for new home furniture can be a painstaking process. You may ask yourself over and over what will look best in each particular room, and question how each piece will integrate with your existing d?r. Fortunately, there is a particular style of furniture that is appropriate for every room of your home, allowing for seamless integration and endless decorating options.

Wicker is a style of furniture construction that involves tightly weaving pieces of wood or reed. The most common, and long lasting, type of wicker is made of rattan. This tropical vine is both fast growing and sustainable, making it an excellent choice for both financial and environmental reasons. To add to its appeal, it has a natural shine and beauty that rivals even the finest of hard woods.

Wicker rattan is an excellent choice for nearly any room of your home, including the outdoors. Because the vine is farmed in a tropical environment, it can withstand weather that would cause most hardwood to crack or split. Rattan does not warp or swell due to moisture like other woods, and it does not splinter from overuse.

The weather resistant nature of rattan has given it a name as the ideal outdoor furniture material. Its strong nature also lends itself to the perfect indoor item. Just as it won’t succumb to rain or sun, it will stand up to rowdy children, partying adults and years of light use. Because it is so lightweight, it can be easily moved from room to room, to accommodate last minute guests or a spur of the moment redecorating idea.

You may worry about purchasing wicker rattan furniture if you have children, but the durable furniture is the perfect candidate for curious little ones. From back porches to living rooms, wicker rattan can be a worry easing furniture choice that won’t crack from a child’s abuse or leave splinters in little fingers. Cozy couches and traditional rocking chairs, two favorites of small children, are appropriate for most any room, but most notably casual spaces like living rooms and recreation rooms.

If you frequently entertain, rattan is one of the simplest ways to create an elegant, modern look without excessive costs. Rattan furniture can easily be dressed up with colorful cushions or even a fresh coat of paint. By decorating your entertaining rooms with all rattan furniture, your guests will see a seamless transition even with varying colors and styles. A comfortable love seat set in a parlor will match well with a tasteful table and chairs in a conservatory, while giving your guests plenty of room to relax and enjoy themselves.

Rattan’s water resistance makes it the perfect mate for your poolside. As an added benefit, since most pools are only in use for a few months each year, rattan pieces can do double duty for the rest of the year on patios or 3 seasons rooms.

These are just a few of the many ways you could use wicker rattan, and with luck you’ll find a way to integrate this versatile, environmentally friendly furniture into your home’s d?r.

Many people are moving in a direction that says “natural.” Many people are interested in “getting back to nature” by adding themes to their homes that make it seem more natural. For example, the use of rattan furniture offers a more natural way to furnish the home. Made from slender, flexible, reeds, the whole look is one that is straight from the outdoors. It conveys a sense of nature and an outdoorsy feel that puts in mind of tropical locales. Indeed, rattan furniture evokes images of not just any outdoor location, but of an island outdoor location. Rattan furniture practically hollers “beach chic.”

It seems that rattan furniture is making a comeback. It may surprise many people to discover that such furniture was used back in the 50s and 60s. Some piece of rattan furniture, whether it was a chair, a lamp, a table, or a sofa, had to be rattan. The shapes were notoriously curvy, further evoking images of undulating waves of water and the beach. And this furniture was a fixture in almost every suburban home, even if there were only one or two pieces of the furniture.

Today, rattan furniture is back. The die-hard fans do not confine themselves to a few pieces for the patio. Rather, they try to make their entire homes into “natural” sanctuaries. They combine their rattan furniture with bamboo flooring and blinds. They surround themselves with plants and ferns that look as though they belong in the tropics. Miniature palm trees, papyrus plants, and even some citrus trees adorn the home, making sure that some rattan chairs have leafy enclosures to provide the cozy illusion of sitting outside, when in reality one is indoors. Most people, however, are satisfied with a piece or two. Integrating rattan furniture with other designs adds a nice, earthy touch to the room, and can soften the space.

Rattan, however, is not a recent discovery. It goes back even before the 50s and 60s. And it was not always used for furniture. Rattan is a supple reeded plant. Its pliability makes it ideal for baskets (which can make very fetching decorations, especially when filled with seasonal flowers, greenery, and ornamental grasses), mats, and furniture. However, the plant also supplies a resin. Flowing through it is a substance that not only nourishes the plant, but was also thought to have medicinal qualities in ancient times. The Greeks and the Arabs prized rattan plants for what was inside, using it to treat a variety of ailments. When hardened, the resin can also serve as a sort of pitch, helping to make baskets a little more water proof. However, when rattan is woven tightly, it can be extremely water resistant.

If you are looking for a change in your home, rattan furniture can provide that change. It goes with almost anything, and it can be used with any color, or with prints. Depending on the atmosphere you want to create, you can use dark, light, or printed fabric for cushions and throw pillows. And rattan can complement both light wood and dark wood. And you can use its curved forms to soften angular furniture and add a softening touch to any room.

Rattan outdoor patio furniture continues to gain in popularity.  Attractive styling and ease of movement make woven rattan a preferred choice for most climates.  But which type is the best for your patio – natural or synthetic?

Natural rattan is made from palm species native to Tropical Africa, Asia and Australasia.  Most rattans tend to be vinelike rather than trees, with slender stems and long internodes between the leaves.  The greatest number of rattan palms exist in Indonesia, followed by the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Bangladesh.  Manufacturers make beautiful furniture from these natural fibers; however, natural rattan has a significant downside.

Being made from natural fibers, rattan furniture is vulnerable to the elements.  When used outdoors as patio furniture, rattan can be adversely affected by moisture, causing the fibers to mildew and the glue to melt.  Exposure to Ultraviolet light can cause color fading and fiber hardening, leading to cracking and breakage.  New technology in the making of synthetic fibers has led to the development of a wide variety of synthetic rattans that address these issues and make synthetic rattan outdoor furniture a practical and beautiful solution for your patio needs.

Synthetic rattan is made from a polyethylene-based fiber characterized by high flexibility and tensile strength.  It is created through an extrusion process that provides a smudge-proof, solidly-colored fiber that is resistant to temperature variations.  Synthetic rattan is extremely durable, weather and UV light resistant.  It is especially suitable for weaving, which makes outdoor furniture the perfect application for this fiber.

The fibers used in synthetic rattan outdoor furniture are environmentally sound, non-toxic and recyclable.  The material is 100% HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene), and contains no PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride).   Synthetic Rattan has a permanent fire retardant rating that meets International Maritime Organization (IMO) Standards, and has been subjected to accelerated weather testing to assure its UV stability.  Synthetic rattan fibers also contain the same antimicrobial compounds as are found in hand soap to prevent odors, and are static and dust-resistant.

Synthetic rattan fibers are wrapped around an aluminum frame to construct durable and beautiful patio pieces that are lightweight and weather-resistant, mildew-free and fade resistant.  This outdoor furniture will enhance your outdoor living environment, making your patio a friendly and inviting place.

Please visit our website, http://www.ellespatiofurniture.com, for examples of synthetic rattan patio furniture.  Our goal is to provide you with the best outdoor patio furniture available for the best price possible.