Rattan furniture, advantages and disadvantages of such structures

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The trend of recent years is the use of natural, environmentally friendly materials to create the interior decoration of city apartments and country houses. For this reason, buyers' attention is increasingly turning to rattan furniture, which is characterized by high performance parameters and unique aesthetics.

Features of the material

Many people have seen with their own eyes amazingly beautiful wicker furniture, but not everyone understands that it is made of rattan. What's happened? Rattan is a type of palm vine that is famous for its very long stem. The three-layer stem sometimes reaches 300 m in length and has a layered structure. A tough bark covers a porous middle layer, followed by a tough core. Thanks to cleaning and subsequent treatment with hot steam, the stem can be made incredibly flexible. Humanity has learned to use this property to make furniture of various sizes, shapes, and purposes.

Rattan is a natural material, environmentally friendly and completely safe for human health, which is why it is actively used to create a variety of furniture. This material does not provoke the development of allergic reactions and does not contain any components harmful to human health.

In the showrooms of shopping centers and furniture stores you can find very beautiful, durable, reliable pieces of furniture made from natural rattan. They are relevant for many design styles and help create very original, comfortable and cozy residential interiors. Although such furniture is actively used for decorating street cafes, restaurants and bars.

Furniture

Among the entire arsenal of furniture accessories, a separate item should be designated as a sofa, couch or sofa - an integral part of the living room interior.

Naturally, a wicker sofa does not have the same functionality as its traditional counterpart with fabric upholstery. It doesn't fold out and isn't that comfortable because it's rigid. But on the other hand, there is the strength and durability of a sofa made of wicker or rattan. In addition, the outer coating does not wear out or tear. In addition, it does not get dirty like fabric or leather upholstery. If such a sofa is treated as a frame, equipped with soft pillows and a woven blanket, it will become a worthy alternative to traditional furniture.

Bedroom

When creating an eclectic or eco-style, wicker furniture is often used in the interior of rooms. The bedroom is no exception. In order not to visually overload the space with wicker paraphernalia, it is enough to install a bed headboard made of wicker or rattan, and match it with lampshades made of the same material for the ceiling chandelier, wall sconces, and bedside lamps.

The only drawback of textured ornately intertwined surfaces is the ability to accumulate dust. This can be prevented with a vacuum cleaner and frequent wet cleaning. For people prone to allergic reactions, it is better to refrain from purchasing wicker products for the bedroom.

Children's

Despite the fact that furniture made of rattan or wicker is considered durable, it is better not to include it in the furnishings of a small child’s room. But a chair suspended from the ceiling or a wicker chair on a tripod, coupled with a rattan cabinet, can become a source of pride for a teenager.

The presence of a bay window in the nursery will allow you to originally furnish the interior with a sofa in the form of a wicker sphere located in a niche. It is important to choose harmonious decor – pillows and soft bedspreads – that does not contradict the teenager’s views.

Bathroom

Just like for a cramped kitchen, using wicker furniture in a small bathroom is not cost-effective. Racks, shelves and laundry baskets for the bathroom are installed if the combined bathroom is spacious enough so that the resulting moisture does not damage furniture made from natural materials.

Particularly in demand are translucent structural cabinets that hide linen and bathrobes in their depths, lightweight baskets made of wicker and open transparent shelves of durable construction for storing detergents and other bathroom paraphernalia.

Kitchen

Wicker furniture is not recommended to be placed in small rooms with an aggressive climate. It will quickly become unusable due to the constant rise in temperature and the presence of moisture in the air. But if the kitchen is spacious and equipped with a dining area, then decorating the kitchen space with wicker furniture can become a highlight in the interior of the entire house.

The finishing touch to decorating a dining area with a wicker table, which is surrounded by chairs or stools made in the same style, will be original wicker tableware. Placing decorative plates, vases, dishes, flower pots made of reeds or bamboo leaves will perfectly highlight the style being created.

Living room

A rattan sofa surrounded by wicker chairs, a banquette and an exclusive coffee table will form a harmonious ensemble when creating a rustic-style interior.

A low coffee table on stable legs with a transparent tabletop made of triplex made of wicker, is not afraid of high temperatures and accidentally spilled liquids. The wicker frame is wear-resistant and quite durable. An original table with a glass surface is often used in the interior of living rooms in country or Provence style;

In the formation of the Scandinavian rustic style, a mixture of traditionally light surfaces and natural shades of the interior reigns. The style is distinguished by the introduction of rough decorative elements. Here is a photo of wicker furniture, where the products are interspersed with textured textiles and roughly processed wood, glass and metal, a pale palette of walls and a dark surface of decorative elements:

A large wicker box can be used to form a unique banquette for the living room if the upper part is equipped with a soft seat. The so-called country furniture - wicker chairs and rocking chairs can be used in the decoration of a city apartment. With their help, space is perfectly zoned. Guests love light, comfortable furniture that can be easily moved around the room. And the owners are not averse to relaxing after a hard day in the bosom of a comfortable attribute, so reminiscent of an anatomical chair with its curves:

Rattan furniture brings a piece of exoticism to the atmosphere of a city apartment, combining with almost any style in the interior. Rattan, which has retained the solar warmth of the tropics, has the ability to radiate it while already in the product.

