Wicker, rattan, split reed — whatever you call it designers are smitten with it, and scooping it up quicker than you can say “woven wonders.” In truth, there’s a lot to love. Wicker is lightweight, textural, and malleable enough to be fashioned into all kinds of whimsical forms. Wondering how to use wicker like designers do and work it into your own space? Get inspired with a collection of designer rooms that utilize wicker and rattan furniture to procure irresistible style!
RELATED READ: Interiors That Offer Casual Vibes with Rattan and Wicker
Modern Bohemian
Wicker’s weft makes it a popular pick for spaces aiming to evoke a relaxed, bohemian vibe. It feels at once elevated and casual — the epitome of bohemianism in a nutshell. For a dreamy California abode, designer Martha Mulholland elected to use two rattan accent chairs in front of a fireplace. Consider a similar move if you’re bound by a tight floor plan and need to place chairs in front of a hearth. Rather than acting as a barricade, wicker chairs allow for bits of the fireplace to peep through. (If your chairs feel a bit sparse for your taste, do as Martha does and toss a sheepskin on them.)
Laidback Luxury
To outfit a classic farmhouse dining table, Martha Mulholland selected a set of Eames-style, rattan dining chairs. The move illustrates how, when working in the Farmhouse style, wicker is an unconventional way to usher in a feeling of modernity. The unexpected pairing works thanks to the chairs’ wicker construction. Wicker feels rustic enough to match the farm table’s handcrafted clout.
Small Space Hero
Furnishing a petite space is an excellent time to call upon a wicker or rattan chair. The reason? A rattan chair’s open fretwork allows for your eye to travel through it. This makes wicker chairs an excellent option in spaces where traditional armchairs would visually chop a room in two. For a quaint living room that also serves as the home’s entry, designer Liliane Hart selected a rattan barrel chair. The upright silhouette is a space-saver all on its own, while the open fretwork creates the illusion of more open space.
Textural Flourish
Wicker begs to be reached out and touched. It’s one of the reasons designers like Allison Garcy — who designed the arresting room above — love to use rattan chairs as statement pieces. Alison’s room again shows the aptitude wicker has for befriending more modernistic furniture. Similar to a jute rug, wicker furniture is a stylistic chameleon. It can provide rustic texture without alienating sleek, modern pieces.
Classically Cool
It’s worth noting that wicker can hang with antiques, too. Try using a wicker piece to break up the homogeneity of dark brown wood furniture. For a home with traditional costal vibes, designer Liliane Hart stationed a wicker trunk in front of a white sofa flanked with antique end tables. To make the wicker chest feel like a seamless addition, several other rattan details — rattan window shades, a collection of straw hats — have been incorporated.
Organically Glamorous
We’ve heralded the pacifying powers of rattan when it comes to virtually every style, but what about glam? As implausible as it might sound, rattan also complements glam. The enchanting room above, designed by Denise McGaha Interiors, proves our case fantastically. For a game room rife with metallics, the firm selected an oversized wicker basket to house a live olive tree. The wicker tempers the metallics’ luxe factor, and changes the tenor of the room by ushering in a more casual air.
Perennially Perfect
Nothing feels more apropos than using wicker or rattan furniture outdoors. Rattan’s texture effortlessly blends with organic surroundings. For a pool deck seating vignette, the firm Laura U Design Collective cozied up two rattan outdoor chairs. The firm opted for rattan outdoor chairs with a loose, open weave and an oversized, Postmodernist form. Both traits lend these pieces a modernist quality that feels perfectly in line with the geometric pool deck.
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Lead photo design by Liliane Hart Interiors / Photo by Carter Berg
