October 1, 2020

Text: Quinn Halman

Expormim’s Rattan Indoor Seating Options Combine Traditional Craftsmanship with Modern Styles

Peeled and naturally tinted rattan are used to in the collection of Frames chairs with octagonal wicker for the seat and backrest. Photography courtesy of Expormim.

The right material can make or break a design. Striking a balance between durability, personalization, and clean aesthetics is rattan: Not a wood, but a natural vine that’s sustainably grown and flexible to work with, making it perfect for unique and custom shapes. For more than half a century, one family business based in Spain has seen their craft-made rattan furniture become a part of residential and hospitality designs all over the world.

Extraordinarily rich in different shades, fine yet durable, and strongly associated with Mediterranean traditions, rattan is part of—and akin to—Expormim’s reputation and legacy. The only company that still produces rattan in Europe, Expormim is celebrating their 60th year in business come November. 

Expormim’s craftsmen at work in their Spanish headquarters. Photography courtesy of Expormim.

While the company was founded in 1960, its base town of Moixent, Spain has been home to craftsmen for centuries. Although it maintains the traditions and principles of painstaking and custom workmanship, Expormim also embraces technology and is adaptable to the changing needs of designers, leading them to collaborations with creative minds like Jaime Hayon.

An updated version of the Frames chair has arm rests layered into the design. Photography courtesy of Expormim.

As the demand for green design continues to grow, Expormim’s indoor rattan collections are a beacon of sustainability. The rattan vine grows at a fast rate compared to most harvestable trees, making its cycle of regeneration sustainable for continual use. The ease with which rattan is harvested and transported produces less effluence than do other raw materials on their journey from gathering to manufacturer.

Full of craftsmanship, comfort, and personality, the Mediterranean–inspired Armadillo chair is a welcoming place to land. Photography courtesy of Expormim.

Many of Expormim’s rattan designs allude to shapes found in nature, adding a biophilic quality to the already earthy material. The flexibility of rattan allows for rounded forms that finer materials cannot achieve. The Armadillo chair, for example, is MUT Design’s ode to calm with a papasan shape like a concave leaf. While Expormim’s rattan collection is exclusively indoor furniture, their design expertise easily translates over to their metal-based outdoor pieces.

 Chairs from the Nido collection make a sleek outdoor seating option. Photography courtesy of Expormim.

Handwoven rope is used in many of Expormim’s novel outdoor furniture offerings, juxtaposing strong and durable metal with tactile rope or performance fabric. Updated with new ropes for 2020, the Nido collection, designed by Javier Pastor, has undergone a minimalist transformation for the sake of visual cleanliness and boosted functional and aesthetic comfort. Throughout their entire catalogue, indoor or out, rattan or otherwise, craftsmanship always prevails at Expormim.

Expormim’s chairs and Nido sofa are a vibrant part of Gavi’s Geneva, Switzerland office. Photography courtesy of Expormim.
A close up of a craftsman putting together the weaves of the Nido collection. Photography courtesy of Expormim.

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