The skirt is the whole design. Take it away and this is a good rattan armchair. Leave it in and it is a distinctive one.

The weave continues past the seat and falls to the floor, concealing the frame entirely, then finishes in a scalloped hem rather than a straight edge. That wave is genuinely difficult to weave, because rattan would far rather run straight, and every curve has to be worked by hand. It is the reason the chair reads as considered from the doorway.

The arched back does the same job vertically. A curved top rail woven in one continuous sweep, rising at the centre and dropping into the arms, gives the chair a soft, enveloping shape that a square-backed rattan chair never achieves.

Handwoven in Indonesia, where rattan weaving is a real craft tradition rather than an industrial process. The variation across the surface is the mark of hand work, and it is what stops the weave reading as manufactured texture.

A loose seat cushion sits on top, foam filled and covered in a hardwearing pale fabric, so this is a chair for actually sitting in rather than one to be admired from across the room.

• Full skirt with a scalloped hem, a detail almost no other rattan chair attempts
• Arched woven back that wraps around rather than sitting flat behind you
• Handwoven in Indonesia, with the surface variation only hand work produces
• Deep at 70cm, so it sits like a small armchair rather than an occasional chair
• 55cm seat height, higher than most, which makes it noticeably easier to get out of
• Loose foam cushion that lifts out for cleaning
• No legs on show, nothing to catch a foot on and nothing to vacuum around
• 13.9kg, substantial enough to feel solid, light enough to move alone
• Works in five rooms, from bedroom corner to conservatory

Allow a clear metre square. At 60cm wide and 70cm deep the chair needs room to be walked past as well as sat in. In a corner, angle it at roughly 45 degrees rather than square to the walls, which reads far more inviting.

Not a dining chair. Worth saying plainly. The 68cm arms will not tuck under a standard dining table, and the seat sits higher than a dining chair should. This is an accent chair, and it is much better as one. If you want rattan at the table, our dining chairs range has the right proportions.

Pair it with a side table. Something around 50cm to 55cm high sits level with the seat, which is where a cup of tea wants to be. See side tables.

The classic use, and the one we would reach for first. A chair in a bedroom corner with a folded throw over the arm is what makes a bedroom feel finished rather than merely furnished, whether or not anyone ever sits in it. Though with this one, they will.

Rattan belongs here. The pale weave suits a room full of light, and the skirt gives it enough presence to hold a corner on its own. Keep it out of direct rain and away from the very brightest all-day sun.

Angled towards the hearth with a small table alongside. The enveloping back is what makes this work as a genuine reading chair rather than a decorative one.

Somewhere for the eye to rest, and somewhere to put shoes on. A chair on a landing is one of the most underused ideas in a British house.

The higher 55cm seat suits getting dressed considerably better than a low armchair does.

Pale natural rattan wants warm neutrals. Off white, chalk, oatmeal, putty and warm plaster. Against a deep olive, sage or charcoal wall the weave reads beautifully as silhouette, which is exactly where the scalloped hem shows best.

Rattan is light and open, so give it something solid nearby. A warm timber side table, a stoneware vessel, a wool throw. Against pale limed oak the two neutrals can blur, so add something darker.

The cushion is deliberately quiet. A slim additional pad or a folded throw in olive or terracotta adds colour without touching anything else in the room. See cushions and soft furnishings.

A chair without a lamp beside it is a chair nobody sits in after dark. A table lamp on a side table, or a wall light above, at 2400K to 2700K. Cool light drains natural rattan.

A rug beneath stops a floor-length skirt reading as though it is floating, and warms a hard floor in a conservatory.

Handwoven rattan. A natural climbing palm, woven by hand over a frame. Indonesia has one of the world's genuine rattan weaving traditions, and a piece with this much curve in it is a real test of that skill.

The scalloped skirt. Every curve of the hem is worked by hand. Rattan naturally wants to run straight, so a wave takes considerably longer to weave than a plain edge.

Foam-filled seat cushion. Covered in a hardwearing polyester in a pale neutral, chosen to sit quietly against the rattan rather than compete with it. Polyester creases far less than linen and stands up better to daily use.

Because these are handwoven, weave density and tone vary slightly from chair to chair. If you are ordering two, order them together so they come from the same batch.

Dusting. A soft dry brush or a vacuum with a brush attachment on a gentle setting, working into the weave rather than across it. A skirted chair collects more dust at the hem than a legged one, so it is worth doing regularly.

Keep it dry. Wipe marks with a barely damp cloth and dry immediately. Never soak rattan, as water is what makes a weave slacken over time.

The cushion. Lifts out for cleaning. Spot clean and vacuum with an upholstery attachment, and check the care label before anything more.

Loose fibres. Handwoven natural fibre may shed the odd strand early on. Trim with scissors rather than pulling.

Light and heat. Keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight, which lightens rattan over years, and away from a radiator, since very dry heat makes natural fibre brittle.

Interior use. This is not garden furniture. A conservatory or a covered porch is fine, rain and frost are not.

Your chair is packed carefully and travels with our specialist furniture courier, who will call ahead to arrange a time. Allow 10 to 14 days. Full details on our delivery page.

If it is not right once it is in the room, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

0% interest-free finance is available at checkout, and our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere.

Not sure whether it suits the corner you have in mind? Send us the measurements via our contact page or live chat. Furnishing a hotel or a holiday let? Ask about trade accounts.