Rattan Decor Is More Popular Than Ever—Experts Reveal How to Decorate with the Trending Material

There’s something transporting about rattan decor—it has the power to whisk you away to warmer climates and a relaxed mood without setting foot on an airplane. Call it the ultimate staycation decoration. “Rattan gives instant relaxation to a room.  It can be simple or intricate but either way, it has a sense of ease and conjures up fantasies of languid summer afternoons,” says interior designer Summer Thornton. Here’s how rattan rose to popularity and how decorators are working this natural material into homes now.

How Rattan Got Its Start

Rattan is made from a climbing palm vine that’s native to tropical regions in Asia, Australia, and Africa. In the U.S., it was once reserved for wealthy homeowners who could afford the exotic import until the late nineteenth century, when the Wakefield Rattan Company (later Heywood-Wakefield) began producing rattan furniture at mass scale.

By the 1950s, it was at peak popularity, filling homes across the country and favored by designers-to-the-stars like Tony Duquette and Billy Baldwin. Then tides turned, as trends so often do, and the look fell out of mainstream favor when it became the preferred decor of the bohemian counterculture in the 1970s (along with macramé and overflowing houseplants).

Rattan’s Return in 2025

Demand has ebbed and flowed ever since, but if Maison & Objet—home decor’s answer to Paris Fashion Week—was any indication this year, rattan is back in all its tropical glory. While visiting the trend-setting European trade show, we spotted brand after brand showcasing rattan as the must-have indoor decor: upholstered armchairs and ottomans, side tables and bar carts, lighting and decorative accessories. No longer reserved for back patios and screened-in porches, designers are incorporating this natural material into every room of the house.

This renewed love of rattan was likely spurred by the growing popularity of the French firm Atelier Vime and their now iconic ‘Medici’ pedestal and vase, along with the cult status of the British firm Soane, whose designer Lulu Lytle literally wrote a book on the subject—Rattan: A World of Elegance and Charm. (The author of this article passed up a pair of Soane’s skirted rattan side tables for a steal at a consignment shop and has regretted it ever since.)

How to Decorate with Rattan

Blend Furniture Styles

The key to decorating with rattan today is to balance it with classic interior furnishings, whether that’s a fully upholstered sofa in a traditional silhouette or a sleek, modern dining table. Consider how designer Ariel Okin layered her suburban Westchester, NY, family room with rattan, instantly doubling down on the room’s laidback functionality. Not only does it look relaxed, but the material is incredibly durable, making it an apt choice for a home with young children. Add outdoor fabrics and you’ve taken childproofing to the next level.

Play with Texture

Think about the relationship between materials. Rattan is fabricated into furniture using rattan poles or by weaving thinner strips of rattan cane into wicker styles, like the banquette in this coastal kitchen by designer Marina Hanisch. Pairing it with smooth, bentwood chairs feels cohesive without overdoing it—as woven wicker-back chairs may have done. Overhead, a contemporary metal pendant light adds just the right amount of tension. “Too much rattan can feel outdated, but the perfect dose can create a beautiful, organic contrast and add an effortless sense of ease to the overall design,” says Hanisch. She also notes that rattan’s handcrafted nature makes a space feel “curated and layered, rather than overly polished.”

Try Small Accents

Even just a hint of rattan goes a long way in toning down a room’s formality, as evidenced by this Chicago living room, where designer Summer Thornton swapped fabric lampshades for woven rattan varieties. “Rattan provides a great material contrast to more traditional upholstery or wood pieces,” says Thornton. “It gives a sense of lightness to primary rooms that feels fresh.” Her secret for successfully blending styles: “I like to keep my rattan natural in color for a timeless and more elevated look.” 

Layer, Layer, Layer!

Even if it’s tropical flare that you’re after, don’t be tempted to go all in on rattan. “The key to making rattan feel fresh today is balancing its natural texture with crisp, colorful elements,” says interior designer Amanda Reynal. “Pair rattan pieces with clean-lined furniture, vibrant fabrics, or whimsical lighting to create a layered look.”

She did just that in this resort-style living room, which she designed for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach. A palette of aqua blues and Kelly Greens sets the coastal tone, along with the Lee Jofa x Lily Pulitzer grasscloth wallcovering. Rattan appears in just the stool and card table, while complementary materials like raffia, caning, and jute help anchor the room with a neutral foundation.