Rattan and wicker furniture are like “cousins”. They both come from vines found at the bottom of the rainforest. The only difference is that rattan is left in thick pieces, while wicker is cut thin and woven together.
OK, so now that you know what it is, what can you do with it?

1. Move it outside
Well, to be honest, this will only work with wicker! Even though it comes from vines at the bottom of the rainforest, rattan furniture will get ruined if it’s left out in the elements.
So, why doesn’t the same thing happen to wicker? After all, it’s made out of the exact same vines.
Wicker can be specially-treated with resin to protect it from the elements. As a result, resin wicker furniture will never fade in the sunlight, mildew after a rain storm, or warp under a bunch of snow and ice.
That means you can fill your patio or your garden with wicker furniture! In fact, opting for garden wicker furniture can bring an even lighter look to your backyard. After all, what would look better amongst the brightly-colored plant and vegetables that some bright white resin wicker furniture? The contrast would be absolutely stunning!

2. Use it together
Even though rattan and wicker furniture look a little different, they’re great complements to one another. As a result, you can fill your room with both wicker and rattan furniture and never have to worry about it looking odd or mismatched. In fact, using the two together is a great way to add some dimension to your room!
If you want to get the most use out of each piece, use rattan furniture for the heavier stuff (like your TV stand or sofa), and leave the lighter stuff to wicker (like your headboard or end table).

3. Use them all over the place
There are no “set” rules for using rattan and wicker furniture. They’ll look great anywhere from your bedroom, to your living room, to your dining room, to your sunroom, to your kids’ rooms.

And, in addition to looking great, rattan and wicker furniture will make your each of your rooms look bigger. Since neither has that big, heavy look that traditional wooden furniture has, it can really open up your space.
Even if you’re perfectly OK with the size of your rooms, rattan and wicker furniture will do one other very important thing — make your home more relaxing. Since you typically see this furniture at a Caribbean resort, you can make your home look just as tropical. You might even feel like you’re on vacation when you look at it!

Looking for more ideas? The team at Wicker Paradise has a ton of them!