Add instant charm and a unique personalized style to your home with a rattan bed. With rattan’s natural ability to invite serenity and relaxation, it could be the perfect choice in your next bedroom makeover.
Learn how to style and take care of a beautiful rattan bed. We’re also sharing our favorite sources for rattan headboards and beds in this curated guide.
In styling individual rooms in my homes, I like to give them each their own personality while still maintaining the seamless flow throughout the whole house. I incorporate large pieces and small details that work together for visual appeal and functionality.
The bed is usually the biggest piece of furniture in a bedroom, so it needs to contribute to the style and tie everything together.
Rattan Beds
Traditional wooden headboards and upholstered headboards definitely have their place, but sometimes a different material really captures the style of the room.
A rattan bed can strategically be used much like a wicker sofa to instantly add a vacation vibe. The natural, fresh, and airy style of rattan really makes a room feel calm and inviting. Don’t skip this guide to the the prettiest rattan mirrors and rattan bar stools, too!
Rattan is a unique natural material that creates texture and warmth in a room. A rattan bed has great potential in your space.
Whether you choose woven or straight, rounded or flat, light or dark colored, rattan will add natural beauty and style to any bedroom.
What Is Rattan?
Rattan is a fibrous plant, similar to bamboo, that is sturdy, pliant, lightweight, and beautiful. The skin of the plant is used in weaving, and the core is often used to make furniture.
Rattan can be worked into a wicker weave pattern, wrapped around frames, placed side by side in a stacked slat pattern, and bound together at joints and at different intervals to form straight lines and angles in furniture.
It became extremely popular in home decor during the 1970s when people wanted to recreate the outdoor look inside their homes. Rattan is still a popular choice for outdoor furniture because of its natural feel.
However, today much of what we see marketed as ‘rattan’ patio furniture is synthetic to withstand extreme temperatures.
Where to Use a Rattan Bed
Since rattan is a natural fiber it will set a tone of calmness and relaxation. The natural colors bring a bit of the outside into the room for a peaceful feel, which is perfect in a bedroom.
- A rattan bed will style naturally into coastal decor, bohemian decor, and tropical themes.
- It can easily be worked into minimalist homes.
- It’s beautifully traditional, too, and is perfect in Southern style houses.
- Woven rattan can be rounded and more feminine, which would look particularly nice in a nursery, girl’s room, or a guest room designed with relaxation in mind.
- Rattan made with the bamboo look will have more straight edges and angles. This has a solid and sturdy vibe without the chunkiness of wood, so it can fit perfectly in more modern homes.
- Natural fibers of rattan look stunning against white walls and neutral bedding.
- It also has a vintage, cottage-inspired style at times. In fact, you can read about how we used it to play off the dated wallpaper in a couple of the bedrooms in our modern lake cottage.
Be careful, though, to not overdo it. You don’t need a whole matching rattan furniture set in one room. One rattan bed with a couple of other items, like a couple of frames, a nightstand, or mirror will be enough rattan texture.
How to Care for a Rattan Bed
Because rattan is often woven and has lots of spaces dirt can hide, it will need to be dusted regularly. Use a soft brush to get into the weave and remove the dust. Similarly, use a hand held vacuum tool that has bristles to work into the fibers.
If it needs more thorough cleaning, use water and a mild cleanser. Get into the crevices with a soft brush and lightly scrub to get out any debris.
Check for places where splinters might have formed and gently glue back into place or remove and slightly sand. Learn all the secrets and techniques for how to measure furniture, and get it right the first time!
Frequently Asked Questions about Rattan
Rattan is an actual plant that can be used for weaving and furniture making. Wicker is a method of weaving and can be made with a variety of materials, including rattan.
Rattan is a very sturdy material. However, it does need to be taken care of. Keep it clean and check for wear and tear.
Avoid cleaning it with harsh chemicals and keep it away from direct sunlight, which could dry it out. With the normal use of leaning up against it as a headboard, it should last for years.
Sources
The headboard pictured in our St. Louis guest room is vintage! We found it so inexpensively in an online marketplace search and couldn’t resist!
Check here if you’re looking for a vintage rattan headboard, or click any of the images below to head straight to the source.