An amazing interior in the Mediterranean style, how to furnish your home and give new life to old furniture, as well as save a lot of money on buying decor, in a short video from the 1st Construction company:

Advantages and disadvantages

Modern manufacturers create truly unique sets of rattan furniture with a huge number of advantages when compared with furniture made from other materials. Let us describe the main of these advantages below:

The production of rattan furniture today is carried out on a large scale. Manufacturers successfully use the positive properties of this natural material, creating objects with a minimum of joints. This provides rattan furniture with high strength and resistance to negative factors;
We also note the ideal smoothness and smooth curves, low maintenance requirements that are characteristic of this plant material. Interiors with similar decor are distinguished by elegance and subtle charm;
Rattan furniture in the interior has another undeniable advantage: amazing aesthetics, sophistication, smooth lines. Thanks to these qualities of rattan, it can be used to create residential interiors that are original in appearance;
Today we have learned to weave rattan furniture using different techniques, so the choice of shapes and sizes of such products is very diverse. You can choose large armchairs, miniature coffee tables, airy chests, spacious chests of drawers;
The level of comfort of such products is very high. They are able to provide the human body with relaxation and restoration of strength.

The disadvantages of such interior items are their tendency to scratches and chips under the influence of sharp objects.

Also, you should not place hot objects on a rattan surface, so tables made of this material often have a glass or plastic top. Rattan is also often combined with other materials, which allows you to diversify the choice of such interior items.

Features and Benefits

Wicker armchairs, chairs, and tables are used in country houses and dachas. Elegant sets are also installed on the summer areas of cafes, restaurants, near swimming pools and other outdoor relaxation areas. Collections of miniature chairs and tables are designed to be placed in a nursery, and moisture-resistant cabinets and shelving are designed to be placed in a bathroom. In some cases, with appropriate interior design, wicker furniture will fit into the office, fireplace area, kitchen, or bedroom.

Wicker furniture is very light, this feature opens up a number of possibilities for the owner. Rearranging your room requires minimal effort. And transportation of products will not cause unnecessary difficulties. Other advantages of wicker sets include:

Strength. Wicker furniture for outdoor or indoor use amazingly combines lightness and elegance with high reliability and wear resistance.
Durability. If you properly care for your furniture, it will not be subject to negative changes for a long time.
Harmlessness. Ecological materials for the manufacture of interior and garden wicker furniture, design features, the absence of sharp parts, and complex technical solutions make the products injury-proof and completely harmless to human health.
Interior compatibility. Such products can organically fit into different styles of room design and even be combined with expensive furnishings made from solid wood.
Price flexibility. Weaving furniture is a labor-intensive process. In this regard, the average cost of such products is high. But if you wish, you can always choose inexpensive and high-quality products.
Possibility of self-production. Such a craft can become an interesting hobby that can bring a lot of benefits and save money. Creating wicker furniture for dolls is a suitable option for those who are interested in this direction, but who have little time or materials. Moreover, such products can also be sold, gifted or used as interior decoration.
Big choice. Every person can choose a product to suit their requirements and wishes.

Features and advantages of ash furniture, combination with the interior
Like any other furniture, its wicker variety is also imperfect. Among the disadvantages of such furnishings are the following points:

Completely natural materials without proper processing are susceptible to the negative effects of precipitation, which can cause the furniture to become deformed.
Sensitivity to locations near heaters and in direct sunlight. As a result, the material dries out and bends.
Often, even one damaged twig causes the entire structure to fail.

The tactile sensations that arise when using wicker furniture are specific, especially for people who have never used it before.

Kinds

Rattan has become a fairly popular material for furniture production. It is actively used both as a base material and in combination with glass, metal, and plastic to create original interior items of different styles.

Today, you can choose original wicker furniture made from rattan for your home. Among them there are such types as:

lunch groups;
chests of drawers for storing clothes and shoes;
comfortable sofas;
chests for storing small accessories;
bedroom sets;
dressing tables;
bedside tables;
coffee tables;
living rooms.

All these wicker interior items are distinguished by their original aesthetics, naturalness, environmental friendliness, and high resistance to negative environmental factors. In other words, they have a huge number of positive qualities, so they are relevant in a city apartment, in a country cottage and on a summer cottage, and therefore are worth the attention of buyers.

What style is it suitable for?

Many people are sure that wicker furniture looks great in any interior style, but there are style trends in which it is most relevant:

country - this style trend is characterized by a cozy, romantic atmosphere of a rural house. Wicker chairs, a sofa, table lamps and coffee tables, chests and baskets - all this fits organically into country style. The colors of the furniture will be determined by the ethnic color of the design: for Latin American or African country style, you should prefer olive green, light yellow shades, and for Provence and English country - white, brown, gray tones;
colonial style - interiors in a similar design solution combine light shades of furniture with carved floral patterns, wicker and twisted details. Chests, baskets, and wicker rattan tables are suitable for the colonial style;
eco style - the main advantages of rattan perfectly suit the eco style, which is characterized by the use of exclusively natural materials.

