TreeHugger "Old Faithful" Contest Finalist 2: Rattan Living Room Set

Kari Banta's entry to our "Old Faithful" Contest was her 36 year old rattan living room set. This custom furniture was built for Kari's mother and father-in-law in 1969, and is still going strong today thanks to Kari's efforts. Although it has been with Kari and her family for almost 4 decades, you would never know it from the way the set looks. With just a little maintenance, she has been able to keep her "old faithful" instead of replacing it. Here is what she said:

Hi all!
My old faithful isn't as sexy or exciting as some, but it's a pretty
awesome thing to consider. Right now I'm sitting on a couch that's 36
years old. It's very cool!

In 1969, my mother and father in law had a custom built living room set constructed from rattan. An 8' long couch, two end tables, and two chairs that look like mini "papa-sans", but they also spin. A couple years ago, the original cushions gave up the ghost. With a damp cloth I cleaned off all of the frame, replaced the burlap that acts as the spring for the seat, and redid the cushions. Wanting to be responsible (and thrifty), the new cushions use leftover fabric and foam from a factory that makes tables and chairs for the restaurant industry. Hopefully the next time they need recovering I can do it with a hemp-based fabric and something better than foam, but for now I think it's pretty good. The chairs still have the original cushions, so perhaps I can start with a greener fabric on them. A living room set that's served two generations, and still looks sleek and modern. I know from the recent treehugger search for an eco sofa this is no small thing!