Woven Bamboo

Posted in Antiques on 03/04/2009 08:15 am by admin

Japanese Meiji vase woven in metal strips in the form of a bamboo Ikebana
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US $600.00

Old Woven Bamboo Japanese BASKET Wood ikebana Rare
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US $575.00

Antique Kuang Hsu 19th C Chinese Pien Mien Fixed Fan Hand Woven Bamboo POEM
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US $500.00

old Estate woven bamboo Chinese BASKET flower vase wood ikebana folkcraft art
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US $495.00

ANTIQUE JAPANESE LARGE ikebana Woven Wicker BASKET BASKETWARE BAMBOO
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US $450.00

Japanese antique meiji woven basket flower vase Ikebana bamboo wood handle
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US $450.00

Woven Bamboo

The Beauty of the Outdoors, With Bamboo Shades

Go on a trip to a state or national park. Enjoy the beauty of the trees, the fresh air, the beautiful sounds. When you go home, you do not need to leave that all behind. There is so much beauty in nature that you can bring some of it home with you, and install it in your windows. The beauty of nature is the true presence of woven wood bamboo shades, and when using natural bamboo, this is not only a beautiful product, but also an ecologically friendly window treatment.

Bamboo is a natural product, the result of one of the fastest growing trees in the world. The bamboo used in real woven bamboo shades will have been selected from trees that can grow as much as four feet or more each month. This rapid growth allows consumers of bamboo shades to feel ecologically right while bringing some of this natural beauty into their homes.

The natural stylings of bamboo shades comes from, among other sources, the fact that the pieces are woven together in a traditional style. The process is not much different from the actual weaving of fabrics, but the bamboo shades use full bamboo sticks as the fill, so the “fabric” is a random looking assortment of various colored bamboo reeds and tubes to make a real fresh from the jungle look.

Another element that helps make bamboo shades look natural is the manner in which they are stained. Many wood products are stained or colored in an attempt to make every piece look identical. Bamboo shades, on the other hand, are prepared and stained in order to preserve the true nature of them. The rough edges, the hard bamboo grain, and the large bumps and joints all lead to an inconsistent finish, and make the sticks unable to accept a uniform coating of the colorants. This means that every stick will have an entirely unique color and appearance.

The actual production of bamboo shades, the fabrication, creates a final product that has the look of a custom crafted hand made product. Do not get this wrong to think that you will see horrible flaws and defects, and that there will be glue dripping all over. On the contrary, these will all be captured and cleaned, and the end product will be a unique customized design, and this uniqueness of the bamboo shades is what you are seeking. However, you will need to be willing to have a tolerance for many of these defects. Bamboo shades will often have a twist, a bump, or irregular folding. This is minor, and not unattractive, but just enough to help one perceive the custom crafted, mountain cabin style of the natural shades that are bamboo shades.

Of course, the sales of the designs, and the taste of the consumers are fully related. Consumers have voted their tastes with bamboo shades through their choices in colors. While there are a few white patterns available in bamboo shades, these happen to be the lowest selling colors in the category of woven wood shades. As white is the most important color range in shutter, shades, and particularly wood blinds, it is among the lowest in popularity for bamboo shades. Consumers are choosing these shades for their beauty and their natural appearances, as evidenced by the inverted sales of more dark colors than light paints, as compared to other products in this product group.

We should revisit, given that we have focussed on the natural look, what it means to take these beautiful trees and mill them into attractive bamboo shades. Unlike most other wood based products, the raw material used here is rapidly renewing. The fact that a bamboo tree can grow four feet in a month is only part of the story. These trees grow very aggressively, and new trees become available for harvest quickly. So, while you may feel that you are hurting nature to bring it inside, it is just not the case. Bamboo is nearly a miracle wood in natural resources. The wood in each bamboo shade is replaced quicker than it is used, and there are new techniques being developed to grow more bamboo, even in non native habitats.

Relax in nature, enjoy the hike, the beauty and the sensation of being out there, “in it.” That is what a bamboo shade will help you do when you design your home spaces. These incomparable shades can allow you to decorate and bring in the great out doors, ming that back to nature look real. At the same time, the transplant of that outside beauty to the inside, will not hurt the environment, so consumers will not have extra “eco-guilt” when they choose bamboo shades.

About the Author

Judith Persit works from home in a design studio and writes about bamboo shades. Learn aboutshades at her website.