Rattan is a plant in the palm family, which grows in tropical jungles. The largest source today is still the Philippines. Tough, solid stems of palasan rattan vary from one to two inches in diameter and grow as vines 200 to 500 feet in length. An easily replenishable resource, rattan is almost impervious to rot, is lightweight, and easy to handle. It is extremely pliable and strong, which makes it an ideal material for furniture and a lighter alternative to wood. Once cleaned, the stems can be used in strands for wicker or whole for furniture frames. It withstands extreme conditions of humidity and temperature and has a natural resistance to bug damage. To learn more about rattan furniture, see Harvey Schwartz’s book Rattan Furniture: Tropical Comfort Throughout the House.

No, although bamboo is also a fast-growing, extremely versatile Asian-Pacific plant, but in the grass family. As well, cleaned rattan stems with the leaf sheaths removed may look superficially similar to bamboo. Unlike rattan, bamboo stems are hollow. It is a sturdy material used for furniture, flooring, and fabrics, as well as for construction. It also has culinary uses for humans and animals.`

No. Wicker is actually a weaving method, rather than a material. Because so much of wicker furniture is made with rattan, they are often thought of as the same. Not all rattan furniture is wicker and not all wicker is made with rattan. Even though wicker is traditionally made of material of plant origin, such as willow, rattan, reed, and bamboo, any pliable material, such as wire, leather, and synthetic fibers, can be used. Wicker is possibly the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back as c. 3000 BC, and became popular in the United States in the 19th century.

Some rattan furniture may be used outdoors, however because of its rarity and cost, we do not suggest using the original Paul T. Frankl furniture from Harvey’s Private Collection outdoors. If you do, keeping it in a shaded area and covering it when not in use may reduce the possibility of sun damage. 

Paul T. Frankl (October 14, 1886–March 21, 1958) was an Art Deco furniture designer and maker, architect, painter, and writer from Vienna, Austria. Historians credit him, more than any other designer, with shaping the distinctive look of American Modernism in the years between the two world wars. He came to the United States in April 1914, and lived in New York City. Frankl was trained as an architect, though he later lent his talents more profusely to interior design, furniture, and painting. In the 1920s, he introduced his celebrated skyscraper style and opened Frankl Galleries on 48th Street in Manhattan. Inspired by the sunshine and mild weather after relocating to Los Angeles in the mid 1930s, Frankl started working with rattan, producing seating, tables, casegoods, and accessories. He opened a gallery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, and counted such celebrities as Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Walter Huston, and Alfred Hitchcock a clients. The definitive book on Frankl is Christopher Long’s Paul T. Frankl and Modern American Design. Frankl’s The Autobiography of a Modern American Designer was published posthumously in 2013. His furniture is in the collections of more than 15 significant international museums, including Cooper-Hewitt/Smithsonian Design Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (purchased from Harvey’s Private Collection), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Vitra Design Museum.

All the furniture is made in the Philippines and has been sourced from homes that Paul T. Frankl designed in Los Angeles.

There are two features to Frankl’s famous square pretzel arms that are different on originals: 1) Inside the square arm, the longer support poles run from the top-back of the square to the front-bottom. Compare that with reproductions, which feature the longer poles facing the opposite direction. 2) Frankl’s fancy wicker woven wrappings are another signature.

COM stands for “Customer’s Own Material.” When ordering from Harvey’s Private Collection, you may chose from Hawaiian Barkcloth selections or provide your own fabric. The yardage requirements are stated in each product description. 

Harvey’s on Beverly and Tropical Sun Rattan sell 1940s through 1970s reproductions, as well as many more types of rattan furniture by other important designers, such as Paul László, Milo Baughman, Betty Cobonpue, Herbert and Shirley Ritts, John Wisner, and Heywood Wakefield. 

Our warehouse is near Los Angeles, at 7801 Noble Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91405 US; (818) 387-6556. We are open Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm.

All items must be paid in full before being shipped out. Please contact us with any questions you might have before purchasing. California sales tax is applied to purchases made in California. We accept payment through credit card, wire transfer, and cash. We ship through USPS, UPS, FedEx, blanket wrap service, and Plycon; if you would like a difference shipping service please contact us before purchasing. Local pickup during normal business hours is free.

Items can be returned within 7 days of delivery. We do not accept returns on personalized, custom, or made-to-order items, such as seating cushions. A restocking fee of 15% of the item price applies. The buyer is responsible for return shipping charges and will not be reimbursed for the original shipping cost.