SHOPPING, BEST OF

RATTAN REVIVAL

Remember your mum’s rattan peacock chair – the one that sat in the corner of the living room? Chances are you know what we’re talking about; if it wasn’t a peacock chair, it was a rattan something.

Made from the spiny stems of a genus of climbing palm, rattan furniture was all the rage in the 1970s and 80s. It went through a phase of being passé, but rattan is cool again – or at least, it can be if you pick the right product and if you don’t overdo the look. A couple of strategically chosen pieces in rattan, or in similar weaves made from bamboo and the like, will give your space a relaxed, holiday vibe: think beachside villas in Lombok, and airy retreats amid Sri Lanka’s hilly tea plantations.

We've curated a selection of eight of our favourites: beautiful, handmade items that will bring that low-key, tropical chic into your home in a contemporary and effortless way.