Oct
What is rattan wicker?
At first glance, many people tend to confuse rattan wicker furniture, thinking that it’s the same thing with just two different names. They can look very similar actually, so it’s quite easy to become confused, however they are very different.
What is rattan?
Rattan is a natural fibre that is harvested from climbing palms in Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa. These climbing palms are like vines with a flexible woody stem that grows over and through other vegetation and have been known to grow upwards for over 100 meters.
Rattan is a material that is used for making baskets and furniture, because it is lightweight, durable and can be used both indoors and outdoors (although it can fade in the sun and needs to be protected from the rain). It can also be stained or painted and can be worked into many different designs.
Unfortunately, rattan is often harvested too early, before the plant is able to regrow, leading to reduced harvests and exploitation of these plants. This is why you now see many synthetic rattans being used to make furniture.
What is wicker?
Wicker on the other hand isn’t a wood, vine or even a material, it is a method of weaving materials together to form furniture or other utensils. You could say that rattan is used to create wicker furniture.
Wicker weaving has been used for aeons and even dates back to the Egyptians with wicker baskets, boxes and chairs found in tombs of Egyptian Kings. Wicker furniture is hand woven and has a distinctive style all of its own that is very popular with many home owners, making it perfect for natural outdoor or indoor settings.
Over time however, because it is often made from rattan material, wicker furniture can fade and needs to be protected from too much rain. This is why synthetic rattan is often used to create wicker furniture, as it is much more durable and long lasting when compared to using natural rattan.
All of our wicker furniture is made using UV resistant high grade rattan, ensuring that your wicker lounge, dining or patio setting stays beautiful forever.
For more information on our wicker rattan furniture, visit one of our showrooms today.
