Rattan Dining Chairs: A Guide to Hand-Woven French Dining Chairs

What Is a Rattan Dining Chair?

A rattan dining chair is built in two parts. The frame is made of rattan poles, steamed and bent by hand into shape. The seat and back are then woven onto the frame by hand, one strand at a time, in natural cane or in synthetic fibers (glossy Rilsan® or satin Raucord®).

The model comes from the Parisian café. Rattan chairs have been a fixture of Parisian bistros since 1895, and the same chairs still seat the terraces of Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, as well as Café Bleu in Paris and Oxford Exchange in Tampa, among many others. They moved indoors for the same reasons they suited the café: they are light, strong, easy to clean and pleasant to sit on through a long meal.

A note on vocabulary: a chair has no armrests. With armrests, it is an armchair. This guide covers dining chairs.

Rattan, Wicker or Cane: The Words Explained

The three words are often used as if they meant the same thing. They do not.

• Rattan is the material: a climbing palm whose solid stems are steamed and bent to make the frame.
• Cane is the thin outer skin of the rattan stem, cut into strips. Caning is the craft of weaving these strips into a seat or back.
• Wicker is not a material but a technique: any woven furniture, whatever the fiber. In the United States, "wicker dining chairs" often means synthetic resin woven by machine.

A Drucker dining chair combines the three: a rattan frame, woven by hand, in natural cane or in synthetic fiber. The full comparison, including rattan vs. bamboo, is in our guide rattan vs. wicker vs. cane.

How a Rattan Dining Chair Is Made

Every chair is made by hand, by three trades.

1. The frame. The rattan maker steams the poles (about 20 minutes at 100 °C), bends them by hand on a mold, and leaves them to set for three days. The atelier has kept more than 100 molds since its early days. Becoming a qualified frame maker takes five years.
2. The weaving. The weaver weaves the seat and back by hand: each strand is stapled, pulled tight and stapled again, one by one. A semi-round rattan ring edging covers the edges. Depending on the pattern, weaving one chair takes 3 to 30 hours.
3. The finish. The rattan frame is varnished.

Our chairs are designed and maintained entirely in France. They are made by hand in France or in Indonesia, the home of rattan and of its craft, with the same components and the same methods everywhere: European fiber, French nails, Italian varnish.

This is what separates the original from a machine-made copy. Copies use poor-quality fiber and imposed colors and patterns; they deform in the heat, chip and cannot be restored, and they typically last about three years. How to check a chair before you buy is explained in how to spot an authentic French bistro rattan chair. The full process is on our manufacturing page.

Sizes: Seat Height, Width and Spacing

Size is the first thing to check. A beautiful chair that sits too low or too wide for the table will not be used.

A seat height of 45 cm (17.7 in) suits a standard dining table, which is usually 72 to 76 cm (28 to 30 in) high. For a kitchen island or a high counter, choose bar chairs or stools instead: they are made in the same construction.

For spacing, the usual guidance is to allow about 60 cm (24 in) of table length per person, so that guests can sit and stand without touching elbows. The wide versions (for example Bastille large or Drouot large) need a little more room and give a more generous seat at the head of the table.

Choosing a Model

The catalog counts more than 72 chair models. They share the same construction and differ in the shape of the back, the seat and in the details of the weaving. For a dining room, three families are worth knowing.

• The classic bistro chair. A curved back and a simple outline. Le Fouquet's, Orléans, Montsouris, Seine or Saint-Michel, for example. The most versatile choice, from the kitchen to a formal dining room.
• The medallion chair. A round or oval medallion woven into the back. Parisienne, Parnasse or Voltaire, for example. A more decorative back, often chosen when the chairs are seen from behind, around a central table.
• The wide chair. Several models exist in a wide version with a 43 cm (16.9 in) seat, such as Bastille large, Drouot large or Joséphine large. More room for long dinners.

Each model can be woven in any color and pattern of the range, and details such as a rolled edge (bourrelet) or a decorative band (mirliton) change the character of the chair. Browse the models in our chair collection.

Frame and Color

The color of a rattan dining chair comes from two elements: the frame and the weave.

The frame. For indoor use, the rattan frame comes in two natural tones: Manille, light, or Malacca, dark. Malacca gives a deeper, warmer look and pairs well with dark woods; Manille is lighter and brighter. Outdoor chairs have an aluminum frame, in nine standard tones including Black Matt and Black Sand.

The weave. The seat and back can be woven in natural cane, or in synthetic fibers: around thirty glossy colors in Rilsan® and around twenty satin colors in Raucord®. The fibers are colored through, indelible and resistant to heat and moisture. They can be combined in more than fifty weaving patterns, from a simple one-color weave to a checkerboard or a jacquard designed only for you.

Black and dark dining chairs are a frequent request; they are covered in our guide to black rattan chairs. The full palette and patterns are presented in woven rattan chair colors and weaving patterns, and on our pages the colors of Drucker and the weaves of Drucker.

Pairing the Chairs with Your Table

A rattan dining chair works with most tables because its lines are simple. A few principles help.

• Wood. A dark Malacca frame sits well with walnut or oak; a light Manille frame with pale woods.
• Marble and stone. The classic bistro pairing: a round marble top on a cast-iron base, with woven chairs around it.
• Color. Take one color from the room (the floor, the curtains, the walls) and repeat it in the weave.
• Mixing. Chairs of the same model in two weaves, or a medallion chair at each end of the table, give variety while keeping one line.

The atelier also makes tables and custom table tops to go with the chairs: see our tables. More ideas for the room as a whole are in dining room decor ideas.

Indoor Dining, Covered Terrace or Outdoor

The choice of frame depends on where you eat.

A natural rattan chair is semi-outdoor: it can take a passing shower, but it belongs under shelter and is stored dry over winter (15 October to 15 March in Europe). The aluminum frame does not rot or rust. The weaves and colors are the same on both. More detail in French bistro rattan chairs indoors and outdoors.

Comfort and Cushions

The woven seat is made to be sat on as it is: it is the same seat that café guests use for hours. For long dinners, a seat cushion can be added. The woven seat and back are not re-upholstered in another material: the chair is covered only by its weaving fibers, natural or synthetic.

Care and Restoration

Everyday care is simple: wipe with a damp cloth, and with mild soapy water if needed. The fibers do not fade.

When a seat finally wears, it is re-woven by hand in the atelier, with the same technique that made it. Chairs of 30, 40 and even 50 years regularly come back into service after restoration. Our care advice is on the maintenance page.

Ordering: One Chair or a Full Set

• From a single chair. Every model, color and pattern can be ordered from one piece.
• Made to order. Allow 4 to 15 weeks, depending on the model, the weave and the quantity.
• In stock. Some models are available from stock for faster delivery; ask our team for current availability.
• Samples first. Color swatches are sent by post, so you can see the fibers in your own light before you choose.

For a set, the same weave is reproduced exactly on every chair, and later additions can be woven to match.

About Maison Louis Drucker

Maison Louis Drucker was founded in Paris in 1885 and has made one thing since: rattan furniture woven by hand. The family-owned house is one of a handful of ateliers in the world still practicing the craft. Its chairs furnish homes, restaurants and terraces in more than 80 countries, and every chair can come back to the atelier to be restored.