Imagine a time before plastics, before foam rubber. How was upholstery made comfortable back then? By creatively using natural materials. Straw, seaweed, shredded wood, coiled steel springs, wool, horse hair, burlap, jute are just some of the materials that were used before foam took over the upholstery industry.
There are a few people who still value this traditional method of upholstery and it’s possible to find new furniture created using these old world methods but most commonly in the US is to reupholstery antiques in this style.
Is it expensive? Yes, the materials are produced in low quantities and the amount of skill and labor it takes to craft a chair from natural materials is far greater than cutting and gluing a slab of foam to a frame.
Is it better? Traditional materials do last longer than plastic based foams and they have a different feel than foam. Traditional materials do not outgass plasticizers as does foam rubber and all traditional materials are compostable at the end of their life whereas plastics are not.
