If you have been searching for some new garden furniture then one style that will keep coming up is rattan. Rattan outdoor furniture is a type of furniture that is made from one of the hundreds of different types of palm tree in certain regions of Africa and Asia. While in most cases the rattan outdoor furniture that you buy won’t actually be made from these palm trees but is instead synthetic it is based on the style of this furniture.
The reason that most rattan furniture that you can buy for your garden is synthetic is that ordinary rattan furniture would not be able to survive being left outside in harsh weather for a long period of time. By being synthetic, rattan furniture can have the same style as that of the traditional rattan furniture while at the same time being practical for use in our gardens.
When you are buying rattan furniture you should make sure that it has been designed to be used outside. It will need to have been treated correctly if you are going to leave it outside otherwise it probably won’t last that long!
The reason that rattan outdoor furniture has become so popular is that it provides a different and unique look compared with other kinds of modern furniture. It is also generally easy to clean and will last a long time even in harsh weather conditions making it perfect for outdoor use.
One thing to look out for is that many people seem to use the terms rattan and wicker as if they mean the same thing. This is actually not correct – rattan is a type of material used when making furniture and wicker is a method of making furniture. That means that it is quite possible to have rattan wick furniture as they refer to different aspects of the furniture creation process. The reasons that this mistake is made is that often rattan furniture will be created by using the wicker method and hence they have started to mean the same thing.
When buying rattan outdoor furniture you need to think about the same things as buying any other kind of furniture. Mainly whether your budget can afford it and whether it is the right style for your garden. Rattan is a very versatile material meaning that will go well with most styles of garden but there are always exceptions so make sure it is the right choice for your garden before buying.
Buying outdoor furniture is important if you want to be able to use your garden comfortably, but you also need to make sure that the furniture fits in with the overall style of the garden. If you buy the right outdoor furniture for your garden then not only will you have a comfy place to sit and admire but you’ll also have an accessory that can add to the overall style and decor.
When you are buying furniture you need to think about what layout of your garden. You don’t want the furniture to crowd an important area or focal point for example, also think about where you want to put it and hence how big it needs to be.
Next you need to think about the material you are going to buy. Wood is the best choice for garden furniture if you have a more traditional looking style but a piece of rustic wrought iron furniture can fit in nicely too. This is assuming that you have enough money for these options as wood can be quite expensive.
You also need to consider what kind of furniture you want to buy. While the standard garden furniture set hat people buy is several chairs, a table and parasol there are so many other options that you can choose. For example a wooden garden bench can add contrast in style to an area of the garden as well as providing you for a tool to grow some of your plants on. If you want to have a relaxing area then you could get a swing chair or a hammock, or a set of rattan furniture. Don’t feel that you have to buy the same type of furniture as everyone else but instead try and decide on which type of furniture would benefit you and your garden the most.
When you are buying garden furniture one thing to keep in mind is that the prices are not constant throughout the year. If you buy during the summer time you are likely to pay a premium and equally if you buy during the winter you will probably find better deals. Buying off peak is definitely a good idea if you aren’t quite sure whether you can afford some of the more expensive furniture materials such as teak. The other good thing about buying off peak is that you aren’t rushed into buying the first thing that you see to try and get it in your garden before summer is over.
If you are thinking of buying rattan outdoor furniture then it is a good idea to know what the advantages are. There are plenty of other kinds of material you can go for such as wood or aluminium and the decision will come down to your budget as well as the style that you prefer. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of owning rattan garden furniture over some of the other options.
- First of all something that you need to consider when you are buying outdoor furniture is the durability of the material. There is no point buying garden furniture that can’t stand up to all round weather conditions and this is one great thing about rattan. Rattan furniture that is properly constructed and treated to avoid mould building up will last a long time and will look great the whole time you use it. You don’t have to worry about problems such as rust either which is a problem with steel furniture.
- While rattan does need some maintenance – you need to clean it every so often to make sure it is kept in good shape – in general it requires very little work compared to other kinds of outdoor furniture materials.
- If you want your garden to look a bit different then rattan furniture can really add a new dimension. There are different styles of rattan furniture and they won’t all look good on all type of garden though so make sure that you think about the style that you need for your garden.
- Unlike hardwood furniture rattan tends to be very light so you can move it around easily. While this might not seem like a big thing, if you are going to be regularly moving your furniture around to accommodate different groups of people or so that you can relax in different parts of the garden then it is essential to ensure the furniture is easily portable. It also means that if you have any particularly extreme weather conditions the furniture won’t be hard to get undercover.
There is no such thing as the best kind of garden furniture as which one is right for you depends on many different factors. However rattan furniture is often a good choice for many different styles of garden and has so many other benefits that you should always consider it when buying yourself new outdoor furniture.
