If you are looking for furniture for your garden or conservatory, then you may well be thinking about buying wicker chairs, tables, and other related items. The natural, laid-back appearance of wicker furniture has helped to establish it as a popular choice in many countries.
What is a wicker chair made from?
A wicker chair may be made of rattan, willow, rush, straw, bamboo, or even synthetic fibres or recycled material. It is also possible that more than one material will be used to create a wicker chair. Perhaps the main design will be created using rattan while a sturdy base will be woven using bamboo. Today, wicker furniture is the ultimate in eco-friendly garden furniture.
Where did wicker furniture originate?
Wicker furniture has been popular for centuries in the far east and gained wider exposure in the west through trading in the time of the British Empire. Although much wicker furniture is still produced using traditional techniques in countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia, there are also a large amount of more mass-produced items being created in the east and elsewhere. Many major manufacturers now stock modular sets of wicker furniture which means that there are a huge number of designs available for your home. If you want, you can have an entire house full of wicker furniture.
Indoors or outdoors?
Rattan furniture is durable indoors but over time it will start to decay if left permanently outside. If you want to use real rattan for your wicker furniture, then it is best to keep it indoors or to look for rattan which has been treated to make it fully waterproof. A better option for outdoor furniture is to choose one of the many synthetic wicker chairs. Synthetic wickerwork is usually designed to be weatherproof and can spend much more time outside before it begins to suffer from exposure.
What colours are available?
In many cases, wicker furniture is designed to showcase the natural colours of the rattan or other material, but if you would prefer a different colour to match existing furniture or to go with a theme you are creating, then you should have no problem finding rattan chairs for your home. Real rattan will take dye very well, so it is possible to create a wicker chair in almost any colour you desire.
If you are planning on purchasing a wicker chair, then why not talk to your local supplier who will be happy to help you find the perfect wicker furniture for your home or garden?