Wicker furniture isn’t just for outdoors on the patio or by the pool. You can have a wicker chair or two by a bay window, have breakfast on a wicker table in a nook or have company sit on a wicker sofa.

Wicker furniture can be inexpensive or pricey. But no matter what, wicker furniture can give a room a casual look on any budget.

“I remember when I was a college student, I had a wicker chair,” says Stefani Booroojian, of Fresno, Calif. “At first, it was a low-cost way to furnish my apartment. Through the years, I ended up selling the pieces at yard sales, but I’ve always had a wicker chair somewhere.”

Wicker is a general term used for woven baskets or furniture.

“Wicker refers to the process of weaving, not the materials,” says Patrick Farrell, director of home furnishing for Pier 1 in Fresno.

Wicker is made from rattan, reeds, willow and bamboo. What most people think of as wicker is either made of rattan or reeds. The noticeable difference between the two is rattan — a thick, thorny vine that grows up on trees — has a bigger weave.

Wicker is found in many types of furniture, from rockers and chairs to dining-room sets. Wicker furniture, often painted white, was common during the Victorian period, says Leonore Seng, an interior designer in Fresno.

“It was English, and we adopted it,” she says. “Wicker furniture is extremely durable and used in humid climates. It’s popular in beach and summer homes.”

Popularity of the Tommy Bahama look — a collection of home furnishings and apparel that embraces an elegant, relaxed tropical lifestyle under the brand Tommy Bahama — has helped renew interest in wicker furniture in the past few years, says Tammy Cowart, an interior designer in Porterville, Calif.

A floral theme highlights the wicker furniture in the home of Candice Hutcheson, of Fresno, Calif.

“Wicker furniture can go in a traditional home or a home that wants a tropical feel,” she says.

A pair of wicker encased antique bottles along with a wicker basket atop an old end table are effective accents pieces.

“Wicker really creates a look,” says Donna Meeker, an interior designer at Ethan Allen Home Interiors in Fresno. “Whether you want to create an English garden, beach or Caribbean look, wicker creates a relaxed, carefree quality” to the decor.

For years, Candice Hutcheson admired white wicker chairs her mother bought from a neighbor. When her mother gave them to her, Hutcheson put them in her bedroom where she uses them daily.

“They’re really old and pretty,” she says. “They’re old-fashioned, comfortable and match the white iron bed. They go with the antique, cottage look of the room.”

Whether you shop for wicker at antique stores or furniture outlets, thoroughly inspect before you buy.

“Wicker furniture should have a good foundation,” Cowart says. “When you sit on it, make sure it doesn’t sound like or feel like you’re going to fall through.”

Run your hands lightly over the weave, Meeker says. “If it’s rough and splintered, you don’t want that,” she says. “It will break down easily.”