What Cleaning Up an Old Bentwood Rocker Taught Me About UX

Trends, timelessness, and how it relates to something more.

Like many of us, lockdown has ignited both a newfound appreciation for online shopping and a constant feeling of uneasiness. These coupled together led me to spend hours and hours looking to decorate the home I was moving into with my husband. He had lived there for two years (leaving walls bare and rooms empty) and I had moved in just weeks prior, with an elaborate plan to make-over the house.

In my fantasy for the house, the styles (Scandinavian, boho, mid-mod) would meld beautifully together and we’d never dream of leaving because it was so tranquil (yes, high hopes)!

One idea I could not go away from was caned bentwood chairs. If you’ve never seen some I’ll link to a Pinterest board I made for cane pieces. The pattern is mesmerizing, fascinating, just intricate enough to be unique; it’s somehow simultaneously fragile and durable. I needed one (or a few) of them to brighten up our space.

So the quest was on. I researched and went through tons of websites, postings, and Pinterest inspiration. Moving to a less urban area I thought I’d have difficulty in the vintage market, but I really lucked out! I found multiple options for Bentwood rockers via Facebook Marketplace, at $50 or less- an unbelievable deal with some going for thousands.

I drove to pick up the chair- about half an hour on a CONTINUOUS stretch of red dirt road. The owner and I masked up before meeting and she was kind, helping me to load it into my Jeep. She had told me that she moved out West from the East Coast a number of years ago and that the chair had traveled with her. It hadn’t been on display in quite some time but had stayed with her for decades. She was in her late 60s and she had purchased the chair at 21. It was the first piece of new furniture that she had bought for herself and I felt honored to be the next owner of this beloved piece. It had been re-caned years before but remained in good condition. I paid $35 for it.

I drove away beaming to set up the new chair in my home. She needed a deep clean, screws tightened, and a little filler in the cracks.

Trends Come & Go

That line is not groundbreaking, and honestly neither are most trends. Trends are less of something new, more something “coming back.” We can see this evidenced in fashion, interior design, and even product design. Cane and rattan are making a comeback and might be seen as tacky whenever the next thing comes back around. Not everyone will be into it, but if you;re confident in the aestheitc then stand by your decision

Originals & Dupes

Unfortunately, beautiful pieces are often replicated by opportunists. I took advantage of a knock-off Thonet, just like the previous owner. There are plenty of those who will “be inspired” by the design and take it a step too far. This is the nature of competition and capitalism.

Innovation and creativity are king, just be prepared for the copycats to follow. Just in the same, give credit where it is due. Flattery, experimentation, and plagiarism are not the same things.

Always Consider Your Users

So how did the design of this chair fit the needs of its users?

This chair was light enough that the woman in her 60s could pick it up and move it on her own. I was also able to load it and unload it, lug it up and down the stairs with relative ease. Ever tried to move a really heavy piece of furniture? It’s pretty discouraging. There are pros and cons to it, but generally, pieces of furniture don’t stay in the same spot for 50 years, let alone 20 or even 10!

Designers need to think about why someone would use the product or how they would. In this case, moving or redecorating should be part of the thought given to the lifecycle. Too light and it’s not durable, too heavy and it is a burden. Too bold and the owner might eventually lose interest in the novelty.

Good Design is Timeless

Didn’t we just talk about trends? So how is this timeless if it’s trendy?

Yup. The cane is kinda trendy. Bentwood rockers are unique enough to be special and common enough to be known.

It’s small enough to fit most rooms without overwhelming them. It is neutral enough to fit just about anywhere and most styles. It’s cozy and sophisticated, and I see it being an accent chair in my home for many many years. I am willing to replace the caning, which will likely cost more than my initial purchase of the chair.

What I really mean in this case is that the chair was durable. The wood isn’t in perfect condition but for a middle-aged chair, it is great. The previous owner had the chair for 40ish years and only re-caned once. This chair fits both the aesthetic of the original owner when she was young and in her 60s. It fit the aesthetic of a 25-year-old user UX designer and her husband.

This chair, after collecting dust for years, only needed a gentle cleaning and some tightened screws.

Bottom line: If the foundation is solid, the product will last with minor tweaks and updates. Make it beautiful and functional to bring joy to your users.