Bamboo: The Sustainable Material Having a Fashionable Comeback

1. First of all, as the largest member of the grass family, bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world. In a world where demand for resources is increasing, it’s vital that designers look towards alternative materials such as bamboo as a sustainable and versatile choice.
   
2. The beauty of bamboo is it can grow in a range of climates, regenerating quickly, it even purifies the air as it does so.
   
3. Used for many different products, from clothing and home accessories to room dividers, acoustic wall panels or flooring, modern methods mean that bamboo can be formed into almost anything.
   
4. As a natural product that requires no pesticides to grow, bamboo is the perfect choice for those of us wanting to create a ‘clean’ environment without the harmful VOC’s emitted by many interior finishes.

Wanting to inject a bit of Japanese minimalism into your interiors, look no further than bamboo. Used widely in Japanese homes, bamboo looks great when paired with other light woods, neutral tones and light weight fabrics such as those in our Nudes collection creating a peaceful pared back interior.

Japanese style interiors are so popular due to their understated sophistication. Although colours are few and far between, with many surfaces that are not made of wood being in pared back shades, the finish is far from dull. The beauty lies in the detail: large windows and bamboo screens let light flood into the space; a key part of the scheme. With structured shapes and functional storage, Japanese design makes reference to thousands of years of traditional Japanese arts, while also being contemporary and modern. A perfect mix to create authentic interiors.

Not sure if this style will work for you? Why not use our design studio to visualise lighter fabrics in your space. Choose from made to measure curtains or unfussy made to measure blinds to see for yourself how pared back textures can make all the difference.

Already on board with the Japanese aesthetic and wanting to add more? Here are some of the key principles that guide Japanese design:

Wabi-sabi: This is the most well-known of the Japanese design principles and refers to finding perfection in things that are imperfect or incomplete. A great example of this is the centuries old art of Kintsugi. Kitsugi emphasises and celebrates uneven or broken pottery. Using this method pottery is repaired using lacquer dusted with powdered metals like gold, silver, or platinum. For those of us with butter fingers adopting this technique is a charming way to keep your favourite pieces in use.

Iki: Carefully calculated simplicity, Iki appears to be carefree treasuring restraint and sophistication. It’s not overly refined or complicated.

Shibui: What at first may appear a simple object displays a fine sense of balance and texture, it is this complexity that ensures the owner of the piece will not tire of it. A reminder to us all to consider what we buy carefully and to follow our own intuition.