Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

Wicker rattan furniture is increasingly becoming an integral part of modern interiors. She not only won the country houses and recreation areas, but also perfectly fitted into the eco-style apartments. Exotic items interiors from rattan bring comfort and coziness to the room, give warmth to natural material, please with wear resistance. These and other features of rattan furniture, as well as options for its use will be discussed in this article.

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

Natural rattan: what is it?

Features of any furniture products determines the material from which they are made. The production of wicker furniture is no exception. What is rattan? Why for the manufacture of wicker furniture chose him?

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

Rattan is an exotic vine of the palm family. It is found in Asia, Australia and Africa. However, among the many 330 species of this plant, only some of them can be used for the production of furniture, mainly those that grow in South-East Asia. This choice is due to a number of characteristics that are unique to this material.

The main advantage of rattan is the incredible length of its branches. On average, this value is 200-300 m, but there are also record holders – up to 350 m. That is why it became possible to weave furniture and various products from rattan: the material allows you to make elements without joints or minimize their number.

Important characteristics of rattan – the same thickness of the stem along the entire length of the vine and the complete absence of knots and shoots. These properties allow you to fully use the length of vines without waste. The maximum diameter of the trunk is up to 7 cm, the young palm stalks are thinner.

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

One of the advantages of rattan – its strength, which is due to the structure of the tree. The cut of the branch inside is not hollow; it is divided into several layers: the crust, the porous part and the hard core. It is the core that provides the material with excellent resistance to heavy loads. For openwork weaving furniture use only her, clearing the stem from all the upper layers.

It is interesting! Some designs of natural rattan furniture withstand a load of 500 kg, and the locals use this raw material in the construction of houses and suspension bridges.

The smaller the porous part of the stem of the vine, the stronger the rattan and its products. It is customary to divide rattan wood into three classes of strength:

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

  • Class A is the highest, has a premium version: the rattan trunk is perfect, that is, without stains, scuffs and other cosmetic defects;
  • class B is an intermediate variant, products made of it are more affordable in price;
  • class C – the lowest limit for rattan furniture, is used in products that are not subjected to heavy loads.

Strength class affects the cost of rattan furniture. The price for products that are exactly the same in design may differ by 2-2.5 times if the material used was of different strength class.

For wicker furniture is used raw materials that can be bent at different angles. The stem of the vine in its natural form is not too plastic. To give it the desired properties of rattan steam treated and only then proceed to the production of products.

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

The rattan barrel, ready for production, has white color, however it can be painted in one of four natural shades:

  • honey;
  • cognac;
  • coffee;
  • olive.

If the surface of the raw material is perfect, natural color is usually left. Very rarely, a vine is stained in tones such as, for example, red or black. Manufacturers are trying to preserve and emphasize the beauty and warmth of natural material, but for some design solutions shades are possible.

Rattan furniture is natural, light and aesthetic. The material is successfully combined with leather and textiles, gives designers imagination in the creation of exclusive models and emphasizes the individuality of products, because weaving is done manually. Other advantages of rattan furniture:

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

  • natural environmentally friendly material;
  • does not contain allergens;
  • excellent strength;
  • good moisture resistance;
  • tolerates temperature drops without any problems, therefore it can be used outdoors;
  • durability – service life of 20-25 years;
  • small weight of products that can be appreciated at redeployment and transportation;
  • special smell and texture, plus a bonus in the form of micromassage;
  • orthopedic form of sofas, armchairs and chairs;
  • simple care.

The main disadvantage of rattan wicker furniture is the price. Most of the production process is done manually, so each product is unique, and the labor costs are high. Also disadvantages include the lack of assembly for products. On the one hand, this is an advantage, since the furniture comes to the customer in a ready-made form, but on the other hand, its transportation may require more bulky vehicles. Natural rattan “is afraid of” the sun: if you constantly keep products in direct sunlight, they fade and dry up.

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

Helpful advice! If the rattan weaving is dry and small cracks appear, brush the surface of the furniture with linseed oil. This will protect the product from moisture evaporation.

