Arts and Crafts movement, the upsurge in a desire for things pastoral and rustic saw a favourable light shine on the craft once again.

Today, there is still a strong sense of wanting to create a ‘country feel’ about the home, and there is no better way than to introduce rush seating into the décor.