There are not many items consumed which are not visible attractive, in fact most consumer goods are predominantly driven and marketed based on their looks accept for a few. Function rather than form is what’s a play with such items.
These are the sort of items which are practical and offer some sort of service rather than style. Though it is interesting to note that many billions of pounds are spent on packaging these fuction goods as research has shown we’re more inclined to purchase something which has stylish packaging.
Occasionally you will find products which are marketed on both their function and form, furniture is a good example as we want comfort (function) and style (form). Though in fact it seems likely that many pieces of furniture sell solely on their looks and that function is very much a secondary matter. This certainly seems to be the case with rattan furniture where people are purchasing off websites without ever testing the function or comfort of the piece. We have some high fashion pieces of furniture which are sold solely for their look at one end of the spectrum. Alongside large, comfortable, big cushioned rattan day beds, which are great for whiling away the day, at the other end of the spectrum.
The rattan furniture industry has benefited from being quite flexible in the manufacturing process. Rattan manufacturers are always watching current shifts in trends of more conventional furniture like sofas so as to be able to reproduce these in rattan.
As rattan is very flexible you can change from curves to straight lines with ease. I think the bottom line with rattan furniture is that it is able to be manufactured in almost any way. You can make truly unique pieces from it just as easily as you can make traditional ones.
Therefore I would sum up by saying that thanks to the flexibility of design and the quality of style rattan manufacturers have managed to corner a rather lucrative market.