Conservatory Furniture Materials

Wicker

The word wicker is believed to be derived from the Scandinavian word ‘wika’ meaning to bend and ‘vikker’ meaning willow. However it’s origins are much older with the oldest surviving piece of wicker furniture dating back to the Egyption Empire where it was used to make chests, wig boxes and chairs.

Wicker is not actually a material in its own right but an overall classification of furniture woven from a variety of materials. The main materials included in this classification include rattan, cane, bamboo, reed and willow.

Wicker is currently experiencing a rebirth and is now the material of choice for conservatory furniture throughout the United Kingdom.

Rattan

Rattan is a fast growing climbing vine and has been known to grow up to hundreds of metres long. It is native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia & Australasia. Most of the world’s supply comes from Borneo, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia & Bangladesh.

Easily harvested using simple tools, raw rattan is processed into several products to be used in the manufacture of conservatory furniture. Rattan is chosen for it’s lightweight, durability & flexible properties. The skin of the rattan is peeled off to be used as weaving material, and the remaining core, known as cane is used for making sturdy furniture.

Fabrics

Cottons... most people understand and know the properties of cotton.. this natural material provides excellent comfort and is resistant to general abrasion and is colourfast. For upholstery use it is law in the uk that the fabric is treated with a fire resistant coating (FR) this is to prevent the suite catching fire when for example a cigarette is dopped onto it.

Chennilles.. this type of fabric containes a velevet like raised knap.. again this must be FR treated to protect against catching fire.