Native to the Southeast Asian region, rattan made its mark on the interiors scene most noticeably between the 1960s and 1970s. For most of us, it probably conjures up the nostalgia and warmth of our grandparents’ homes. In the last year or so, however, rattan has been slowly shedding its outdated retro image to emerge as a trendy newcomer in the upmarket collections of contemporary American and European interior and furniture designers as a sustainable and durable alternative to traditional wood.

In Singapore, rattan featured heavily in some of 2018’s flashiest properties: Aesop’s sixth store in Singapore at Vivocity contrasted blonde rattan with sleek brass and bronze with the help of heritage business Chun Mee Lee Rattan Furniture; members’ only club Straits Clan juxtaposed rattan chairs with Chinoiserie-inspired textile; Common Man Stan and Le Bon Funk elevated their central bars with the natural material’s tropical vibes.

The trend continues to look pretty solid in 2019, taking off from the usual seating options to much more imaginative reinterpretations for the home.