A Long Love of Wicker & Rattan

My love of rattan and wicker goes back to childhood. 

In 1971 my parents had plans drawn for a new house to meet the demands of a growing family. My mother asked Danish modernist, Paul Robin John, to design our new family house. He had designed, the Playhouse, my parents' starter house in Boca Raton in 1962 which we had now outgrown.

I was raised by an Uber stylish mother who had great innate style. Her personal slant in 1971 (and beyond) was Tropical Modernism. 

800 Desoto Rd in Boca Raton was an International Style house. The shape was very Corbusier, the materials of white stucco and glass were very reminiscent to me of the International style of modernism made famous at "in" places in Mexico at the same time.

My mother's interior was chic and was reflective of her own spare, edited-to-the-max vision. Her furniture came from places like Knoll and Albrizzi. There were Saarinen tables, Ward Bennet wicker sleigh chairs, Laverne Brothers tables. 

It was a magnificent 70's snap shot of wonder. The house was also all glass on one full side. As a young child with wide eyes my mother's masterpiece and her gifts were very special.

The year the house was being built I looked through all her decorating magazines. I created my own "mood board" though it would be 30 years later that I had ever heard that term.
I wanted a white wicker room in high gloss. I wanted Marimekko sheets. Mommy had already sourced wall to wall natural Belgian Coir carpeting which was seriously "new" at the time.

When I saw the recently published images of a lovely Verre Grenney house in Mustique it reminded me of my vision for my room at 800 Desoto nearly 50 years ago.

Wicker and rattan have been a hallmark of my decorating forever.

-Amanda, Nassau, 23 August, 2020