What is bamboo rattan
Rattan and bamboo are two common natural materials used in household furniture, garden furniture, wicker furniture. Although rattan and bamboo are vastly different materials, many people confuse the two and often use rattan and bamboo interchangeably. However, both materials come from different sources and are inherently different plants.
Rattan is a solid climbing palm famous for its use in wicker furniture. Although rattan is produced in numerous tropical rain forests, Viet Nam is its central growing region and exporter.
Rattan is quite pliable, so craftsmen can create bends and curves while weaving wicker furniture. Therefore, when looking at wicker furniture, if you notice that there are a lot of curves and the furnishing has small intricate pieces as well, it is most likely made from rattan. Since bamboo does not bend easily, wicker furniture that seems bendable under slight pressure is likely rattan.
Rattan is a great material for home decoration because of its fast growth rate, eco-friendly nature, and economical price.
Bamboo is a robust and stiff type of plant that belongs to the grass family. Although it is grass, it is often grouped with hardwoods as it can surpass some of the strongest woods in its hardiness.
Some species of bamboo can even outperform steel when it comes to tensile strength. Bamboo grows fast and is ready to be harvested in 3 to 5 years. It is a renewable, eco-friendly source of natural material that can be used for interior design and furniture making. Its earthy colour palette and boho look make bamboo a top choice for a rustic interior design. Bamboo is relatively easy to grow and does not require pesticides, fertilisers, or irrigation. The plant also helps to stabilise oxygen and carbon dioxide balance as it produces more oxygen than trees and sequesters carbon dioxide.
As a result, bamboo is quickly gaining recognition as one of the best natural materials for making cost-effective, eco-friendly furniture.
Uses of Bamboo Furniture
Bamboo has a wide variety of usages. These include:
Making Furniture
Bamboo is used in numerous types of furniture, including wicker-type furniture. It is a robust and hardy material that can produce sturdy furniture. Bamboo is a popular eco-friendly material thanks to its fast-growing rate and other characteristics. It’s a very strong and durable material which is surprising given its gentle and delicate nature. It’s in fact among the hardest woods and, in addition to that, it’s also resistant to insects and moisture. This makes a good candidate as a material for outdoor furniture and other elements. Bamboo is also more scratch-resistant than most hardwoods as well as resistant to swelling. It is most commonly used for making indoor furniture such as a coffee table and garden furniture.
Making Infrastructures
In many countries, including India and China, bamboo is used to make reinforcement of roads and for building bridges as well.
Housing
More than one billion people worldwide live in houses made of bamboo. Just 70 hectares of bamboo can produce up to 1000 houses. Bamboo is a cost-effective and quick solution to the global housing issue. People also use bamboo to make scaffolding, here’s a video detailing how.
As Medicine
Bamboo has numerous medicinal properties and treats kidney diseases, certain types of cancers, asthma, venereal diseases, and bone diseases.
With the increasing popularity of bamboo as a sustainable and fast-growing resource, more nutritional supplement manufacturers are now beginning to offer its high silica concentrations as a heat treated powder. These extracts are basically made using either the leaf, inner stem or shoot of certain species of bamboo. Bulk or encapsulated powders are processed using extraction techniques designed to concentrate the silica component
Uses of Rattan
Rattan has numerous other uses besides its obvious use as one of the most popular natural materials for furniture. These include:
Rattan adds natural texture and warmth to
Rattan has a rich and organic feel that can create a cozy and inviting atmosphere in your living spaces. It can also contrast nicely with smooth and sleek surfaces, such as metal, glass, or marble, adding visual interest and balance to your decor. Rattan can complement various styles, such as coastal, boho, traditional, or contemporary, depending on how you use it and what you pair it with.
Sports equipment
Rattan cane is also used traditionally to make polo mallets, though only a small portion of cane harvested is strong, flexible, and durable enough to be made into sticks for polo mallets
Medicinal uses
Dragon blood exudate has medicinal properties as well. Furthermore, rattan is also used in an innovative process known as “wood to one” that is used to make artificial bone.
At the end of the day, all of these materials are environmentally friendly and considered renewable resources due to their extremely fast growth. They all may have subtle differences, but they are all equally stylish and can and should be mixed together. As a matter of fact, bamboo rattan is strongly recommended used to create a warm, cozy, boho vibe.
