We are witnessing a serious resurgence of rattan. Highly versatile as furniture, it can read as elegant, funky or down-to-earth organic - which means it crops up in all settings. Add to the fact that it's lightweight, and can often be found vintage for a good price, and its appeal grows.
Here are a few ways to indulge your love of rattan, while avoiding the kitsch factor, or going all Golden Girls on your decor:
1. Step away from the palm tree barkcloth. Cut the vintage vibe with upscale fabric or faux fur.
2. Forego the rattan on rattan action; mix it in with different styles.
3. Say no to rolled arms and fussy detailing. Try a cleaner, more modern shape or chrome details.
4. Paint it. Don't be shy.
(Images: Weekday Carnival; Angie Hranowsky; Lonny; Honestly...WTF; Afflante; Cottages & Gardens; Emily Henderson; and Lilac and Grey.)
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Am I the only one who finds rattan incredibly uncomfortable to sit in? It creaks, it has rough edges that can snag clothing or stab you in the elbows, and it just seems so dated no matter what color it's painted.
@PI, I agree. It is also a flexible material that shouldn't be painted unless you are into the peeling paint look.
I've always love the rattan, wicker, bamboo look until I purchased a living room/sun room set from CraigsList.
It is uncomfortable even with the cushions and sits too low. Hard for seniors or anyone with a bad back to get out of.
I'm in the process of trying to re-sale it. Luckily, I paid $500.00 for an 8 piece set so I won't be too heart broken if it DOESN'T sell.
Regarding painting it: I would say it's a no for the same reasons as DUANE HILL indicated above..
Pi, I think you may be confusing rattan and wicker. I have 1950's Art Deco Rattan furniture and it is sturdy, solid, and smooth. Wicker sometimes does have little prickly bits and it will creak. Of course, quality does make a difference. If it was well made when it is new, then wicker pieces wears better.
I remember sitting in cheap white rattan patio chairs back in the 90s, always snagging at clothing. But I could see a modern version working well in a room. It seems as if the "chunkier" rattan would be less-snagworthy compared to the "weaved" rattan. The yellow chair looks awesome in the first picture... really reminds me of the STORSELE chair that IKEA has out right now. Throw a comfy blanket over it, i'm sold.
Forget all of this, where can I find the MEOW print in the first photo??
@Duane Hill: strange. My sister painted my grandmothers set about five years ago or more and it still looks perfect, no peeling at all. Even if it starts to peel soon, they had a lot of wear out of them. I think thats a nice result for something that took a few hours and a little bit of spray-paint, was beside for the spraypaint free and now looks really nice.
I love rattan/wicker. But yeah, I ruined a heap of clothes on wicker furniture, back in the day. Cushions are a must.
I love the airy, garden-y effect that rattan, wicker, and cane bring to a room. :)