Re-Design Your Dining-Room with Durable & Sustainable Bamboo Furniture

Posted by HaikuDesigns on September 27th, 2017

Why Bamboo?

Bamboo is a wondrous thing to behold. When people from the West think of bamboo, why do they conjure images of China, panda bears and mysterious jungle lands, instead of hardy, renewable construction material? Despite this understandable misperception, most brands of bamboo grow in Africa, Asian nations and different parts of South America. In these moist climates, different types of bamboo can thrive as a thick forest and procreate offspring that resemble sturdy trees, while other kinds of bamboo are as small and slender as a willowy stalk of corn. In fact, bamboo is a form of flexible grass that belongs to the Poaceae species, which makes it a bit of a paradox. Grasses comprise the 5^th largest family of plants in our diverse ecology. Believe or not, the United States has three distinct types of bamboo that are often referred to as “river cane”.

A Brief Geography Lesson

As early Europeans explored North America and South America, they met with swaths of bamboo that were hard to penetrate and navigate around. A canebrake/cane break is a thicket of Arundinaria grasses (A. gigantea, A. tecta and A. appalachiana). As a type of bamboo, these formidable grasses grow as tall as eight meters. A. gigantea is generally found in wet valleys and ravines throughout the southeastern United States. A. tecta is a smaller species that is found on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. A. appalachiana is found at higher altitudes at the southern end of the Appalachian mountains. Initially considered to be an annoyance to explorers and settlers, river cane was eventually embraced as a nutritional source of food for livestock.

Is It Really Grass?

Plants served various roles within indigenous cultures, and river cane was not only an essential crop but a source of straight and sturdy wood that was used as weapons, tools, footwear, cages, fences and even building construction. Fine examples of basketry still exist today that were crafted by Cherokee Native Americans. Referred to as “talu-tsa”, these baskets were woven so tightly that they would protect the contents from moisture during rainfall or a snow storm. In recent years, bamboo has become a staple in the furniture market. In addition to its strength, bamboo is also quite beautiful in its color and texture, making it the perfect raw material for kitchen tables, bedframes and dining room furniture.

About the Author :

This article was written by Mark Klosterman who worked at Haiku Designs.Since its inception, Haiku Designs has provided the finest collections of modern furniture for home and offices. It offers all kinds of bedroom, living room, dining room, office furniture items and more. Apart from this, Haiku Designs also offers natural bedding, floor covering and other accessories.