About Us
A family tradition since 1890.
Grandma Ida
I’ve been around chair caning all my life. My family comes from the Charlottesville, Va. At least the ones I have met! My great grandmother Gladys McInnes Allen was from Michigan and moved to Mississippi with her itenerant farmer family. She taught my grandmother, Ida Allen Clements. Ida wrote down her life story and in it, she describes a time during World War II when my granddad was away building the Hampton Roads Tunnel and she had to put an ad in the paper for chair caning to help support the kids. Ida also taught my granddad (Hobert), my aunts (Linda and Gladys), and my dad (also Hobert) how to cane. My grandfather Hobert actually served in World War I and was in the Battle of the Marne. He and my grandmother lived in an old school house in North Garden, outside of Charlottesville, Virginia and had a ceramic shop on the property. This is where they taught their kids to cane.
My grandfather Hobert Clements demonstrating rush weaving
My aunt Linda Clements was the one who really upheld the tradition and started a side business out of it in Norfolk, Virginia. She has been caning for over 40 years. My dad always told me I should learn (mainly because I was a gypsy-like college graduate and he thought that I could earn some extra money caning like my aunt did) and so I finally did back in 2005. I was living in Oregon where I worked in art galleries and picture framing shops and had just moved back home to Folly Beach, South Carolina. I attended Chair Repair Boot Camp at Linda’s house and learned differnt cane, rush, and splint weaves on chairs she picked up at antique stores. When I returned to Charleston, I got my first job re-rushing and painting over 30 chairs in Kasper’s Diner in the heart of downtown Charleston. Ed Kheiling got a really good deal on that job but if anyone deserved it, Ed did! I then began contracting out with local furniture companies like Chehaw River Woodworks and Charleston Interiors.
1940's wheelchair with pressed cane
In Charleston I was able to work on some amazing old antiques, including a 1940’s FDR style wheelchair, and I also fixed the cane chairs in the 5 star Charleston Place Hotel’s Palmetto Cafe. And the beach was fun but I’ve always been drawn to the mountains of North Carolina. Living in spectacular places like the Park City, Utah and in the Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon, I always felt there was something homey and comforting missing from the awe-inspiring volcanic peaks. So even though there was a good bluegrass contingency in Portland, and lots of wonderfullness happening on Folly Beach, Asheville called me back. During college I taught arts and crafts at Falling Creek Camp for Boys in Tuxedo, NC and started coming to Asheville on my days off. My best friend from college had moved here and I stayed with her while doing my yoga training at Asheville Yoga Center in 2007 and then stayed on for more zentastic grounding and uplifting yoga training at the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga. I now am the epitome of the Renaissance Soul, the stereotypical Ashevillan Massage Therpaist, Yoga Instructor, Artist.
My chairs in a 5 star hotel!
Since moving to Asheville in 2007 I have worked with lots of individual clients and several furniture repair shops including McCall Restoration Services, Furniture Specialties, and Born Again Furniture Repair and Restoration. I was honored to be the Artist in Residence at the Grove Arcade Arts and Heritage Gallery from October through Christmas of 2008 where I began making original contemporary antiquesby refurbishing, painting, and weaving old chairs. I have taught chair caning classes at the True Nature Country Fair and can occasionally be seen caning outside of Mountain Made in the Grove Arcade where my contemporary antique chairs are for sale.
We recently opened a studio called Planet Art in the River Arts District where we do chair caning and picture framing. Dave received a raise (in title) and a promotion from #1  minion to Member Manager of the LLC! Due to the lame job situation in Asheville, we abandoned our okay paying jobs where we were underappreciated and drained of our souls and free time and embarked on this new journey. Dave and I met on Folly Beach where I was caning for businesses around Charleston. He was in need of some cash and I was in need of some help gutting the Charleston Place chairs (okay, and I wanted him to think I was cool cuz I worked with tools), so I paid him $100. Best $100 I’ve ever spent. Since then Dave has not only moved to Asheville, but has also learned rush, machine cane, splint weaves, and most of laced cane. He tackled natural rush like a champ and even dug out this crazy perfect groove and fixed and “impossible to fix” antique chair that nobody in town wanted to attempt. I bet the mechanical engineering degree helps…
Formerly blind cane and very fragile, Dave drilled out a groove so that the cane could be replaced much less expensively with a sheet of cane. him to think I was cool cuz I worked with tools), so I paid him $100. Best $100 I've ever spent. Since then Dave has not only moved to Asheville, but has also learned rush, machine cane, splint weaves, and most of laced cane. He tackled natural rush like a champ and even dug out this crazy perfect groove and fixed and "impossible to fix" antique chair that nobody in town wanted to attempt. I bet the mechanical engineering degree helps...
Give us a call if you’d like me to look at your chair. We’re available for advice as well if you’re trying to re-cane your own chair. I’ve caned hundreds of chairs of all shapes, sizes, and designs. We are meticulous in our work and are not afraid to take on challenges.
Brandy weaving pre-twisted natural rush
All work is guaranteed and I have always had satisfied customers. By fixing (saving!) an old chair, we are preserving a piece of history and conserving valuable resources in a disposable world (Sometimes I even find old newspapers from the 60’s and 70’s). You know, I even saw a rush bottom chair on Antiques Road Show for $50,000.00!!!! But my favorite part of caning is seeing the look on people’s faces when they see their newly refurbished chair!
