Rattan furniture

What is rattan?

Rattan is a type of cane that comes from rattan, native to Southeast Asia, South America and parts of Africa. Due to the ease with which these reeds are split and interwoven, they are easy to work with in the manufacture of various types of furniture and decorative objects.

These plants are of a climbing variety, with stems reaching up to 400 metres in length. These stems are similar to bamboo with the same characteristics of strength and flexibility, with the difference that bamboo is hollow inside and rattan is not.

Rattan comes from a very ancient craft of plaiting, originally used to make objects for everyday use: plates, bowls, salad bowls, cutlery, etc. And later it was used for the manufacture of furniture up to the present day. 

Benefits of natural rattan in furniture 

The main characteristic of this natural fibre material is its resistance, like bamboo it can support many kilos without breaking, and also its capacity to resist the sun and humidity. Although for a good longevity especially in furniture made of these materials, it is recommended to put a cover on them and if possible, store them in a dry place during the rainy and cold months (if we are not going to use them). 

Thanks to the great variety of existing palm trees, the rattan stems can be of very different colours, going from "light natural" to "dark brown". This means that we have a large catalogue of natural colours to find the best combination with our style. In addition, the stems can also be dyed or varnished.

In summary, the main benefits of rattan are:

1. It is an ecological material
2. 100% sustainable 
3. It creates a natural atmosphere 
4. Available in various colours and shapes
5. Resistant to outdoor conditions 
6. Great variety of objects and furniture that can be combined with each other

The return of the '70s, rattan makes a comeback

In the early 1960s, rattan began to become popular on terraces and in gardens in the form of outdoor furniture and then indoor furniture. After years of boom and splendour, it went into decline towards the end of the 1970s with the arrival of colourful design, the modernist designs of the 1980s and the irruption of plastic. This brought about the end of the rattan furniture boom for a few decades. 

But as they say, fashions come back and nowadays rattan furniture has made a strong comeback, being present in all design and decoration magazines, fairs and conventions.

Although by default the base of this natural furniture is usually bamboo or wood, there is an increasing variety of combinations of rattan with other types of materials, different colours and a wide range of designs.  The simplicity and neutral colours of this furniture make it easy to combine and adapts to both classic and modern styles.

Discover the Signes Grimalt collection of wooden and rattan furniture inspired by Nordic design, a variety of tables, coffee tables, TV furniture and auxiliary furniture.