RESIDE SUMMER 2022
RATTAN MOVES BEYOND THE BEACH HOUSE be incorporated into styles from traditional to contemporary, Kemble says. “There is a reason we continue to see it even as styles and design preferences change over time,” says Carleton Varney, president of Dorothy Draper & Co. in Palm Beach, Fla. “It really is classic and, not to mention, very durable,” he says. The most important thing is finding quality pieces. The material is beloved for its relaxed feel, says Phillip Thomas, founder and principal of Phillip Thomas Inc. in New York. “I’m always impressed with the artistry of how it can be woven into beautiful, sometimes sculptural pieces,” he says. “Rattan can be at home anywhere from a porch at a seaside retreat in California to a bedroom in a more formal New York City apartment.” And it’s a kind of furnishing you can be proud to purchase. “When it’s harvested, it grows back very quickly,” says Mary Patton of Mary Patton Design in Houston. “This makes it eco-friendly— and you can feel good knowing your furniture does not contribute to deforestation,” she says. CONSIDER THE UNEXPECTED
THE LIGHT, NATURAL MATERIAL CAN ADD SCULPTURAL INTEREST TO ANY HOME
Celerie Kemble outfitted a room, shown above, with a collection of rattan furniture she designed for Arteriors.
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here’s a reason rattan immediately evokes a faraway feel. It comes from more than 600 different species of climbing T vines native to tropical regions including Indonesia, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and China. Rattan furnishings have often been reserved for vacation homes or relegated to patio areas. But people are realizing their textural beauty is not limited to island life or for outdoor seating. The material lends warmth and depth and a singular sense of eclectic beauty anywhere in the home. “Rattan is a light-hearted, natural material that often adds sculptural interest to a space as it’s crafted to easily bend and curve and can be woven into a wide variety of shapes and patterns,” says Celerie Kemble, principal of Kemble Interiors in New York; Palm Beach, Fla.; and London. “We’re seeing more homeowners bring rattan indoors,” she says. Whether used to craft furniture, lighting, or tabletop accessories, rattan provides warmth and lush texture. It can
The beauty of rattan lies in its versatility. It can be mixed with other materials and iterated in surprising ways. Kemble recently designed a coffee table for Arteriors using clear acrylic and rattan. “The contrast of the natural material with the visibility of the more technical material is just stunning,” Kemble says. Because rattan is so light, it makes for great accent and accessory pieces such as bar carts, stackable chairs, and floor lamps, she adds. Jennifer Hunter of Jennifer Hunter Design in New York prefers using rattan in lighting applications. “We love the way light shines through the material and casts warm and glowing shadows,” she says. Additionally, she incorporates it through accent pieces including side tables, baskets, and picture frames.
