Cane Pretzel Lounge

If the interiors people have been saving on Instagram lately are any indication, we’ll be seeing a lot more antique, new and vintage cane furniture in the years ahead.

Cane — the material of the moment that is inspiring a new generation of designers — has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, side tables and desks.

In case you’re wondering, cane refers to the peeled-off bark of rattan, an Old World species of climbing palm, while wicker may be used to describe natural or synthetic materials that were woven into a pattern. Raffia, another term thrown around when discussing woven furniture, refers to a palm tree native to tropical regions in Africa.

Of course, designers’ obsession with traditional artisanal techniques is nothing new. Marcel Breuer’s tubular Cesca chair, a design originally conceived in the 1920s, has drawn renewed attention in the past few years. And the popularity of materials like raffia and wicker reflects our desire for all things handmade.

Find a wide range of antique, new and vintage cane furniture on 1stDibs.

While this specific seating is known to all for its comfort and familiar form, the history of how your favorite antique or vintage lounge chair came to be is slightly more ambiguous.

Although there are rare armchairs dating back as far as the 17th century, some believe that the origins of the first official “lounge chair” are tied to Hungarian modernist designer-architect Marcel Breuer. Sure, Breuer wasn’t exactly reinventing the wheel when he introduced the Wassily lounge chair in 1925, but his seat was indeed revolutionary for its integration of bent tubular steel.

Officially, a lounge chair is simply defined as a “comfortable armchair,” which allows for the shape and material of the furnishings to be extremely diverse. Whether or not chaise longues make the cut for this category is a matter of frequent debate.

The Eames lounge chair, on the other hand, has come to define somewhat of a universal perception of what a lounge chair can be. Introduced in 1956, the Eames lounger (and its partner in cozy, the ottoman) quickly became staples in television shows, prestigious office buildings and sumptuous living rooms. Venerable American mid-century modern designers Charles and Ray Eames intended for it to be the peak of luxury, which they knew meant taking furniture to the next level of style and comfort. Their chair inspired many modern interpretations of the lounge — as well as numerous copies.

On 1stDibs, find a broad range of unique lounge chairs that includes everything from antique Victorian-era seating to vintage mid-century modern lounge chairs by craftspersons such as Hans Wegner to contemporary choices from today’s innovative designers.