About us
Naturally Cane Furniture: An Australian Family-Owned Success Story
Naturally Cane Furniture has left its mark in countless homes, resorts, hotels, and restaurants worldwide. From the stunning South Pacific Islands to bustling cities like New York, Vancouver, London, Dubai, and Singapore. People everywhere revel in the relaxed style and comfort of our meticulously handcrafted furniture.
Our journey commenced back in 1973 when an ambitious 18-year-old Neil Milligan launched a small store called ‘Penny Farthing – Home Interiors & Gifts’ in his hometown of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. Fuelled by his passion for furniture and interior decorating, Neil curated a selection of vintage, reproduction and modern pieces. It was during this time that he made his first cane sale – a woven Cane Peacock Chair – igniting a lifelong fascination for Rattan, Bamboo, Burri, and other natural ‘Cane’ materials.
Design Photos 1988
Naturally Cane Bennetts Green Showroom Early 90’s
In the 70s, Cane became a must-have lifestyle item and Neil recognised the opportunity to import unique and exclusive stock from overseas workshops. He also ventured into creating handcrafted cane baskets for various purposes, meeting a growing demand across Australia.
This marked the beginning of Neil’s 50-year journey of importing furniture and homewares from around the world.
Naturally Cane Showroom 1992
Neil responded to the soaring demand for his baskets by promptly supplying stores all across Australia. Over the next two decades, Milligan’s – Importers and Wholesalers established itself as the primary source of basketware for interior decorators, florists, garden centres, gift stores, discount stores, supermarkets, and department stores.
In 1976, Neil eagerly received his first shipment of quality rattan cane furniture from Hong Kong. An astute furniture store owner recognized the immense potential in this furniture for the Australian market. He not only purchased from Neil’s designs but also successfully transformed three Regal Displays Cane stores into specialized and thriving Cane Furniture outlets. Eight years later, in 1984, Neil acquired two of the Regal Displays Cane stores, giving rise to Naturally Cane Pty Ltd, the company that operated these stores. An additional store was unveiled in 1986, blossoming into the magnificent 800 square meter Naturally Cane Furniture ‘Superstore’ in Bennett’s Green, NSW, where Naturally Cane flourished for 32 continuous years. In 2016, they relocated to their current 1,200 square metre showroom in Broadmeadow, NSW.
In 1988, Naturally Cane made its entry into the realm of supplying furniture for commercial projects, commencing with their first project, ‘The Potters Tavern’ in the Hunter Valley vineyards. Since then, commercial projects have remained a vital part of Naturally Cane’s business, spanning completed ventures across Australia, the USA, South Pacific, and the Middle East.
Unyielding in growth, Naturally Cane inaugurated a showroom on the Northern Beaches of Sydney in 1992, which now proudly celebrates over 30 years of continuous trading. Additionally, in 1994, they opened a second Sydney showroom, now situated in Sydenham.
1992 Showroom
Opening Day of Naturally Cane’s first Northern Beaches Showroom in Brookvale, 1992
In 1994, Naturally Cane demonstrated its commitment to ensuring a consistent supply of exclusive, high-quality rattan furniture designs by making substantial investments. They took over a large, well-established cane furniture workshop in Cebu, Philippines, and another in Cirebon, Indonesia, in 2013.
With dedicated long-term staff and skilled craftspeople, Naturally Cane actively engages in every stage, from design to delivery, of their superior rattan furniture, catering to customers worldwide.
In 2008, www.naturallycane.com.au went live, expanding the reach of Naturally Cane Furniture to a vast number of buyers. The online store swiftly emerged as a major sales outlet for the company.
Despite the tremendous success of the virtual platform, Naturally Cane’s ‘bricks and mortar’ showrooms continue to play an integral role, providing accessibility and serving as a vital point of contact for online buyers.
Naturally Cane takes immense pride in being an Australian family-owned and managed business. During school holidays, Neil’s children actively participated in the operations, working in stores, warehouses, or overseas workshops.
Presently, Neil collaborates with dedicated long-term staff, along with two of his sons and a daughter, in managing the business.
With a ‘hands-on’ approach, it remains a family-run enterprise, cherishing the furniture created by their team of over 120 skilled craftsmen and women.