Rattan furniture has long ceased to be exclusively for gardens. Now, it shines indoors. We teach you its pros and cons.
One of the main materials for the manufacture of furniture is rattan. In principle, the style of these items was linked to the decoration of patios, gardens and other exterior areas of the house; now, the furniture made with said fiber is integrated into the interior.
The techniques used to cure natural rattan improve over time, but the use of synthetic rattan is quite common. This offers a similar finish and fewer environmental risks.
How to know whether to choose furniture assembled with the native palm or with the artificial input? This is what we will discover by examining its benefits and drawbacks.
Rattan and its use in furniture manufacturing
He Rattan Species Profile exposes that the word “rattan” comes from the Malay term rattan and refers to the climbing palm trees of the town. They detail them as spiny palms suitable for industrializationthanks to its most important product: cane.
Precisely, the stem separated from the leaves is what serves as a frame for furniture, in addition to other works of basketry and mats. The rattan cane is uniform and strong, but at the same time it is malleable to be worked.
The appearance of furniture made with the palm of rattan it is similar to those made of solid wood; the variations are in the designs, perhaps more meticulous or artisan achieved with the plant. Apart, the wooden ones cost more money.
Rattan furniture is oriented towards 3 basic lines of design:
- Colonial: combines the woven structure of the fiber with floral padding.
- ecological cut: It is in which only natural material is used to make the furniture.
- Ethnic: It complements the decoration with organic elements typical of a country, represented through tables, trunks and native lamps, for example.
Advantages of rattan furniture
According to the International Journal of Forestry and Forest Industries (Unasylva), the solid and round characteristics of the rattan canes is beneficial to create the frame of the furniture, which does not happen with the stem of similar and hollow species such as bamboo.
Another advantage of rattan is that, being the main manufacturing component, it accepts the incorporation of fibers such as metal, glass and plastic. This quality is propitious for the elaboration of tables, combs and some types of shelves.
There are also many shapes, colors, and sizes of palm furniture, with benefits like the ones we reveal right away.
They are ecological
While you display beautiful furniture, you reduce the pollution produced during the manufacture of other kinds of items. This vegetable is fast growing in the tropics, It refers to high reproduction rates and has a very low environmental impact.
In fact, there are exclusive rattan plantations for the product to be used in the manufacture of tables, chairs and shelves, to mention a few pieces. In this regard, an additional article by Unasylva proposes strengthening international links with furniture manufacturers to encourage the consumption of Indonesian palm in the “green” market.
extensive durability
Apart from aesthetic and comfortable, they are durable and resistant. Other fibers, such as wicker, show less strength than rattan braid, so furniture made with the latter has a great advantage.
stable and safe
It is about light furniture, which minimizes the chances of considerable accidents or strong blows in the transfer, as could happen with wooden ones.
They are used for interiors and exteriors
The genesis of rattan is that it ages abroad; For this, it has natural oils that help protect it from deterioration due to rain and sun, as well as reduce cracks and prevent stretching. However, inside the house care is simpler and they still shine.
Personalization
The rattan weaves are customizable, just like the padding, if the type of furniture has it. It is possible to select the textile, the print and the colors according to your tastes. Changing the upholstery greatly transforms the appearance of a room.
Disadvantages of rattan furniture
Rattan is traditional, warm and retains its validity in decoration. But it is pertinent to know some drawbacks that could arise with it:
- Touch scratches: It is not a serious accident, but it can happen that a splinter rubs against the skin, especially when it comes to very old and neglected furniture.
- Risk of deterioration, if natural: Natural rattans exposed to the weather tend to attract insects when not properly maintained.
- They are not removable: Unlike wood, beyond the cushions or the glass of a table, the rattan is not disassembled. In the IOP Conferences: Materials Science and Engineering they addressed this particularity of the furniture made with palm trees. They said that ease of use, delivery, storage and assembly is essential in the furniture market. But the rattan design lacks a joining system between components; so they propose to build removable structures for such junk.
How to preserve rattan furniture?
Furniture care rattan basically it has to do with cleanliness. Vacuum dust and use a soapy water mixture to sanitize, Passing through the braid a damp cloth. If the dirt is deep, use a brush and the combination of water with salt.
Forget detergents, as they corrode the coating. As a last piece of advice, never put a hot object on rattan furniture, much less bring your palm close to a flame or heater, since it is flammable.
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All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography for this article was deemed reliable and of scholarly or scientific accuracy.
- Dransfield, J. (2001). Rattan taxonomy, biology and ecology. International Journal of Forestry and Forest Industries (Unasylva), 52(205). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293458729_Taxonomy_biology_and_ecology_of_rattan
- Purna Irawan, A., Supriyatna Marizar, E., & Tji Beng, J. (2019). The detachable rattan furniture system for the global market. IOP Lecture Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 508. Indonesia. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/508/1/012104/meta
- Sastry, C.B. (2001/2). Rattan in the 21st century: panoramic view. International Journal of Forestry and Forest Industries (Unasylva), 52(205). https://www.fao.org/3/x9923s/x9923s00.htm
- Sunderland, Terry., & Dransfield J. Rattan species profiles. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/3/y2783e/y2783e05.htm