RATTAN FURNITURE

RATTAN FURNITURE

What is the difference between Wicker and Rattan?
Wicker is something that's woven, mostly from rattan (core or peel), but also from willow, straw, raffia, buri or bamboo.

Rattan is a palmwood that grows mostly in southeast Asia. Rattan is classified as hardwood. It is light weight, bends easily and lasts long. The finest grades of rattan grow in the Island of Borneo, Malaysia, the Philippines, Burma and Sumatra.

RATTAN FURNITURE CARE

• Furniture should be dust regularly with small brush or vacuum.
• Spills should be taken care of immediately before they harden or stain, by wiping with a sponge wrung from sudsy water. Wicker likes humidity but it is not outdoor furniture. Rain, direct sunlight, and dew are damaging. Dry indoor heat dries wicker causing it to crackle and creak under pressure. Wiping occasionally with a damp (not wet) sponge may help.
• Perhaps once a year or every other year, "raw" wicker may need complete washing. It is to be dusted with a vacuum brush. Scrubbed with warm water and detergent using sponge or soft brush; spray rinse with a garden hose outside, or put under the shower. It should be as fast as possible by putting in the hot sun, using hair drier, or directing a fan onto it to keep air circulating. A windy day is good to aid drying. On painted wicker we have to wash and rinse & would paint wood; wetting as above may crack and peel the paint.

Heading Styles:

Heading Styles: There may be a number of heading styles starting from contemporary tab tops to traditional pleats to suit every interior style and decor.
The mostly used styles are:

• Pencil
• Double pinch
• Tab top
• Triple pinch pleat
• Triple pinch & button
• Goblet

Pelmet Designs:

Pelmet Designs: There are numerous designs and styles that can be incorporated in the pelmets of the curtains. This will depend essentially on the overall room theme and decor.
The most commonly used pelmets are:

• Swags and tails
• Triple pleat & button
• Traditional style
• Box Pleat
• Straight frilled
• Shaped and frilled
• Bond edge

Choose from any one style in your room and follow the same style throughout in all the rooms.

Tie backs:

Tie backs:

The curtains are not complete without the coordinating tiebacks in a traditional, bound edge or plaited style. Choose 30" or 45" embrace for larger curtains. And they may be smaller depending on smaller curtains or curtains with less drop.

How to measure the drop:

How to measure the drop: Use of wooden or metal tape is necessary. Check: Whether the rail is even? To be sure you can take a drop measuremnet in the middle of the rail, and the at each end. Measure carefully. It is important to decide where you want the curtains to finish -popular choices include just above or just below the window sill. above a table below the window or till the floor or above the carpet. Allow a 1/2" clearance above a table or carpet. If their is no carpet then 1" to 1-1/4" clearance will help not to spoil the curtain with dust and dirt.

How to measure the width:

How to measure the width:

Use of wooden or metal tape is to be made for accuracy. Your curtain poles or tracks must be installed in their correct position before you measure for your curtains.Measure them carefully in the order according to the diagram.

How to measure the pelmet:

How to measure the pelmet

Pelmets are easy to measure for.
You will normally be measuring a pelmet board which may or may not be flush to the ceiling or a pelmet(duo) rail.
In all cases you will have to take into consideration the width of the pelmet board plus the depths of the returns.

That is separate measurements of B and A+C in the diagram.

Measuring The window for curtains:

Measuring The window for curtains: Two measurements are required for each window The width and the drop. Width should be measured to the ends of the track or pole + some additional amount to be considered depending on the heading styles you are choosing for.

Welcome to the world of window dressing:

In the world of window dressing there are various often-used terms which at this point deserve clarification.

Head- top of window.
Sill -the window board.
Reveal -side walls to window recess.
Fabric weight -thickness of weave.
Sheer -very fine fabric: cheesecloths, muslin, nets and laces.
Heading tape- tape at top of curtains/fabric blinds for gathering and inserting hooks.
Gathering -tightening of heading tape to pleat or ruffle the fabric.
Track/pole/rail- support for curtains, blinds and valances, in plastic, timber or metal.
Tie-back -shaped fabric or decorative rope securing curtains in drapes. Ornamental metal pins (clips) may also be used to hold back fabrics.
Swag and tail- decorative draping of fabric.