Dear Diary

I hear these words used interchangeably all the time, but they're not actually the same thing.

Here's your quick vintage furniture cheat sheet.

Rattan

A climbing palm vine, not a tree, mostly grown in Southeast Asia and Africa. It's solid, strong, and famously flexible, which is exactly why it's a furniture-maker's dream. It can be used whole and bent into curved frames or peeled and split into thin strands called cane for weaving into those gorgeous woven patterns we all love.

Bamboo 

Technically a grass, not a wood, and one of the fastest-growing plants on earth. Unlike rattan, it's hollow and jointed, and much more rigid. Instead of being woven, it's usually kept in its natural round or split form. Think clean-lined frames, poles, blinds, and that crisp, structural look that pairs so well with rattan's curves.

The more you know 💫