Rattan is the material, but wicker is the process of weaving the rattan or other materials into the finished goods. Wicker furniture could be made from straw or bamboo which is weaved around a rattan frame.
Rattan is predominantly found in monsoon and primary rainforests, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia. Currently, there are about 50 species of rattan being traded commercially all over the world. Rattan is strong, durable and easy to work with, requiring only simple machines and tools, therefore making them a popular choice of material for manufacturing of furniture. However, workmanship and skill is what distinguishes between quality and average wicker furniture. A good finish would show the wood's natural colours with a very slight sheen. Here is where experience and skills matter.
Rattan is an environmentally friendly, strong and naturally beautiful material. Its natural qualities allow it to be tanned, shaped, and bent to make long-lasting and gorgeous looking furniture. It can also be painted and combined with other materials like wood or metal, not only to create furniture, but also accessories like baskets, shelves, racks etc. The possibilities are endless.
Wicker furniture is durable and strong, because of the way the materials are woven into the furniture. When choosing wicker furniture, be sure to choose those which are densely woven. Lightly woven wicker furniture tends to be more unstable. As the materials are not manmade, the colours may not be totally uniform, but this exudes a natural feel and adds to the attractiveness of wicker furniture.
Due to the versatility of wicker furniture, they have become a popular choice for furnishing. Add any wicker furniture and the place instantly gets a more relaxed and cosy feel. This is why wicker furniture is commonly used in holiday resorts and hotels. Of course, if you want to create a laid back, relaxed atmosphere in your house, you could also add some rattan furniture in every part of your house. You can place them indoors, or outdoors. The choice is yours.
Maintenance is very simple too. If cared for properly, rattan or cane furniture can last for many years, or even decades. To ensure that your rattan furniture lasts long, try to avoid putting them under direct sunlight for prolong periods of time. Regularly brush away the dust and light clean with a slightly damp cloth. Make sure that they are properly aired and dried, as moisture and humidity can cause mould.
Do pay our site a visit and you will be spoilt for choice with the wide variety of furniture available. We also have a pool of resources which explains the characteristics of the different types of materials, as well as guides on how to choose and care for your wicker furniture. With our experience in this industry, we guarantee that you will be able to find your dream piece of wicker furniture.
Wicker furniture, as well as other wicker products, has been in use by humans since ancient times. The history of wicker is far-reaching, going back as far as basket weaving from ancient Egypt and later in Roman Pompeii. During the Iron Age, wicker weaving also seemed to have a strong influence on artistic development, as it is thought that many of the Celtic patterns in art known today were originally influenced by the appearance of wicker objects.
Around the mid-1700s, wicker furniture experienced a period of unpopularity, however it was during the Victorian era that wicker weaving had a bit of a revival - in fact, people believed that the smooth surfaces of wicker pieces were more sanitary than furniture with upholstery, which created a boom in the industry of rattan wicker furniture that reached into North America around the 1840s.
Keeping in mind that wicker actually refers to the style of weaving and not to any particular material itself, wicker furniture can be made out of a variety of things: bamboo, rattan, willow, or fiberglass resin. Rattan is the most popular material in wicker furniture with a wooden look, since it is a sturdy material that can be used in moderate-impact areas of the outdoors, such as covered gazebos or screened porches. Rattan comes from Southeast Asia's tropical rainforests, making it and bamboo some of the pricier - but more durable - options when choosing furniture pieces.
Synthetic material wicker furniture is not unusual in North America, since these pieces are highly durable and can be left outdoors permanently. Resin furniture also gets its color from dyes placed right inside the resin, ensuring that these pieces will not flake or peel like other wicker furniture that has been painted.
As a result, never use indoor only wicker furniture outdoors, since it has probably been coated with a clear lacquer finish that is only good for protecting against minor scratches that come from daily, indoor use. If you're planning on using wicker furniture in a covered porch area, these pieces are not acceptable - get pieces that are specifically designed for limited exposure areas, since they have additional layers of protective finish, and may have leather wrapped joints on the furniture's framing to help preserve the piece against wear.
Outdoor wicker furniture can be placed in one of two categories, either loom-woven or synthetic. When a piece is loom-woven, it uses natural materials such as bamboo or rattan, but is coated in resin emulsions after the fact to create a shielding that is resistant to moisture and durable. Synthetic wicker furniture is made from resin or fiberglass, which already contains UV inhibitors that will repel and preserve against potential damage from harsh weather, the sun, and steep shifts in temperature.
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