Industri Furniture
Furniture adalah istilah yang digunakan untuk perabot rumah tangga yang berfungsi sebagai tempat penyimpan barang, tempat duduk, tempat tidur, tempat mengerjakan sesuatu dalam bentuk meja atau tempat menaruh barang di permukaannya. Misalnya furniture sebagai tempat penyimpan biasanya dilengkapi dengan pintu, laci dan rak, contoh lemari pakaian, lemari buku dll. Furniture dapat terbuat dari kayu, bambu, logam, plastik dan lain sebagainya. Furniture sebagai produk artistik biasanya terbuat dari kayu pilihan dengan warna dan tekstur indah yang dikerjakan dengan penyelesaian akhir yang halus.
Sejauh ini industri furniture mebel Indonesia masih memiliki pamor bagus dalam perdagangan dunia. Pada ajang pameran tunggal bertajuk “Indonesia Paviliun” yang berlangsung selama 18-22 Maret 2007 di Shenzen – Cina, furniture asal Indonesia banyak diminati oleh para pembeli internasional. Terdapat sekitar 50 hingga 70 pembeli telah meminta pengusaha Indonesia untuk menjadi pemasok furniture dan kerajinanIndonesia dengan nilai transaksi mencapai sekitar US$ 100 juta .
Pemerintah juga telah mengupayakan untuk mengembangkan industri furniture. Terlebih sektor ini telah ditetapkan pemerintah sebagai salah satu dari 10 komoditas unggulan ekspor Tanah Air. Ini didukung baik oleh aspek kualitas dan desain produk yang diminati oleh konsumen luar negeri, ketersedian bahan baku maupun sumber daya manusia yang terampil.
Demikian juga dari sisi pangsa pasar nasional, industri mebel lokal masih menguasai 70% pasar mebel domestik. Tetapi pangsa pasar ini terancam oleh impor mebel asal China yang pertumbuhannya mencapai 200% per tahun dalam satu tahun terakhir. Peningkatan impor mebel asal China yang terjadi tiap tahun terutama untuk segmen mebel murah, untuk pasar menengah ke bawah.
Synthetic Rattan
Woven outdoor furniture made from rattan and wicker features intricate designs while providing owners and their guests with a comfortable and relaxing area on a porch, deck, or patio. Rattan and wicker are natural woods that blend beautifully together to form a unique design that your guests will envy. You will find plenty of wicker patio furniture and rattan porch furniture sets to choose from. Rattan and wicker outdoor chairs, tables, and benches are available in various designs and styles so you can find the perfect look for your backyard.
Rattan is a type of climbing palm that can be found in Asia. When correctly prepared, the long and thin stems can be woven together to create the gorgeous rattan outdoor furniture you find today. One major difference between rattan patio furniture when compared to other types of furnishings is that it won’t warp; therefore you won’t need to be replacing it after a short period of time. Rattan cane has a very hard core that is molded to form the various frames for the different pieces of furniture. One loved benefit of rattan outdoor furniture is the minimal amount of maintenance it needs. A vacuum with a pointed attachment or a slightly damp cloth can be used to easily remove the dirt that has accumulated.
Wicker outdoor furniture is most often made from willow, rush, rattan core, and reed. When these woods are wet they are bendable which allows them to be woven into the prestigious wicker-weaved shape. Wicker furniture will never have two pieces that are exactly the same, which is a feature many people enjoy. The technique in which the wood is woven together ensures that the furniture is strong and durable and can last for many years when properly taken care of. Outdoor wicker chairs, tables, and benches can be stained or painted to achieve a specific look.
Synthetic outdoor wicker furniture has grown in popularity. You can find chairs, tables, and benches that use the weather-resistant rattan frame which is then woven with synthetic wicker that has been made to avoid cracking, splitting, and unraveling. All weather outdoor wicker furniture is enjoyed by families in every type of atmosphere without the worry of rotting wood to damage the overall appearance. Synthetic wicker chairs, tables, and benches can also come with a cheaper price tag that can be a very attractive benefit. Maintenance for your synthetic outdoor wicker furniture set is just as easy as cleaning real wood.
Wicker furniture cushions will not only provide the final touch to your patio, deck, or porch, they will also provide amazing comfort. Outdoor wicker furniture cushions will come in different shapes, sizes, and colors so you can match your personal style. Cushions can be bought together that matches a rattan or wicker furniture set, or be bought separately so you can customize the final look. You are sure to find the perfect wicker porch furniture or rattan furniture set with the countless styles and designs that are available today.
Rattan Furniture and Wicker Furniture – What’s the Difference?
You may have heard of the terms “rattan furniture” and “wicker furniture”. You often see these terms on furniture labels, in home improvement magazines, on home furnishing related websites and other channels. So what do these terms mean, and what is the difference between the two? If you are going to consider buying some rattan furniture for your home, you may as well learn more about what you are about to buy.
The word “rattan” refers to a type of cane. When we hear someone saying that they bought “rattan furniture”, we immediately associate the furniture with its building materials – rattan cane. Rattan cane is abundantly available in Asia. In its raw form, you can hardly do anything with rattan because it is very tough.
However, someone soon discovered a way to soften rattan cane to such a state that it becomes a bendable material. The cane is treated with high temperatures to soften the materials. It is then used to wrap around aluminum frames to form different types of furniture. The manufacturing process sounds easy, but it’s actually not that simple to execute. The cane, when cooled, becomes tough again. Therefore, whoever is doing the weaving has to do it with speed and accuracy. If there is any mistakes, it is very difficult to reverse the process and correct the mistakes. The entire process of creating and converting the rattan cane from raw material to polished furniture is known as “wicker“.
As you can see, both terms have different meaning. The term “rattan” refers directly to the raw material, while the term “wicker” refers to the building process of the furniture. To the consumer, it doesn’t really matter. They both refer to the same thing. Therefore, they are often used interchangeably.
Some people even refer to the process of creating rattan furniture as “caning”. In Asian countries, caning is sometimes considered at art form. There are many types of caning processes. And the level of difficulty that a workman is able to overcome depends very much on the level of skills. Caning skills can take many years to perfect.
You have to be a little bit careful when buying furniture. Although the terms “rattan furniture” and “wicker furniture” are used commonly to refer to the same items, there may be different types of furniture under each category. For example, wicker furniture can be made from other materials such as bamboo reeds, or rush. If the type of material used concerns you, be sure to ask about the materials when buying “wicker furniture”. After all, it’s just a term used to describe the manufacturing process.
On the other hand, if you are buying “rattan furniture”, you can instead ask about the manufacturing process. Is the pattern that you see created from cane webbing (a very commonly seen process)? Is it a complicated pattern that is rare?
Rattan furniture can last for many years, and has been rising in popularity in recent years. Maybe it’s time to add a few pieces of new furniture to your home.
