Have you ever heard of Lloyd Loom furniture? Imagine a piece of furniture that feels so smooth to the touch and can fit both vintage and contemporary décor styles. Welcome to the world of Lloyd Loom. The style and method were invented by an American man in 1917, Marshall Burns Lloyd. The style involved a new woven material that had all the grace and elegance of wicker or rattan with none of the disadvantages. When Lloyd began producing chairs made from this new weave, they grew incredibly popular.
Here in Britain, a furniture maker saw this new method and immediately knew it was something special. Lloyd sold the patent for his design to the London furniture makers W. Lusty and Sons. New furniture was being designed and produced by the London firm, using Lloyd’s patent and the popularity surged for this new material across Britain and the rest of Europe. The furniture was seen up and down the land in homes, hotels and restaurants during the 1930s. By the start of the Second World War, some 10 million pieces had been produced in the UK and America.
So, what was it that Lloyd created that caused such a stir? Smooth, clean, strong and with none of the roughness of wicker or rattan? The answer was incredibly simple – paper! Lloyd took Kraft paper and twisted it around pieces of wire to be woven into sheets of a stronger material. These sheets were cut and applied to rattan frames before being spray painted in any desired colour.
What Lloyd was seeking was all the benefits of the appearance and delicate design of wicker and rattan but without the need to weave every piece of furniture by hand. For your very own Lloyd Loom Chairs, visit https://lloydlooms.co.uk/
The effects of the Second World War on fashion and the economy took their toll and both sales and production dipped during the 50s. This lull lasted until the 1990s as the design had perhaps been forgotten or gone out of fashion. Suddenly, in the 90s Lloyd Loom furniture enjoyed a huge resurgence in popularity. These chairs and other items were all the rage again, with some manufacturers creating modern, synthetic designs for outdoor living and some sticking to the authentic and original materials and methods.
Still in demand today, these chairs fit seamlessly into both retro and contemporary spaces. A further benefit is the impressive strength of the material. They are amazingly durable and that’s why Lloyd Loom is often found in antique stores, still in pristine condition. Should you stumble across one of these in an antique store near you, it might only need a wipe clean and a re-spray and it’s good as new.
Only occasionally does an innovator appear who creates something that inspires countless others to follow suit, but that happened with lloyd loom. The furniture is now being enjoyed and appreciated by a whole new generation for its great feel and beauty.