Decorating with Vintage Bamboo

Do you ever see something that just catches your eye and those are the things that you notice when you’re out and about browsing?  That’s the way it is with me and vintage bamboo.  I just love the stuff and seem to gravitate towards it when I’m out antiquing and looking around. The British Colonial decorating phase had it’s heyday several years ago and I liked it back then. One of the elements of that decor was touches of bamboo around the room. I think a little goes a long way and it just seems to capture the feeling of a beach house or a very simple and relaxing space.  The texture it brings to a room is undeniable. Little bamboo pieces just capture my attention and I’m making a point to bring some home eventually when I decorate some of my spaces again.  I could kick myself a couple of summers ago for passing up a little bamboo table I saw at the Longest Yardsale for $25. Even though I really didn’t have a place for it, I should have bought it!  Those are the things we look back on and regret, but today I wanted to share some inspiration with you all around vintage bamboo. As popular as painted furniture is these days, I like touches of that in a home too, but the rich patina of natural wood tones cannot be matched in setting the tone in a room.

It might not capture your attention like it does mine, but it sure is a comfortable decorating element that fits in so many rooms.  I know bamboo furniture dates back to Victorian times and there was much of it back then.

Here are a few pieces that I found online as inspiration to show you.  Many of these are probably very expensive antiques, judging from the listings.  All of these were already sold out on the sites they were listed, but these are some good sites to browse if you’re looking for antiques and vintage pieces. I don’t usually shop online for these kinds of things because of the shipping costs, but you can find some unique things.

Here are some wonderful examples of using these vintage bamboo pieces in real rooms.  These caned twin beds along with the round vintage bamboo table in the middle is just a beautiful space. Well, those windows add a lot to the room too, don’t they?!  Simple and elegant bedroom.

I love the mix of navy with natural woods and white.  Such a beautiful living room setting. Those bamboo blinds warm up the space so well.

Painted bamboo has been popular too and I see many spray painting (lacquering) their bamboo pieces to give them new life. I like that look too in the right setting and these are perfect in blue with the big mix of white and natural wood floors in the space.

This cozy and cottagey breakfast nook has bamboo blinds, which again really warms up the space.

A simple bamboo chair mixed with black painted furniture gives this office space a masculine or feminine vibe.

You all know I love a good porch and bamboo and porch sitting go hand in hand. This porch screams, come on out and sit a spell!

This is a natural wood chair made to look like bamboo and these pieces are becoming collectible again.  You can bet most things from the past will come around again. From the Victorians until now, bamboo has been popular on and off.

Now this is a gorgeous bedroom with blue and white linens and the mix of that warm natural bamboo headboard.  Dreamy for sure!  That brass lamp further warms up the room.

This space is the Bahamas vacation house of Alessandra Branca and what’s a beach house without a little bamboo and wicker.  The green painted bamboo piece in the center of the twin beds adds a nice pop of color to the otherwise blue and white space.

Another shot of her beach house, white painted bamboo chairs around a dark wood table.  So pretty!

Another room in the vacation home, this one with a long table and red bamboo chairs.  Looks like a cozy spot to relax.

Another thing you can find is brass bamboo, which has been around awhile too.  These are recycling back into favor and I love this one that Emily added to her powder room.  Much more interesting than a plain mirror.

Spray paint an old bamboo coffee table for instant color and warmth in a beach style house. This is from the Hays House bed and breakfast I stayed in while visiting Appalachicola last summer.

One of my favorite friend scores is this Craigslist Hekman bamboo console table and 2 benches that Jennifer scored.  I just love the feel of this piece and those black and white cushions are everything.  I would have bought this in a hot second if I had found it locally. Great job with the redo, Jennifer!

This rattan bed from the HGTV Dream Home that I toured in January 2020 really knocked me out in a good way. I love this bed!

So, what do you think about vintage bamboo?  Do you love it as much as I do or is there something else that catches your eye?  It’s always fun to shop wisely and score pieces like this to add to your home and I can’t wait to do more of that in my house.

For more information about the benefits of bamboo, see this article on Porch.com. I was quoted in the article sharing all about decorating with bamboo. 

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