Cultural Crossovers: Danish Furniture Design and its Impact on Indonesia’s Rattan Furniture Industry

Abstract

Indonesia, a major rattan producing country, has a long history of making rattan furniture. Traditionally, rattan furniture is seen as cheap and fragile, mostly associated with lower economic classes. However, in the 1970s, some Indonesian design educators and practitioners began to change this perception by introducing modern design principles inspired by Scandinavian furniture design in particular Denmark. This shift brought rattan furniture into the realm of high-quality mid-to-high-end furniture. This paper explores the influence of Danish design on the early development of modern rattan furniture in Indonesia through two main channels: product design concepts accessed through international design media, and the academic influence brought by Indonesian designers studying in Scandinavian countries. Using comparative study methods, this research reveals how Indonesian designers have successfully translated Danish design values—traditionally applied to wood—into rattan furniture, creating a modern design identity rooted in global aesthetics and local materials.