Along with furniture made from natural rattan, you can find products made of artificial material – polythorn – in stores. The performance characteristics of both types of furniture are almost the same, but there are differences:

  • artificial rattan is completely homogeneous, there are no rough edges on it;
  • if the fibers of the material are geometrically perfect, this is artificial rattan;
  • Artificial material has a uniform color throughout the product: if you look closely, it is very noticeable;
  • furniture from a polyrattan can be painted in any color, its decorative processing and drawing a texture is also possible;
  • polymer fibers can have various cross sections, including ideal flat strips;
  • the quality of weaving in artificial material is always higher, and in the case of the use of natural rattan in furniture, there will necessarily be small thickenings and minor irregularities;

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

  • furniture made from non-natural material is heavier, since weaving is superimposed on the metal, most often aluminum, frame for durability;
  • The price for identical models will be lower for furniture from a polyrottan;
  • no matter how hard the manufacturers try, but the new artificial rattan furniture will fill the room not with the delicate scent of wood, but with the smell of synthetics, it will disappear in a week, but when heated in the sun it can appear again.

In defense of furniture made of synthetic material, it can be said that it is completely unpretentious in maintenance, more resistant to mechanical stress, and can remain on the street all year round.

Wicker rattan furniture will be appropriate both in a country house and in a city apartment. It will “take” almost any interior and style, it is important to be able to harmoniously choose accessories and color of rattan. The product range is diverse: chairs, dressers, sofas, chairs, coffee tables, wardrobes, screens, boxes, beds, lampshades and much more is offered for installation in the bedroom, living room, nursery and even the bathroom.

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

Rattan is a fertile material for designers, which is why photos of rattan furniture have recently become more often used as examples for interior decoration. Products from it can take the most various form, remaining at the same time strong and easy. Rattan furniture is cozy and comfortable, tactilely pleasant and original, it gives lightness to the interior and smooths out the geometry, brings light and expands the space.

Rattan armchairs are one of the most sought-after wicker furniture items. They became popular thanks to the convenient orthopedic form and the variety of designs offered. They are just as reliable and comfortable as other types of furniture made of natural wood, but not so bulky and monumental.

Wicker chairs can take a place in the interior of a country house or apartment, become part of the recreation area in the gazebo, on the terrace or balcony, in the living room or nursery. Rattan chairs are of the following types:

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

  • traditional armchair with armrests;
  • rocking chair;
  • big chair oval-shaped Papasan.

A traditional armchair with armrests will require the addition of a similar coffee table or sofa, a dresser or a lamp, or at least one more of the same chair. Practically for all styles, models with continuous weave, without openwork lace, with a concise design are suitable.

  1. Pay attention to the manufacturer. The best factories producing quality products are located in Indonesia.
  2. If the furniture is to be used intensively, choose class A strength. Class B has a more democratic price, in appearance it does not differ from category A.
  3. Be sure to find out the strength class from the seller. If he cannot answer your question, then you are very likely to consider a low grade product or a fake.
  4. The color scheme of the products presented in the store must necessarily contain light shades.
  5. It is necessary that the lacquer coating is transparent. If the structure is densely covered with paint, then there is a possibility that material defects were thus concealed.
  6. If the furniture has openwork weaving, it is important to pay attention to the material from which it is made. Reed and paper harnesses will quickly crumble and break. Natural products must be 100% rattan.
  7. Carefully consider the quality of the joints and the density of the sheath. The braid should be tightly wound and well fixed, otherwise it will not provide the product durability, the strongest is made from rawhide.
  8. If you buy soft rattan furniture, ask about the fabric and pillow filling. It is not enough to find out that polyurethane foam is inside: if it is a sheet, then it will be flushed out over time and form hollows; if latex, then there will be practically no shrinkage; If this is a baby with the addition of faybertek, the pillows will be especially soft and fluffy. When filled with holofiber, the seat will “float” in the heat.

Rattan furniture: woven lace in interior design

Rattan furniture is versatile in the interior, durable to use and unpretentious in care. Show a little creativity and healthy adventurism to install wicker furniture in the interior – and she will definitely pay you back with comfort and originality.

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