New Orleans Furniture Shop Promotes Repair Sustainability
The Marigny business Able to Cane specializes in preserving vintage seating through traditional weaving techniques.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Local Services
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Would you choose to repair a broken piece of furniture instead of replacing it?
Elizabeth Seleen operates Able to Cane, a furniture restoration business in the Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans. The shop focuses on sustaining furniture by repairing pieces instead of replacing them.
Why it matters
Seleen transitioned into this trade from archaeology due to shifting federal funding and challenges with field work. Her practice emphasizes the environmental and historical value of maintaining classic furniture pieces.
Hand caning services are priced at $3.60 per hole, with total hand-caned restoration averaging $250. Alternatively, a standard pressed cane replacement costs approximately $120.
The players
Elizabeth Seleen
She is the proprietor of the New Orleans-based restoration business Able to Cane.
Bill Seleen
He is the founder of the original Able to Cane business located in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The details
The repair process involves assessing a chair for structural damage before carefully removing old cane. Seleen then cleans the surfaces and holes before weaving new material into the frame.
Timeline
1325 B.C.: Woven daybeds are found in King Tutankhamun's tomb.
1666: Caning becomes fashionable in England after the Great Fire.
2007: Elizabeth Seleen moves to New Orleans.
2020: Bill Seleen retires from his day job.
Culture Shift
This furniture repair business follows a centuries-old tradition of maintaining caned seating that dates back to the 1666 English craze for caned furniture. The shift reflects a broader consumer movement toward sustainable living and the preservation of heirloom-quality items.
Residents in New Orleans and the surrounding region can utilize these services to extend the lifespan of antique or damaged wooden furniture. Clients should prepare for restoration costs based on the specific weave type and the number of holes requiring hand-woven cane.
The takeaway
Choosing to repair damaged furniture reduces waste and preserves the history embedded in artisanal design. Owners can begin by evaluating the specific weave type of their damaged piece to estimate potential repair costs.
Further reading
Learn more about community-based businesses in the New Orleans Local Services section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NOLA.
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Would you choose to repair a broken piece of furniture instead of replacing it?
