Wicker or Cane Furniture for Your Home
First of all, let’s clarify a little bit. There is a need to do so because some people may be confused about wicker and cane furniture. The question is, are they the same thing? The answer to that question is yes, the two terms are used to refer to the same type of furniture. You will see how the furniture got those names when you get to understand the process of making wicker furniture.
Wicker furniture is created from cane. There are several types of cane available in the market. Rattan is one of the most common type of cane. The most common characteristic about cane is that they are all very tough by nature. Therefore, few people know what to do with them when they come across cane.
However, that doesn’t stop furniture manufacturers from experimenting with this tough material. They find that when cane is applied to heat, it actually softens, so much so that it can be bent into different forms. When cooled, the cane hardens once again, and the form is set. This means that cane can actually be processed and made into any shape they want.
So they started to use cane to manufacture furniture. First, they prepare frames for the furniture. Then they proceed to put the cane through heat, which softens the cane. The cane is then woven around the frame, using a variety of weaving methods. There are many patterns that can be created out of these methods. For example, for a chair, you can find rattan chairs with big holes in between the cane, or you can find chairs with very little gaps in between the cane. This difference will not affect the function of the chair. And having different patterns give more choice to the consumer. This entire process is called wicker. Hence the name, wicker furniture.
And since wicker furniture is made from cane, this type of furniture can also be called cane furniture. Sometimes, to be more specific, you get labels like rattan furniture. The moment you hear the name, you instantly know what type of cane that is used to produce the furniture. So these different terms are used interchangeably to refer to the same thing.
So why should you consider wicker furniture for your home? After all, there are so many different types of furniture in the market these days – wooden furniture, plastic furniture, steel furniture, and others.
Wicker furniture is a strong contender for your attention for many reasons. Firstly, they are more unique. Secondly, they are very durable, and very comfortable to sit on. But more importantly, they are highly affordable. And there is variety too! You can find almost any kind of furniture you can think of. That makes it easy for anyone to furnish an entire place with solely rattan furniture. So add wicker furniture to your shopping list!
Tips For Buying Woven Furniture
If you are choosing seats/chairs and tables for your garden/patio or conservatory a good type to consider is woven furniture and these styles are incredibly attractive and will work well in these tough environments helping you to get closer to the outdoors even when you have to spend time inside! Here are a few tips you should bear in mind when buying:
* Inspect the pieces of furniture When you start looking for your woven furniture you must look carefully at the furniture as this will tell you the quality of the pieces. The best ones will have a tight weave with no gaps – large gaps are a big giveaway that it has been made with poor quality weaving. Secondly thoroughly check the woven material for any scratches and also try to “pick” at the product as some of the cheaper materials may just chip off. You also need to look at the bottom of the legs of the woven furniture as they will probably need to have casters or caps put under them to protect your flooring in the conservatory or so that they will be much easier to clean if they are outdoors. Try to determine if the legs are hollow aluminum tubing or solid – hollow legs can easily bend if the furniture is dragging or it is a heavy table. It is also vital that you sit on the chairs/sofa as that is the only way you can tell if feels sturdy and more importantly, comfortable. Never buy anything that you are not 100% sure about while you are in the store trying it out.
* Cost of woven/rattan furniture Before you finalise the purchase of your woven furniture you need to have thought about how much you really are willing to spend and prices of this type of furniture can vary quite considerably. Think about if you will plan to replace it within a short time or if you know you likely get bored with it after a short time, just do not spend a lot of money you will have to be realistic and choose affordable but quality pieces, even if it means you have to look at more and different types of furniture, that way you will be able to use your budget wisely and you may even be able to purchase more pieces.
