Rattan can bring texture and contrast to a modern living room. Start with a piece whose shape and scale suit the space, then give it room alongside other materials. This guide offers seven approaches to consider, not seven pieces you need to buy.

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Why Rattan Works in a Modern Interior

In a room with concrete, steel, white plaster or timber, consider rattan as a contrasting texture. Look at the colour, surface and construction of the individual piece rather than assuming every rattan design will have the same effect.

Try starting with one or two pieces, leaving enough space for their shapes to be seen. Add more only where they serve the room.

1. Anchor the Room with a Sculptural Floor Lamp

Lighting is one way to introduce rattan into a modern living room. Consider a floor lamp as both a light source and a vertical element within the furniture arrangement.

The Shroom 003 | Pencil Reed Floor Lamp is the piece I return to most often for this. The oversized mushroom silhouette reads as a considered design decision, not a decorative afterthought. Natural pencil reed with brass hardware — it works against limewash walls, dark plaster, and raw oak equally.

For rooms that need something more botanical and less architectural, consider the Thalia | Rattan Floor Lamp, with two organic curved stems rising from a coiled base.

Placement suggestion: Try placing a floor lamp beside a sofa or armchair. Consider its reach, the available floor space and where you want the light to fall.

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2. Use a Console Table to Create a Moment

Consider a console behind a sofa or against an entrance wall, where there is enough space to move comfortably around it. Use the surface for a small arrangement rather than filling it by default.

The Trois | Rattan Console Table Pair brings an architectural quality to this — clean lines, rattan detail, a surface that can hold objects without competing with them. Try a wall sconce or mirror above it to connect the surface with the wall.

The Noir Arc Rattan Console offers an arc form for a more sculptural arrangement.

Placement suggestion: Try a console behind a sofa, against a wall or in an entrance area. A sconce, mirror or artwork above it can help bring the arrangement together.

3. Layer Wall Sconces Instead of Relying on Overhead Lighting

Use wall sconces alongside other light sources rather than treating them as a universal replacement for overhead lighting.

The Aurora | Rattan Wall Sconce casts a diffused warm glow that works as accent lighting without drawing too much attention to itself. The Domo | Rattan Wall Sconce is more architectural — a dome form that suits rooms with stronger geometric lines.

For rooms where you want something with more visual weight, the Provenance | Bent Rattan Wall Sconce Pair introduces a sculptural quality at wall level — particularly effective flanking a fireplace or a large artwork.

Placement suggestion: Position wall sconces to suit the fixture, furniture and room. A symmetrical pair can frame a focal point; a single can support an individual seating area.

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4. Introduce a Chair That Earns Its Place

An accent chair can define a reading corner or add another seat beside a sofa. Choose its position and grouping around how you use the room.

The Ripple Weave Chair goes further, with a texture-led back that functions as visual interest even when unoccupied.

For a more sculptural focal point, consider the Shaped Oddity 'Circle' Chair, with its full circular back form.

Placement suggestion: Try a chair with a floor lamp beside it and a small side table within comfortable reach, adjusting the arrangement to suit the space.

5. Add a Side Table That Does Not Compete

Choose a side table in relation to the seating it serves. Consider its shape, surface and scale alongside the other pieces rather than relying on material alone.

The RST-001 Rattan Side Table is the workhorse version — clean, functional, no excess. The Rattan Side Table Hourglass with Brass Top adds a brass-finish surface detail that picks up hardware from lamps and frames without being matchy.

Placement suggestion: Try it beside a chair or at the end of a sofa. Check that its height and position make the surface comfortable to reach from the seat.

6. Use a Mirror to Extend the Light

Consider a mirror as part of the room's arrangement of light and objects. Check the reflection from nearby seating before settling on its position.

The Rattan Vanity Mirror "Adèle" is a freestanding tabletop mirror that can sit on a console, bringing warmth and texture to a surface without wall mounting. The Alave Asymmetrical Mirror goes further — the asymmetric frame reads as a sculptural object in its own right.

Placement suggestion: Consider Adèle on a console or tabletop, or Alave mounted above a console to create a vignette.

7. Finish with a Table Lamp That Adds Intimacy

A table lamp can provide another layer of light on a console, side table or suitable shelf. Consider how it sits alongside the room's other light sources.

The Shroom 004 Table Lamp is made from natural arorog rattan, bringing its distinctive texture to a table-lamp silhouette. The Aureus | Woven Pyramid Table Lamp offers natural wicker pyramid shades, sold as a pair, for rooms with stronger angular lines. The The Stem | Rattan Table Lamp is the most minimal of the three — a single stem form that lets the shade carry the visual weight.

Placement suggestion: Place a table lamp on a suitable console, side table or shelf, considering the lamp's proportions, stability and glare from nearby seating. A pair can create balance; a single can provide a quieter focal point.

The Complete Room

Start with one sculptural floor lamp beside a sofa or armchair. If the room needs a second rattan piece, choose a console, an accent chair, a mirror or a table lamp, rather than adding every example in this guide. Keep the surrounding materials varied: linen upholstery, a wool rug or a timber table can give each piece space to be seen.

Let each piece contribute to the arrangement, with enough space for its shape and texture to be seen.

Explore the full Rattanology collection →

Rattanology is a UK design studio based in Oxford, partnering with the men and women who make it to create premium rattan lighting and furniture with intention and integrity.