We spend a lot of time lurking on Etsy, looking for vintage bentwood plant hangers from the 1970s. There’s something refreshingly modern about the simple, graceful way they frame a dangling houseplant. But every time we spot one and try to buy it? We get there too late.
Designer Justina Blakeney feels our pain. A collector of bentwood plant hangers, she studied the form to create her own diamond-shaped version; she has collaborated with Etsy seller WeareMFEO to offer the Jungalow Hanging Planter, made to order. Something about it reminds us (in a good way) of listening to Elton John sing “Tiny Dancer” while we sat on our beds and wove God’s Eyes from colorful yarn and popsicle sticks:
Above: Photograph via Justina Blakeney.
Made to order from clear coated maple plywood, the Jungalow Hanging Planter hangs from a metal chain and comes with a metal mounting arm. It is 22 inches high and 15 inches wide; it’s $75 from WeareMFEO via Etsy.
Above: The Jungalow, which has a wooden harness to hold a plant pot, comes with your choice of brass or chrome hardware.
The design harkens back to the Scandi-inspired bentwood plant hangers that were so ubiquitous in the 1970s (but relatively difficult to find nowadays).
The 1970s-style design can theoretically trace their lineage all the way back to the 19th century; they are descendants (a few generations removed) of German cabinetmaker Michael Thonet‘s original bentwood chair (created after he discovered a technique for wetting wood to make it pliable enough to bend).
Above: Says designer Blakeney: “Jungalow style is tropical and bohemian…it’s about bringing the eclecticism of nature and the wild indoors.”
Feeling an urge to dangle a houseplant? See 10 Easy Pieces: White Hanging Planters and Our Favorite Woven Hanging Planter.
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