Colonial

Eco style

Country

Photo of rattan furniture

Read here Furniture from Leroy Merlin: 180 photos of modern technologies and innovative design solutions

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What to look for when choosing

If you have decided to choose a beautiful wicker furniture set for your home, it is important to familiarize yourself with the basic selection criteria. Experienced specialists will tell you: in order not to buy a fake or low-quality wicker product, you need to pay attention to the number of joints, the integrity of the weave, the surface feature, and the country of manufacture of the product.

Selection criterion	Characteristic
How many wicker joints does a piece of furniture have?	First-class wicker rattan furniture has a minimum number of wicker joints - 1 piece. The more of them you can count, the less confidence you should show in the product.
How integral is the wickerwork of furniture?	High-quality rattan products are distinguished by smooth, neat weaving. Heterogeneity or fractures indicate a violation of manufacturing technology and a short service life of the structure.
Which color of rattan furniture set do you prefer?	There are only five color options for rattan items for the terrace: honey, coffee, cognac, olive, walnut. If the chair has any other color, is poorly painted, or has color variations, then most likely it is of low quality and will not last long.
Does the product have any defects?	Inspect natural rattan furniture for any defects: chips, cracks, glue leaks. If they are, refuse to purchase.
Where is the selected rattan furniture made?	Similar products are manufactured in a small number of countries. Among them are the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, whose products are famous not for their poor quality, but for their limited forms. Higher quality products are manufactured in Germany, Italy, and Spain. Domestic manufacturers create furniture from wicker. It is a cheaper alternative to rattan.

Wicker furniture in the bathroom, hallway and balcony

Hallway

- this is actually the face of your apartment. After all, she is the first thing that all arriving guests see. Therefore, hallway furniture should not only be comfortable, roomy and functional, but also presentable. Wicker chests, poufs and banquettes will ideally cope with this task. In addition, artificial rattan is not afraid of wet clothes, shoes and umbrellas!

Bathroom

- an important part of the apartment. However, as a rule, it does not have a large area. Therefore, bathroom furniture should be spacious and not bulky, as well as moisture and water resistant. In this case, artificial rattan racks will help you. They will not only withstand exposure to moisture, but will also not become covered with fungus or mold. In addition, wicker furniture is well ventilated, so you don’t have to worry about the things stored in the racks.

Balcony

- another small part of the apartment that is subject to more aggressive environmental influences. And the point here is not only high humidity, but also excessive exposure to sunlight. Therefore, you can’t think of a better option for decorating a balcony or loggia than wicker furniture made from artificial rattan! It does not fade under the sun, is not afraid of cold, heat and excessive moisture. We talked in more detail about options for decorating balconies using wicker furniture in a separate article.

Rules of care

Thanks to modern production, rattan furniture can now be purchased in almost every furniture store. If you have purchased a rattan furniture set, you should read this article to the end. We will tell you how to properly care for such a piece of furniture. After all, the better and better the care, the longer the product will last:

Regular removal of dirt and dust from the surface will allow you to avoid quick repairs of rattan furniture. To do this, you can use soft textiles soaked in soapy water. And in case of heavy contamination, use a brush. The soap solution can be replaced with saline or ammonia. These compounds also effectively remove dirt from the surface of rattan. But you should absolutely refuse aggressive chemical detergents, as they can corrode the varnish coating;
Rattan is not afraid of moisture, but it is not recommended to wash it in the shower. Do not place hot objects on the rattan surface, otherwise it may change its color. Also, do not leave such a piece of furniture near an open fire or heating element. It may ignite;
rattan furniture, the photo of which is presented below, may have chips and scratches from mechanical impact with sharp objects.

The video below explains how to care for your rattan structure. This will significantly extend the service life of such products.

What are the advantages of wicker furniture?

Compared to other types of materials, wicker furniture has a number of important advantages. Based on them, you can make the right choice. Thus, wicker furniture is more environmentally friendly, it does not emit harmful substances into the atmosphere, so a bed made of this material can even be placed in a nursery. It is easy to care for, does not darken over time, does not deform and lasts quite a long time. It is very important that wicker furniture can be used outdoors throughout the season; it is not afraid of humidity and rain, so tables or chairs can be safely left on covered verandas throughout the season.

Wicker stool

Wicker furniture has many advantages, but it sets a certain tone in the interior, so it should be supplemented with decorative elements in the same style. These can be wicker baskets and vases. This design, more comfortable and relaxed, will emphasize the ethnic style of the interior you have chosen. It will be well complemented by wooden furniture, for example, massive tables for the kitchen or, conversely, elegant chairs. Well-wicker furniture goes well with fabric decor, both plain and bright and colorful. However, with the right approach, you can fit such furniture into almost any interior design.

Rocking chair made of wood and wicker

If you decide to order wicker furniture, want to use it for the garden or in the apartment, or put it on the loggia, then choose the material, be it furniture made of wicker, rattan or artificial materials, decide on the color and functionality, and then make a purchase. Such furniture will serve you for as long as possible and will fit well into the interior. You can safely use wicker furniture in the living room, especially if you decorate it with pillows. It is also good for the pool area.

Cradle made of wicker