It is impossible to miss the nostalgic nature of this decade. Every time you walk into a retail establishment you are bombarded with trends from decades past – mostly 80s and 90s. This is true of every type of consumable good, from clothing to toys to home décor and furniture. And, the biggest trend in outdoor furniture in the 80s and 90s was, of course, wicker.
Most people don’t realize that wicker is s type of furniture rather than a type of material. The wicker description refers to how the source material is twisted and braided to create a sturdy base for furniture. Rattan has always been the most commonly used material to make wicker furniture, but you can also get wicker furniture that is made up of purely synthetic fibers.
So, is wicker furniture right for you? Here are some things that have changed since that era to consider before you decide to buy.
Location – Bringing wicker indoors
In the 80s and 90s, the only wicker furniture you really saw was designed for outdoor use. Although some people put these pieces in their homes, most of them resided in screened-in porches and on patios. Not only were wicker garden chairs very heavy, but they were also less durable than today. As outdoor furniture they were not intended for constant wear and tear, making them inconvenient for placement indoors.
But the increased durability of today’s wicker furniture comes with the ability to use much larger wicker furniture on a daily basis without fearing that it will wear out faster by doing so. That means you can choose wicker furniture for every room in your home if you wish, including beds and dressers that you wouldn’t have expected to see in a rattan or wicker construction.
Durability
There are several durability issues that made wicker furniture fall out of fashion, but many of them have been addressed by today’s wicker furniture designs. For one thing, as the manufacturing process for wicker furniture has advanced, the amount of weight that can be placed on a wicker frame has increased considerably. Today the average weight limits of wicker furniture are:
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When considering the durability of any furniture, you should also choose your upholstery carefully. If the wicker furniture will be used outside, it should have waterproof cushions so that it doesn’t become destroyed during storms. If you live in a region where you get frequent severe weather events, you should have a place for it to be stored, or you should place the wicker furniture on a covered porch or patio.
Wicker furniture for the bedroom
We would never have dreamed in the 80s or 90s that wicker furniture would be found in the bedroom. But here we are, with wicker furniture in the coastal style gaining speed among trends such as Bohemian and eclectic.
Of course, these larger pieces of wicker furniture also have wood frames or cores to offer durability and comfort on par with other bedroom and living room furniture. If you want to see what options are available, check out bedroom furniture stores for ideas.
