Wicker / Rattan Headboards

100 Ideas by Eliza Bush

If you want to soften a stark bedroom with organic texture, these headboards offer the perfect lightweight solution. I selected them for their sturdy bentwood frames and open-weave rattan, bringing airy warmth without crowding your space.

Wicker / Rattan Headboards

Buying Guide

Wicker rattan headboards are beautiful and come in many designs. You might be thinking, “Isn’t that redundant? Aren’t wicker and rattan the same thing?”

The answer is that wicker is the weaving process, rattan is the material. Wicker is a method of wetting natural materials so that they are pliable and can be woven easily. It makes use of many different materials, including willow, rush, hickory, and rattan. Rattan is a vine that grows up to one hundred feet long, and that has a strong central core. It is a favorite for weaving using the wicker method because of its central toughness and its pliable external parts. The combination, wicker rattan, creates strong, lightweight, beautiful items of all sorts.

Woven Arcs

Because it is woven, not cut in a straight line like milled lumber, wicker rattan is an excellent medium for producing round or half round designs. Pliable fibers are closely woven over an arched framed to create a tight over and under weave, then a pattern weave, and finally a panel of star-weave. It makes the perfect backdrop for a child’s or young girl’s bed but can also work well with patchwork design spreads.

The Rattan Loop

The rattan loop can be used to create a more sophisticated look, one that could be pleasing to a young man or a young woman who has outgrown the simplicity of childhood. The cut ends of the fibers are attached at the base, then spread in a fan from the central part of it, and the looped ends are attached to an arched frame. The dark wood works well against a lighter color of wall such as white, cream or even soft beige. Below the line of the mattress, the headboard is supported by a trestle made of the strong rattan fibers.

Simple Checkerboard Basket Weave

This bold weave with its dark color would make an excellent backdrop for a colorful or white spread. The headboard frame is rectangular, and the weave is a very simple over and under pattern. It would go well with a spread showing a hunting scene, outdoor farm tractors, or a quiet pattern of dark brown and lighter tones.

Regal White Wicker

Available for a double bed or for a single, this charming headboard will graciously frame any sort of bedspread but will do very well at displaying dark or bright colors. The ridged wicker weave is simple enough not to draw a lot of attention to itself, while still lending texture to the décor. It is an excellent choice for a master bedroom or, in a smaller size, for any child’s room.

Open Work Rattan

Not all wicker rattan headboards have complex weaving. Some headboards take advantage of rattan’s strong central core and rely on tying pieces of it together to form geometric designs. The openwork headboard still lends support to pillows and other parts of the bed. An excellent choice for a child’s room or for an adult’s room, the neutral tone of the headboard makes it easy to dress up or down.