Hand woven, and honest about it.
Rattan Republic is a UK specialist in woven furniture. Rattan, cane, seagrass, water hyacinth and bamboo — dining sets, conservatory sets, beds and headboards, statement chairs, sideboards and wardrobes, mirrors, lampshades, baskets and planters, and the cane webbing and materials to repair any of it.
It's a category full of vagueness. "Wicker" is used as if it were a material, when it's a weaving technique. "Rattan" is printed on furniture made of plastic. Cane, seagrass and water hyacinth get used interchangeably, and they are not the same thing, don't cost the same, and don't last the same. So we do two things differently.
We name the material, and we mean it
Every listing states exactly what the piece is made from, in the specification, in plain words. Our materials guide explains what each one actually is, what it costs, how it wears, and which of them will not tolerate damp. If a piece is rattan with a cane front, it says so. If it's seagrass, it doesn't say rattan.
We say when something is indoor only
Natural rattan is not garden furniture. Left outside it greys, swells, goes soft at the joints and eventually collapses — a single wet British winter will do visible damage. 404 of the 414 pieces we sell are for indoor use, including a conservatory or a covered garden room, and we say so on every one of them. There is a whole collection called Everything Indoor Only so the point is impossible to miss. We'd rather lose the sale than take it and have you back in six months.
What we look for
- Real weave, not moulded imitation. Every piece is hand woven over a frame, which is why no two are identical and why the binding at the joints looks the way it does.
- Frames that can be repaired. Rattan poles, binding cane and cane webbing are all things you can replace. We sell them, and we'll re-cane a chair you already own.
- Finishes we can match. Natural, black stained, whitewashed, kubu grey, honey cane with teak, cane with mahogany. Buy a chair now and a second one in two years and it will still match, because we stock the stains.
Made to order and restoration
Some things shouldn't be bought off a shelf. We'll make a sideboard to your alcove, a headboard to your bed width, a conservatory set to a plan, or cane panels for a cabinet maker. And we'll re-cane a chair that's been in the family longer than any of us. See made to order and restoration.
Company details
Rattan Republic is a trading name of HOMART LIMITED, a company registered in England and Wales, company number 15257354. Registered office: 30 Uphall Road, Ilford, England, IG1 2JF.
Questions before you buy? Email support@homartuk.com or call 07868 375682. Tell us the room and the dimensions and we'll tell you what fits.