Your garden is an extension of your home, so outdoors furnishing deserves your attention. It is not about putting out there a barbecue grill along with cheap PVC table and chairs acquired at a local chain store, but buying durable furniture such as rattan garden furniture.

Rattan outdoor furniture comes in various shapes and sizes, so it may be a good idea to take measurements of your garden and even sketch out the area before you begin shopping. Planning out how furniture will fit in the area can keep you from buying furniture that is too big or too small. Be sure to account for plant life in your yard and all of the growing cycles it goes through each season.

You now have an idea of the size of your rattan outdoor furniture set and the next step is the material and its maintenance. Being a native palm tree species from Asia, Africa and Australasia, rattan is known for its fast growing ability and thus its harvesting doesn’t contribute the deforestation scourge.

Rattan is a part of the same family of plants that bamboo and cane belong to and its main manufacturing purpose is the production of not just furniture, but baskets and mats amongst other products as well. Rattan, you see is composed of up to 600 subspecies with a diversity of characteristics such as cane diameters that range from 5-7 centimeters to a few millimeters. This is why it has such a variety of uses.

When looking for rattan outdoor furniture sets you will find natural rattan garden furniture and synthetic rattan garden furniture. While the first is produced strictly with rattan wood, the frame and weaving of the second is made with aluminum, plastic plus synthetic resin material. Even though, both varieties are easy to maintain in an outdoor environment.

Malaysia and Indonesia produce and export 80% of rattan furniture in the world. Even with only two countries dominating the market, there is still a huge variety of styles and unique designs such as rattan cube furniture. The wood also takes well to stains and paints so there are endless color options.

The ascetic beauty of rattan, especially in a home environment is well known, although thought of as vulnerable to environmental degradation if placed outdoors. This is a total fallacy. Whether synthetic or naturally sourced, rattan is durable, waterproof and weather resistant, so there is no reason to be concerned.

With all of the options out there, rattan furniture is sure to fit into any landscape or patio. Natural stained, synthetic painted and creatively designed cube rattan furniture are just a few of the many options out there. Maintaining your rattan furniture is as easy as gently brushing dust out of it or gently wiping it with damp cloths. If you feel like it is necessary, most cleaning products can also be used without destroying the wood.

If you are under the impression that rattan furniture only comes in Asian styles and do not feel it will fit into your home or landscape, you may be surprised when you do some shopping. With new and progressive designs out there like rattan cube furniture, the woven timber pieces can actually make a space look and feel more novel and modern.

Charles Forsyth writes articles about rattan effect garden furniture and pvc rattan outdoor furniture that help people understand the difference before buying.