Rattan furniture is everywhere again but as a resident of a quaint market town surrounded by countryside, I can tell you there are some stalwart teak fanatics out there. We’re going to look at the outdoor furniture ‘Teak or Rattan’ battle and see who we want to put our money on and help you decide where your investment should go.
There is a huge range of contemporary rattan outdoor furniture designs gracing the online stores that span every style possible and teak outdoor furniture is seeing a lot more Scandinavian styles gaining in popularity. As current trends will come and go, we are going to stick to the classic styles we know and love as longevity and sustainability is key to finding the perfect outdoor furniture.
When it comes to outdoor furniture “teak everywhere!” has been a long-standing design go-to for the UK. Teak has connotations of traditional English country gardens with overflowing beds of wild flowers and the delectable remnants at the bottom of a glass of Pimms. It conjures memories of summers gone by… there is nostalgia attached to the ageing patina of a teak garden chair.
It looks so at home and is such a familiar site to us that it’s hard to imagine they didn’t come up out of the flowerbeds in spring with the daffodils.
Traditional designs in rattan garden furniture carry thoughts of Paris bistros, beachside restaurants and an all round understated European elegance. Of course this can depend on the specific style as some of the more elaborate pieces instantly create a beautifully bohemian garden idyl.
There are many admiral attributes to sustainably sourced teak furniture, paramount of which is it’s longevity with little maintenance. ‘A’ grade teak is made from the very centre of the tree which has a high content of oils and rubber which keeps it beautifully nourished and impermeable to weather conditions. Over time the teak will fade from a rich, warm tone to a silvery brown and becomes a subtle mainstay in your garden, sitting back into the natural colour palette.
The scope and comfort you get with rattan furniture makes it ideal for creating an outdoor living room. It looks fantastic with outdoor rugs and scatter cushions to really style and identify your alfresco seating area. When styled appropriately, many outdoor rattan furniture designs are completely transferable to the indoors. It looks perfectly at home if moved inside to be used when needed, or just because you love it so much thus making it very versatile. Another feather in it’s versatility cap is that it comes in an array of colours and looks fabulous painted. A painted finish won’t handle bad weather forever but it can make a stunning splash in the garden.
Overall I don’t think I could live without either but my personal choice would be rattan. I do like a little touch of bohemian. Think hard before you invest and make your purchase, think about which style gives you the fondest feeling and choose wisely… you will have them forever.
