Rattan furniture has been used in homes since ancient Egyptian times, and Cleopatra.

Rattan is a natural fibre material of solid timber vines grown in tropical forests in places within Southeast Asia and Indonesia that vary depending on species, which include around 600 types. And ‘wicker’ is the style and technique used to weave furniture and baskets.

Wicker was made popular by the likes of Paul Frankl, an Art Deco furniture designer and architect, who designed lines of wicker chairs in the early 20th century. There has been a Renaissance of rattan of late for indoor and outdoor use. Being so versatile, it looks great in all areas including the living room, garden or conservatory.

In the summer, it’s lightweight and cool to lay back on. In fact, it brings a sense of summer indoors, all year round. It’s a rustic texture and looks good with a wide range of interior styles.

Natural rattan vs. polyrattan

If you don’t look after natural rattan garden furniture by storing it through the winter, it will show signs of wear from the natural elements. Artificial Rattan, aka polyrattan, or Polyethylene (PE) resin rattan, on the other hand, is a synthetic all-weather material and has great resistance.

We are lucky to have great quality eco faux rattan, with modern techniques applied, across the Out and Out home and garden furniture collections.

Here’s a look at a few select Out and Out items from our latest rattan line…

Filippo - Rattan Corner Lounge Set

Designed for long lazy afternoons in the sun, the Filippo lounge set has not one, but two textured tempered glass coffee tables. One is rectangular, the other square, so can be perfectly arranged however you like with drinks, nibbles and aperitivo goodies, around the two beautiful rattan two-seater lounge sofas. Seating for four makes this the perfect sociable furniture set to gather around and have a good time.

Likewise, with the aptly named Amalfi - Rattan Conversation Set. The Amalfi set is a sturdy, stylish garden lounge set made using sustainable polyrattan, steel and teak, to relax on and get the conversation flowing with a two-seater sofa and two armchairs. It has a classy, long oval teak coffee table and a smaller round tempered glass side coffee table. The curvy lines of the two tables and delicate steel frame of the sofa make this a classic mid-century-inspired design option, great for the ‘living room in the garden’ look.

Barcelona - Rattan Sun Lounger

Made from handwoven durable polyrattan, this chic sun lounger with grey cushions has a robust steel frame and a thick supportive cushioned headrest for extra comfort as you lay back and relax in your garden. The classic simple design with clean lines will look elegant wherever it is. And what’s more, it’s multifunctional, it can be a flat seat or a sun lounger, thanks to the adjustable headrest. Choose from a variety of different layouts and positions, adapted to your needs.

Fauna - Rattan Armchair with Ottoman – Grey

A great all-around classic grey chair to add to other garden furniture or if you are looking for a piece of smaller outdoor furniture set for your balcony, this is the one. It’s the perfect duo, one cushioned rattan armchair and a matching cushioned ottoman. Time to put your feet up!

Roma Rattan Garden Furniture Modular Lounge Set

Relax in luxury Roman style on this super comfortable, resistant, polyrattan modular lounge set. Arrange the stools in front of the chairs with the tempered glass coffee table in the middle, or simply put the ottomans and chairs together and hey presto, you have your own daybed to lounge on. Lots of options.

The soft colour palette of the cream cushions with the light beige, sand-coloured polyrattan sofa will look inviting and cosy in any outdoor space. And, of course, it looks just like natural rattan, but it’s maintenance-free and isn’t going to get damaged by the sun like natural rattan would. You simply wipe it down with a damp cloth to keep it nice and clean. Also, insects will not be interested in your polyrattan chairs, in the way they are in natural fibres.

So, if you love the look of rattan, transform your indoor or outdoor space with a synthetic alternative, for a luxurious aesthetic style.