Rattan Conservatory Furniture

Furnishing a conservatory can be a liberating experience; it gives you the chance to experiment with a variety of different styles and materials to create the perfect garden room. Rattan, cane and wicker furniture is often used in conservatories, and some items can also be used as outdoor furniture for the garden.

Rattan is a particularly durable material and can be used to create several different items of furniture, including chairs, tables, sun loungers, sofas and dining suites. Synthetic rattan is also now widely available and can be used to create tougher, weather-proof furniture which can be used outdoors.

Various items of conservatory and outdoor furniture can be made from rattan, which is paricularly durable.

What is rattan?

Natural rattan comes from the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia; it is a large climbing vine which wraps itself around trees and can grow to lengths of over 150 metres.

It is ideal for furniture making as it is very strong and durable. Rattan is an environmentally friendly and sustainable product.

The harvest involves climbing the trees and cutting away the vine, a process, which cannot be undertaken with

machines; this creates employment for local communities in poor areas.

The growth and harvesting of rattan also helps to protect these areas from deforestation.

The core of the rattan is stripped from the skin and used to make furniture, while the skin is used as weaving material. Synthetic rattan is made from plastic fibres and resin to look just like rattan, but be strong enough to withstand the elements. Rattan can fade if exposed to prolonged direct sunlight, whereas synthetic rattan will not fade even if left outside.

What furniture is made from rattan?

Almost any piece of furniture you can think of can be made from rattan; and the material is moving into the home as well, with many designers using it for three piece suites, dining tables, and coffee tables. For the conservatory, there is a huge selection of rattan furniture on the market, and it can be difficult to choose the right things.

Chairs, tables and sofas made from rattan range from the simple and basic to extravagant corner suites and loungers. Other furnishings for indoors such as coffee tables, magazine racks, and storage boxes can also be made from rattan; while outdoors you can buy anything from garden benches, to full three piece suites, to hammocks and hanging chairs.

Rattan conservatory/outdoor furniture would make a very practical and flexible choice of furniture.

Indoor and outdoor furniture

Rattan conservatory furniture for indoors is likely to include chairs, and if the room is large enough, a sofa. You may like to have a large table or smaller single coffee tables. It is important to think about how the furniture will fit into the space, and make sure there is plenty of room left to move around.

Natural rattan is generally more expensive than synthetic materials, and although very similar, also tends to be more expensive than cane conservatory furniture. Check what materials the furniture was made from, and make sure it has been hand-crafted.

Most rattan furniture should come with a long guarantee of at least two years, this is a mark of quality so be wary of furniture which has a lesser guarantee.

Outdoor furniture can be an excellent way of extending the conservatory space out into the garden. There are full outdoor suites available which can sit on a patio just outside the conservatory to achieve a flow from the inside to the outside.

You can also buy separate outdoor furniture such as sun loungers and garden chairs, while at the top end of the price scale are some extravagant items such as gazebos and daybeds. These items will be made of synthetic rattan, and you should check on the weather-proof rating of the furniture, and again, the length of the guarantee.

Although there are a plethora of websites where you can buy conservatory furniture online, it pays to see the furniture first hand so you can see the craftsmanship up close, and assess the quality of the piece. Find out where your local showrooms are and pay them a visit.

Conservatory styles

When it comes to choosing your furniture, it is important to think about the overall style and design of the conservatory. If you have a very contemporary and modern conservatory for example, then delicate, ornate Victorian chairs may not be best suited. The type of building the conservatory is will lend itself to a particular type of style, and you should also bear in mind how the room will complement and fit in with the other rooms in the house.

Four common designs for conservatory interiors are the Victorian style, the Mediterranean style, the old English garden room, and a contemporary urban design. Rattan furniture is widely available in the Victorian style and something like an elegant window seat will really help to pull off the look.

For a Mediterranean style, a natural rattan chaise-lounge could be the perfect centrepiece of the conservatory. The English garden room could incorporate simple natural finishes to the furniture to create a relaxing and calming feel, or use painted furniture in yellow or white to create a rustic feel.

Modern conservatories are associated with clean lines, and often include glass and metal furniture to give a sleek, designer look. Geometric rattan furniture with a tight weave can be used to break up the hard surfaces of plastic and glass, but to retain the clean lineage and symmetrical feel.

Summary

Buying furniture for your conservatory is an exciting task, but not necessarily an easy one. There is the style to think about, the type of material you use, and of course the cost of the furniture.

Rattan is an excellent material for use with conservatory furniture as it is so strong and durable; but if you are not concerned whether it is natural rattan, synthetic rattan furniture can be just as durable and if weather-proof, can be used outside.

It is worth going to local showrooms to look at furniture close up, and be sure to check what guarantee is offered. Good quality rattan furniture should have at least a two year guarantee, but some suppliers will offer up to ten years.