Versatile, sustainable bamboo brings endless possibilities

The beautiful young Filipino lady was already seated in front of my desk, legs crossed, casually examining her slender manicured hands as I dashed through the back door of my showroom for a meeting that had been scheduled for 20 minutes earlier. Apologizing profusely, I exchanged greetings and coffee was ordered when my gaze settled on an elegant leather portfolio that she had set on my desk. It proved to be an introduction to a material that I thought I knew all about -- and yet had so much to learn.

As a designer and manufacturer, I have always made it my business to tap into foreign markets for sources and materials (as well as inspiration) to offer my clients, and have imported exotic furniture and fabrics for years. So naturally by the time of my fateful meeting with this lovely lady from the other side of the world, I was familiar with bamboo and aware of what other furniture designers had done with it in the past.

But, I was hardly prepared for this revolutionary new look for such a traditional product.

She explained to me that bamboo is one of the oldest building materials known to man and that it was first used in China over 5,000 years ago, primarily for making books, food and paper, in addition to some of the greatest of the emperors' palace buildings. I remember thinking to myself that when I look at bamboo, I never think about how good it would taste! I kept that thought to myself as she continued on with her primer about this incredible material.

I had no idea that people of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), which some historians regard as the most advanced nation on Earth at the time, even used bamboo as bedding. (Honestly I couldn't think of another substance that one could sleep on and eat - but again I kept those thoughts to myself.) And, as she opened her portfolio and a new world for me, she concluded by saying that bamboo was so intertwined with people's everyday lives at one time, that it was said that they couldn't live without bamboo. And that's not far from the truth today, considering bamboo's inherent properties.

Bamboo appears to be a miracle of nature. It is strong, long-lasting, ecologically friendly and, in my opinion, truly beautiful, making it quite possibly a perfect product, that no doubt accounts for its current star status and increasing predominance in the new "green world" that we all need to embrace. Bamboo should be at the very heart of this campaign as it appears to be our best alternative to a limited global supply of hardwood.

My guest-teacher was quick to point out that Moso bamboo, a species of the plant, had been tested to be about 20 percent harder than maple. Now she was talking my language, as, at that time, I never would have considered bamboo as a material for any of my furniture designs. And yet, I still had significant doubts since I was accustomed, like most of us, to seeing bamboo furniture made with bamboo cane, which still comprises the great bulk of designs we see today in this material. Attractive and functional, yes, but limited in scope.

During our meeting, my new friend revealed a fresh and different way of incorporating bamboo into furniture design wherein the material was laminated in much the same way that wooden products are made. It was the dawn of a new day for me and I was off and running with the exciting possibilities for all sorts of innovative designs that would allow for virtually unlimited freedom of expression never before associated with bamboo.

She was already manufacturing Asian-inspired furniture that incorporated exotic veneered, inlaid stone such as white dolomite, red agate and fossilized brown stone with white-washed bleached or dyed bamboo that was just thrilling to behold. Little did I realize at that time that this was just the very beginning of a whole new "green world" consciousness. I was immediately enthusiastic to embrace it and use a material for building furniture that can practically regenerate itself overnight! In fact, some species of bamboo have been known to grow up to 6 feet in a day in the right climate. Talk about sustainability -- this is magic!

Nowadays "green" is everywhere and eco-friendly home furnishings are ubiquitous, with consumer awareness at an all-time high and growing. Bamboo seems to have always been with us in one form or another, and its place in a sustainable world is assuredly secure.

Stephen Leon is president of Soleil Design International and has been designing and manufacturing custom furniture and cabinetry for more than 25 years. He is on the board of directors of the Central California/Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Questions can be sent to soleildesign@cox.net.