Furniture - Cane & Wicker

Wicker furniture became very popular in England during the Victorian era and maintains its popularity in Australia still as informal, verandah furniture. There are even all-weather plastic imitations on sale in hardware stores. But what many people don’t know is that cane and wicker refer to two very different things.

Wicker refers to the type of weaving that we often find on outdoor furniture. It’s designed to be more durable than cotton and other fabrics, although it is also woven. Wicker furniture is made of cane, rattan, banana leaf and other natural materials. Cane and rattan are often used interchangeably, but cane is actually the outer layer of bark on the rattan plant and is found after the thorny exterior layer of the rattan is removed. Once harvested from the rattan palm, the cane is processed into different sized strips that are then woven into furniture, baskets and more.

Cane furniture to many of us is reminiscent of Balinese holidays, surrounded by beautifully warm, organic chairs and tables as we relax on the hotel verandah. Naturally, we want to have this look back home too, so many of us – especially in the sub-tropical north – have cane and rattan furniture on the verandah. These items seem to immediately put guests at ease and in holiday mode. Also, rattan furniture is a natural product and so each piece has its own individual beauty. When stained there will be slight differences in hue and colour; that’s part of the benefit of owning a product made from nature.

Filling one part of your home, the verandah or patio, with cane and rattan furniture gives an instantly warm look that invites informality and says that even in Australia we can have a little bit of Asiatic beauty.