A cozy and original, but at the same time eco-friendly interior is the dream of many residents of megalopolises. One of the ways to achieve this effect without unnecessary difficulties and costs is to dilute the usual pieces of furniture with rattan products. Wicker shelves, rocking chairs, lampshades, mirror frames or flower pots from this material will bring those very bright touches to the decoration of any room or other living room, such as an entrance hall. Wicker rattan furniture is so convenient and versatile that it will successfully fit into the interior of a country house, a veranda of a restaurant or cafe, and even into a relaxation area in the office.
What is rattan?
Rattan is a plant material that is actually an ordinary palm tree. In addition to the most famous name for this type of wood, one can also find synonymous names - “rattan” and “kalamus.” All of them denote peeled and dried stems of a tropical palm tree, which grows mostly in Southeast Asia (Malaysia) and Indonesia. , Indonesian raw materials are valued higher than Malaysian, as they are stronger.
The length of the described stems can reach 300 meters, so the natives gave her the nickname "damn rope."
Structurally, the rattan stems consist of three layers:
- bark;
- porous layer;
- hard core.
The thickness and porosity of the stem affects the strength of the manufactured furniture. This principle of distinction of stems is the basis for dividing it into classes in the manufacture of furniture.
There are three of them: A, B and C, while class C is considered the lowest. The cost of such furniture is significantly lower than that of the other two. The price of the same piece of furniture of class A and class C usually differs by 2-2.5 times.
Natural rattan preparation
At the first stage of production, the trunks are cleaned of bark, polished and sorted by diameter and class of wood. And on the second, the calibrated rattan is processed with fire and steam, after which it is installed in the templates for drying and maintaining the desired shape. This technology gives the stems the highest degree of strength, making them very hard. This is what rattan is.
Usually the thickest stems in diameter go to the bearing and massive parts of various furniture, and the thinnest are cut into strips to braid all corners, ends or joints. The rattan furniture is braided with natural thick leather or bark.
Beautiful openwork weaving is obtained from the strong core of the split stem, which gives the product not only decorativeness, but also the ability to withstand a constant load without sagging, without bending and maintaining shape for many years.
The production process of rattan furniture ends with varnishing of finished products.
What is synthetic rattan and how is it made
In addition to furniture and other design items made from natural rattan, products from its artificial counterpart are also interesting. The latter is also called the techno-or polyrotang - it is especially durable, high-quality and, importantly, environmentally friendly artificial material, the invention of which made it possible to furnish not only the house and the cottage, but also the garden verandas, arbors and landscapes with wear-resistant and beautiful furniture.
The innovative material was invented by German chemists back in the 90s of the last century. Since then, such furniture has managed to become popular both among buyers around the world, and among designers.
Artificial rattan is obtained by extrusion, that is, extruding melted synthetic raw materials through a certain size of the hole. The resulting techno-rotang resembles a plastic tape or cord and can be of the following modifications:
- tape with imitation of wood bark;
- round rod;
- flat texture strip.
The length of such a workpiece can be arbitrary, which allows you to have no joints in the manufacture of furniture. This feature of artificial rattan makes furniture from it the most comfortable. The reinforcing reinforcement is given by reinforcing with silk or kapron threads. Such material can be of different colors, which allows you to create furniture for any interior of an apartment or a country house, which attracts designers around the world.
Artificial Rattan: Pros
Artificial rattan furniture is now at the peak of popularity. But the main question, which is better - an artificial or natural version - often remains with those who want to buy wicker furniture for the first time.
The main plus of the artificial option is the price of finished furniture. Only a small percentage of the population in any country can afford to choose interior items without looking at the price tags, and artificial rattan is much cheaper than its natural counterpart.
The flexibility of rattan, which makes it attractive for furniture, provides demand for it. Magnificent patterns of wicker designer furniture are obtained due to this feature. And artificial rattan has a higher flexibility than natural. Moreover, due to the arbitrary length of the source material in finished products from artificial rattan there can be no joints at all.
According to its characteristics, artificial rattan furniture is generally higher than natural, since its production uses unique technologies that increase strength, and it can withstand more weight and a greater number of people sitting, for example, on one sofa. Moreover, over time, the state of such furniture is almost unchanged.
It is also important that artificial rattan furniture can be installed in the open air, which makes it possible to decorate country houses, greenhouses and household plots with it - after all, it is able to tolerate changes in humidity and temperature, sunshine or rainfall for longer. Such furniture lasts much longer and is not as capricious in maintenance as natural wicker lacquered furniture, although it is not recommended to leave it completely without leaving.
Advantages of rattan natural
Natural rattan furniture at first glance loses to artificial, but still there are no fewer fans of all natural in the world. If funds allow, it is better to give preference to natural material. It is environmentally friendly, safe and just more pleasant to use.
In addition, furniture made of natural material can be made without metal structures - rattan trunks are so strong that they can easily withstand loads, such as a person’s weight. And the unique flexibility of the plant can never be recreated with synthetic analogs, especially for chairs. The rattan bends, taking the form of a human body, providing the most comfortable fit and relaxation.
Where is rattan furniture appropriate?
Everyone imagines what rattan is and how it looks, but in the minds of many people it is associated only with a wicker chair on the veranda. However, not only furniture can be wicker.
The braid can look very stylish in the form of a screen on the heating battery and flower pot. From it even create designer paintings. Polyrotang is used in the manufacture of accessories not only for the home, but also for women and men. They decorate furniture, balconies and loggias, and weave fantasy hedges out of it.
The largest and most popular group is wicker rattan in outdoor garden furniture. She looks very impressive and respectable. Artificial rattan is good for living quarters in combination with metal, leather, textiles, glass, ceramics, stone and wood, which makes things from it irreplaceable and unique in any interior - from the Middle Ages or classics to the modern cool loft, which softens such details.