You can get quite confused when browsing the offers of the outdoor furniture Australia online stores, as they all have such a colourful and rich portfolio of porch and patio sets. Outdoor furniture has to be able to endure all weather conditions and last for more than one season. It needs to be easy to maintain as well. But is there such outdoor furniture. One word, wicker. It is the perfect option for your backyard or patio: it’s stylish, easy to clean, and easy to decorate to fit into any outdoor design.
A Few Facts About Wicker
The weaved rigid material made of plant stalks, branches or shoots, is called wicker. Various plants are used for making wicker such as reeds, grasses (bamboo mostly), creepers (rattan) and trees, such as willow. Back in the past, wicker was widely used for making the baskets mainly. When manufacturers discovered that wicker is actually very strong and durable, they started making furniture out of it as well. The earliest small wicker tables are documented as far back as ancient Egypt.
Besides natural wicker, which is very strong, durable and provides exceptional beauty to the products made of it, there is also synthetic wicker. Most of today’s wicker outdoor furniture Australia online retailers sell, is made of synthetic wicker since this material doesn’t cost as much as natural wicker. Synthetic wicker is actually a mixture of high tensile wire which is paper-wrapped, and plastic or resin, which makes it perfectly resistant to sun damage and moisture.
Wicker retains its natural colour. However, it can be painted to easily fit the rest of your outdoor design. Maintaining wicker furniture is quite easy. All you need to do is dust it with a cotton cloth and wash it with a mild detergent once or twice a year. You can put cushions on chairs if you prefer a smoother surface for sitting, and glass on wicker tables as well. This can also serve as protection.
Wicker furniture is designed to be moved easily, that’s why it’s mainly used as outdoor furniture rather than indoor, although some manufacturers produce indoor wicker pieces of furniture as well. The wide offer of outdoor furniture Australia online retailers have, includes various patio sets of chairs and tables, wicker lounge beds, wicker sun beds and even entire sets of wicker sofas, side tables and center tables. Whatever you decide to order, make sure you get the deal that offers highest quality, as you want your wicker outdoor furniture to last.