Buying Wicker Furniture Online

Here are a few of my favorite sites for wicker furniture online.

http://www.wickerwarehouse.com/ (has a great catalog)

http://www.southsearattanfurniture.com/

http://www.allweatherwicker.com/

Of course there's also Pier1, where I do most of my wicker shopping since they're the closest store to my house. They're also a good store for buying wicker baskets and picnic baskets.

Don't forget about local estate sales, flea markets and garage sales. You may come across a true treasure.

There are some considerations to keep in mind when shopping for wicker furniture. If possible, go to the retail stores first to try out several styles of wicker to make sure they fit your needs. Ideally you'd want wicker that is tightly woven, smooth, the right color and comfortable. Also consider the location you intend to put the pieces. You can use outdoor wicker indoors, but the reverse can cause a lot of problems. Also consider if you want painted or unpainted.

You're better off buying pieces that are already put together. If you have to assemble it yourself the joints won't be sturdy enough and wicker can be hard enough to work with.

You can choose natural wood canes or synthentic wicker. The synthentic wickers of today age more slowly and look remarkably like the natural woods. If you're not concerned with being able to say, "it's real wood" then synthentic may be the way to go.