Those beautiful cane items, like the lidded wicker baskets for picnics, the sprawling divans, and daybeds with hand-embroidered sheets, the ball chairs, highchairs for babies, bar chairs ...

Wicker furniture is frequently made from rattan, which is a solid timber vine. "Rattan, wicker and cane all come from the same plant," says Bielecky. "And we utilize the entire plant to make ...