What is the difference between Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, and Rattan Furniture?

What is Rattan furniture made from?

Rattan is a flexible reed-like wood known as a climbing palm which is closely related to palm trees. Rattan comes from the vines and stems rather than from the tree itself. There are more than 600 types of solid timber vines that are native to the Southeastern jungles.

Rattan grows in the shape of a pole and can grow as tall as a hundred feet with a diameter of between one to three inches, depending on the species and when it is harvested. With its tough, solid stems, Rattan is one of the strongest woods that can be bent into forms. Because of its golden colour, flexibility, light weight and almost impervious characteristics, rattan lends itself well to becoming a popular choice for furniture.

What is Wicker furniture made from?

Where the outer bark of Rattan is used for caning, the inner reed-like sections are used in the weaving process that is referred to as wicker furniture. Wicker therefore refers to the weaving work and not to the material itself.

Wicker work is one of the most ancient crafts having first been discovered buried with pharaohs in ancient Egypt. The Romans used the Egyptian woven baskets as inspiration to adopt their own style of woven furniture pieces. Both Rattan and wicker were also very popular in the Victorian Era and developed a renewed interest in the 60’s and early 70’s when rattan and wicker outdoor patio furniture were trending due to its ability to withstand extreme conditions of humidity and temperature and its natural resistance to insects.

Today Rattan and Wicker furniture has made a comeback however it is becoming a popular style for indoor furniture too due to its bohemian-like appearance which creates a calm and tropical atmosphere.

What is Bamboo furniture made from?

Bamboo is very similar in appearance, and has the closest texture to Rattan; however, they do not come from the same plant or species. Bamboo is a type of hollow grass with hard woody stems; however, it doesn’t bend the way that rattan does; which is why rattan wood is often the preferred choice for hand-crafting designer furniture pieces.

Bamboo is a perennial that stays green and continues to grow year on year. As far back as the 1800s, Bamboo has served many functions (including medicinal) however, it has more commonly been used to construct houses, cages, tools, weapons, rafts, fences irrigation pipes; as well as for the creation of more solid, layered furniture pieces such as tables, cabinets, and dressers.

What is Cane furniture made from?

Many refer to rattan furniture as cane furniture, however cane furniture uses only the outer bark of rattan vines, which is peeled off and wrapped around solid furniture pieces in multi-directional patterns. This is referred to as caning, the craft applying the rattan peel to a piece of furniture (such as the backs or seats of chairs), where wicker refers to the craft of weaving rattan reeds around furniture pieces.

While this trendy boho-inspired contemporary style iso once again trending, caning is by no means a new technique and is said to date back to ancient China where it was used to make baskets. Caned chairs have also been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to more than 1000 BC. In the 19th century, caning was found on many Dutch and English colonial furniture pieces and was particularly popular in cafes as their lightweight made it easy to transport and move around.

As with rattan furniture, cane can resist all types climatic changes and is both water-resistant and rustproof and is especially popular in more humid climates where other wood material warp and crack. While cane can adapt to most weather conditions, it does can become brittle if placed in direct sunlight untreated.

Bamboo or rattan furniture, which is the better choice for a baby’s nursery?

While Bamboo is a stronger material that Rattan, it is better suited to construction; whereas Rattan is not only strong and durable, its flexibility makes it much better suited when hand-crafting unique furniture for kids rooms such as toddlers beds and kiddies chairs; while also adding warmth, style and texture to your babies nursery, with beautiful handmade rattan bassinets now becoming a popular statement-making piece.

Rattan furniture includes many other advantages such as:

• Rattan is Eco-friendly – As Rattan is a 100% natural and biodegradable material it is the perfect choice for children’s wooden furniture because they are completely environmentally friendly.
• Rattan is versatile – With its natural and gender-neutral appearance it works well with a wide variety of décor and is the perfect choice for either a boy or girls’ nursery or kiddie’s room. Rattan furniture is very adaptable as it works well for tropical, bohemian, or rustic design styles.
• Rattan is long lasting – Rattan wood is a long-lasting material, making this precious piece of handmade wooden furniture a perfect keepsake to pass on to the children, great grandchildren and even the great-great-grandchildren for generations to come.
• Rattan is unique – As Rattan furniture is handmade, each piece is uniquely hand-crafted making it a statement-making piece to in any room.

View our range of stylish rattan furniture and décor for inspiration. Our beautiful hand-crafted rattan furniture and décor is the perfect furniture choice for nurseries and kids rooms.