Bamboo Chic

Bamboo is a natural, renewable resource. Unlike hardwood, which can take up to twenty-five years to grow, bamboo produces new shoots every year. Plants are ready to reap in just three to five years. After the harvest, they automatically grow back. What could be more stylish than utilizing resources that don't harm our fragile ecosystem?

Many Ways to Achieve Bamboo Chic

Bamboo's style stretches far beyond its origins. This beautiful material can inspire and transform any interior. Here are several ideas for incorporating bamboo chic into your décor.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. These three words have become the mantra for green living. They can also be the inspiration for a beautiful, relaxing interior. Unfinished and in its natural state, bamboo has a simple beauty. Use bamboo as a wall cover to create a clean and sparsely decorated space. The natural variances and gradations in the bamboo will create a visually interesting focal point. Let the walls dictate the rest of the room. Keep furnishings simple and accessories to a minimum.

You can reduce your ecological footprint by using less material goods. Consider using organic materials such as linen, hemp and cotton for window treatments and slipcovers. These materials tend to be rich in texture, and they will give a room depth and excitement. Add color to the room by dying these materials with soy-based ink.

Finally, incorporate recycling into your design. Today's overstuffed and oversized furnishings will be out of place in a bamboo chic room. Instead, shop antique stores, flea markets and consignment shops for gently-used furniture with clean, simple lines. The result will be a relaxing room that respects the environment.

Far East Fashion

Although bamboo plants are traditionally found in China, bamboo materials are frequently used in Japanese-inspired settings. Natural materials like bamboo and silk are often the cornerstone of Asian design. The goal with this style is to create a tranquil, Zen-like interior. Bamboo accents can help create the right ambience. Bound bamboo area rugs can anchor a sitting area or workspace. Bamboo room dividers offer privacy without creating barriers.

Japanese style is all about achieving balance, so offset the simplicity of bamboo with some strong color -- perhaps on accent pillows or window treatments. Add some shiny lacquered boxes and vases on a tabletop or mantle and keep furnishings to a minimum. With a few well-placed and carefully chosen accessories, bamboo chic is easy to achieve.

Clean, Green and Beautiful

Nothing sets the tone of an interior as much as the floor. The floor is the largest visual surface in square footage in any room and it often dictates the rest of the design. Interior decorators typically start with the floor and then build the rest of the room from the ground up.

Bamboo is an excellent flooring material. It rivals the durability and beauty of any hardwood, but it is not a wood. Bamboo is a type of grass. It is often misrepresented as a wood because it is stronger than many hardwoods, including oak. An added bonus is that bamboo is typically less expensive than hardwood. In addition, the maintenance required for a bamboo floor is simple; just mop and dust.

It is easy to create a clean, green and beautiful interior that matches your individual tastes by installing a bamboo floor. Bamboo comes in tiles, roll goods and click-in-place planks, as well as in a variety of varnishes and stains.

Urban Jungle

Don’t let the origin and natural look of bamboo pigeonhole you into creating a themed interior. Bamboo is beautiful and environmentally responsible. As such, this material can be incorporated into any home, regardless of style and design.

Almost anything can be made from bamboo today. Go ahead and add picture frames, baskets or tableware made from bamboo. Even a bamboo plant in its original state is a beautiful touch in any interior. Whether you live in a country farmhouse, a suburban Colonial or a city apartment, you can easily add a touch of bamboo chic to your home.