There is no doubt that rattan furniture can be a great way to add something a bit different to your garden, but once you’ve bought it how do you care for it? Lets have a look at some of the things that you need to do to make sure your rattan furniture stays looking its best for a long time to come. The good news is that because rattan furniture is so durable in general you won’t have to do much to it to keep it looking good.
The basic maintenance that you do on the rattan furniture should be to regularly clean the surface. This should be done at least once a month which a small amount of fairy liquid or similar product mixed with water on a soft sponge or cloth. Make sure you don’t get the wood wet though!
Remember when buying your rattan furniture to check whether it has been UV treated. If it hasn’t, then you won’t be able to keep it outside unfortunately and should bring it in whenever you aren’t using it. Ordinary rattan furniture is not mean t be kept outside so keep this in mind if you have bought some and aren’t sure whether it has been UV treated.
While a small amount of cleaning each month will definitely be enough to keep the wood form getting too damaged you should also make sure you do a much more extensive clean at least once a year. This will help to stop any dirt that is building up. For this you need to use a bit more water than you would have done before but it is vital that as soon as you are finished cleaning that you dry the wood with a hair dryer to avoid water damage. If you aren’t comfortable doing this yourself then it is probably a good idea to take it to a furniture specialist who will have don it many times in the past. Once you have done the major clean then put a coat of lacquer on that will keep the wood sealed for the next year.
These are the basics you should do to keep any rattan furniture looking its best, but you should ask the manufacturer of the furniture if there is anything you need to do specifically for their product. Always make sure you know exactly which conditions are suitable for the furniture you have bought so that you can avoid any unnecessary damage.
There is a lot of confusion when it comes to rattan furniture, probably because when manufacturers have talked about their rattan or wicker in the past they haven’t been very strict about using the correct terms. There is a difference between rattan and wicker though – rattan is the type of material whereas wicker refers to the way the furniture is made. In this article I’ll talk about what rattan furniture actually is so you can choose whether it is right for your garden.
Rattan starts its life as a tropical palm tree that is found in Africa and parts of Asia. There are actually around 600 different types of bamboo plants that can be referred to as rattan so it doesn’t refer to just one species. The rattan bamboo plants originally grow upwards and then start to bend and grow back towards the ground. Usually they are left to grow for a while until they reach a certain length and then are taken away to be dried.
The reason that rattan is often used for furniture is that it is one of the strongest types of wood around. Because it grows vertically upwards unlike other forms of wood which grow in rings it is extremely strong making it perfect for chairs and tables. Also, once the rattan has dried into the shape that the furniture manufacturer wants it will never change shape.
When people talk about wicker what they really mean is the way that the rattan material is woven into the shape of a chair or table. Most rattan furniture is made in a way that makes it wicker but the two words don’t mean the same thing.
When you are buying rattan outdoor furniture you should make sure that it has been treated to be UV resistant. That means that you’ll be able to leave it outside all year around in the sun and rain and it won’t be damaged. All high quality rattan furniture will be UV treated but you shouldn’t assume that the furniture that you buy will be. Also, the best kind of rattan furniture will be made by weaving the rattan around a solid metal frame to make it stronger. If you get a piece of rattan furniture that isn’t made like this then you may find that it isn’t strong enough to bear weight over a long period of time. You should always ask the manufacturer about this before you buy.
Rattan makes a great piece of furniture, and can be used both indoors and outdoors. As we have discussed, the benefits of rattan for furniture are that it is durable, dense, easily worked, and attractive. Of course these qualities lend themselves to a range of other uses around the home, both inside and outside!
Rattan is traditionally used to weave baskets and hampers. These can be a great addition to a home in which you are going for a earthy, natural vibe. Try decorating your patio with some tall woven baskets, containing interesting dried branches or other found objects – this will complement your rattan furniture too!
Another interesting use of rattan is in musical instruments, particularly rhythm instruments – as rattan is a form of bamboo, the hollow stems can be dried and tuned by cutting them to different lengths.
Because of its strength, rattan makes excellent matting and flooring. Woven rattan mats are another attractive way to add interest to a room. As rattan takes paint and dye quite well, these mats can be colored to suit your own décor. Don’t be limited by natural colors if you are more interested in a contemporary look – think outside the box and try a bright primary color to act as the centerpiece of a room.
Finally, rattan can be used as a strong flooring option. Rattan flooring is laminated, and formed into panels which can interlock – just like regular floating flooring. As with any bamboo flooring, rattan flooring can be made of panels set lengthways so the texture is quite a broad stripe, or on edge so that the texture is stippled and finer grained.
These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg – see what other creative applications you can find to add a tribal and creative touch to your outdoor area!
