Raffia, A Textural Touch

As we’re diving into our chillier months, our good friends in the USA are enjoying the sun and surf as they experience summer. While we enjoy luxuriously plush velvets and faux furs, they’re embracing more tropical-inspired textures. There’s one natural material in particular that’s weaving into homes across The States at the moment; one that we need to keep in mind for when we’re ready to store away our winter warmers, and it’s none other than raffia. Raffia is produced from the coating on the underside of individual palm fronds from a species of palm trees native to Africa, Central America, and South America. In it’s local environments, the fibre is used for everything from traditional roof coverings to baskets and textiles. Because of the durability and flexibility of the material, which is unlike any other, it’s proved popular within the interior design and fashion worlds. Let the tropical origins of this natural fibre inspire you, and incorporate an organic aesthetic into your home with the help of raffia. A raffia-woven rug will ground a coastal, eclectic, minimalist, or even traditional space – a truly versatile piece. Oversized raffia pendant lights help add a healthy dose of the exotic, while woven chairs and ottomans in this material create beautiful textural elements in a neutral interior. As you can see, when it comes to designing or decorating with this material the options are endless. [gallery columns="4" ids="32992,32993,32994,32995,32996,32997,32998,32999,33000,33001,33002,33003,33004,33005,33008,33009,33010,33011,33012,33013"]