Natural Style: The Materials of Palecek Furnishings
Palecek’s signature style of home furnishings is greatly defined by its use of versatile, natural materials, including pole rattan, abaca plant, fossilized clam and coconut shell. Each offers a unique form and function for furniture design.
POLE RATTAN & SKIN
Desired for: The solid, smooth, even, tubular shape of its canes
Used in: Lightweight, durable furniture and accessories
Pole rattan is harvested as canes that are lightweight but extremely hard-wearing, making it ideal for crafting versatile, frequent-use furnishings. Pole rattan, a member of the palm family, is also valued for its skin, which is called “rattan peel” or “cane matting.” Pole rattan skin is often used to create woven chair seats as well as baskets, lamp shades and other accessories.
ABACA PLANT
Desired for: The outstanding strength and flexibility of its stalk
Used in: Intricately woven furniture and accessories
Abaca plant is prized for its inner stalk that is extremely resilient and rubbery. The robust abaca fibre is flexible enough to be woven in intricate designs, and sturdy enough to be suitable for weight-bearing furniture pieces. Related to the banana plant, abaca grows very quickly, making it a highly sustainable natural material to choose.
FOSSILIZED CLAM
Desired for: The unusual, beautiful, organic appearance of its smoothed surface
Used in: Artful inlays in pieces such as tabletops
Clam fossils form when organic matter is replaced with minerals, a process known as perimineralization. The minerals give hewn pieces of this material a natural lustre and interesting, freeform variation. Fossilized clams are not found in seabeds, but on remote mountaintops in Asia, frequently among the remains of ancient lava flows.
COCONUT SHELL
Desired for: The ease of use, wide availability and glowing depth of the polished finish
Used in: Organic design accents in lighting fixtures and accessories
The coconut, a staple food in many Asian countries, is also prized for its shell which has been widely used as a natural and sustainable material in home décor. Coconut shells are sanded smooth, polished and cut into different shapes. The shell may be painted or left as is with its natural rich sheen, and integrated in the design of furnishings and accessories.
As Andrew T. Palecek, CCO, explains, “We’ve chosen these special, beautiful, flexible materials…and we are passionate about using them. We could design in many other materials, but we’ve never found anything we like better.”
Learn more about Palecek
