Make no mistake, that is our fabulous Coiled Bamboo bowls there..used as props on the set of the Christmas episode of ‘Absolutely Fabulous.’

Our great green partners in the UK, Green Pioneer, alerted us to this ’sighting’ spotted over the Christmas on the holiday episode. For those not in the know on britTV, Absolutely Fabulous is the long-running, hit classic British comedy on BBC – better known as ‘Ab Fab’ among its loyal viewers. The scene involves glasses of bubbly, and sucking out of champagne bottle, with lots of neat eats on the table in our bowls.

We’re fans of British comedy and of course, good taste in set design. Green Pioneer will be showcasing our new colors, and new products at the upcoming HOME show – The definitive new trade event for homewares and interior accessories in London at Stand H50 More to be seen/scene from bambu in the UK!

We have shared a few stories on the pages of this blog of how artists have used bamboo in creative ways, and in interesting settings.

A few of our favorites….

The Big Bambu installation atop of The Met in NY. Story is here. is magnificent example that we personally visited.

We also spotted an artist in Germany acquiring and using our own Bamboo Pebbles to create this Pebbles sculpture here. Interesting.

Or this story closer to home here in Shanghai using bamboo chopsticks. here.

Well, below is an extraordinary feat of imagination and precision and entertainment….stands alone.  Scott Weaver’s amazing piece, made with over 100,000 toothpicks over the course of 35 years…this deserves a watch!

VIDEO LINK HERE

Another extraordinary installation and creative interpretation using bamboo.

In the current August 29th issue. The one with the Brad and Angelina brood on the cover. Well, much to our surprised, in a Frito-Lay ad. There on top, is unmistakably, our product.

People magazine

Our best selling ‘classic series’ large size bamboo cutting board. We refer to these as our ‘bullet’ boards because of their sleek, rounded silhouette. It’s a favorite, and it is nice to see our distinctive design grace the pages of People, and the ad layout of Frito Lay. Hip Hip Hurray!

Among the clips, there ia a company overview, a short clip of Tao, who lives in central Vietnam and is an extraordinary weaver, and a ‘top of her class’ student, a recent broadcast in Shanghai from the Eco Design Fair, and a couple of other short clips.

Hope you enjoy. More to come…

Give us Your Vote for Green Products Worth the Splurge….check it out here.

Green Products: Stuff iVillage Loves

This post brings it back home for us. While our products are used at a variety of campuses around the country, this one is particularly special.

Ford Alumni Center

The University of Oregon unveiled it’s newest architectural landmark last month. The new Ford Alumni Center in Eugene, Oregon opens its doors. The stunning new facility combines high tech ‘touch’ with natural materials, and energy-efficient design. The facility is expected to earn a LEED Gold certification.

The center is adjacent the new fabulous Matthew Knight Area east of campus.

The reasons this news finds itself posted in the bambu blog are twofold. The opening event included drinks and food, naturally.  And we are thrilled that the university selected our products for the opening.  The event was served on none other than our All Occasion Veneerware bamboo plates.  Our newest shape, the Square Plate was the plate of choice along with our bamboo accompaniments,  All Occasion Veneerware utensils and Sporks.

The other reason you are reading about it here, is that bambu cofounders, Rachel Speth & Jeff Delkin are graduates of the University of Oregon.

Jeff remarked, “It is great to connect with our school this way. We were thrilled our products were included and in an indirect way, we could be a part of this important event. It gives us a connection to the university,  event though we live and operate 8000 miles away from Eugene. We thank the UO Catering team for including us.”

‘Keeping Track of Sustainable Materials’ An important exhibit is now on display at the IOM3 Institute in London. The interactive display and  material exhibition explores the relationship between sustainability, materials, and knowledge transfer.

Curated by PhD researcher, Sarah Wilkes, the exhibit features over 16 companies. bambu was selected to present the company’s product, All Occasion Veneerware, and showcase the lifecycle of the product from harvest to compost in illustrations.

Veneerware is the original ‘natural disposable’ dinnerware and is the only product made from Certified Organic, sustainably harvested bamboo.

Along with bambu, other companies on exhibit include -

• The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)
• Finisterre
• GreenGlass
• InterfaceFLOR

Interface is a company that we have long admired. We encourage you to explore how Interface is among the real pioneers of integrating sustainability into their business model. Check out their impressive environmental record and progress here.

For a close up look of the bambu Veneerware back story told in pictures, see the illustration below.

From Soil to Table to Soil…..

bambu Veneerware backstory

We are thrilled to be able to participate in this London exhibition and help build awareness and knowledge in sustainability. We encourage you to learn more…

DINING BY DESIGN brings together internationally celebrated designers and local talent to create three dimensional dining installations that awe, inspire, and delight. See dining installation here from the highly successful 2009 event. These extraordinary dining environments are Extraordinary. Elegant. Lavish. Outlandish. Creative, Romantic. Whimsical, and Daring. One in particular is noteworthy for the sustainable thinking that was incorporated into his design installation.

Eric Corey Freed is among the renowned designers participating in this year’s event. Eric is Principle of Organic Architect, LEED accredited and is author of ‘Green Buildings for Dummies.’

Eric presents his design interpretation below. Eric brings some extraordinary and clean and green thinking to his design.

Dining Concept by Eric Corey Freed

Eric utilizes recycled glass, reclaimed fixtures, incorporates a vertical garden, among the ideas included in his design.

He decided that Veneerware bamboo plates would be the perfect dinnerware for his guests to eat from. Made from Certified Organic renewable bamboo. bambu is delighted to be included in this important design exhibition. Proceeds go to fight AIDS.

table setting - Veneerware plates by bambu

See below the design details and material listing for Eric’s design concept.

Here’s another scrap story.

First, Big Bambu and now, Small Bambu. Big Bambu was an installation art piece by the Starn brothers from Brooklyn. They constructed a fabulous structure of bamboo atop the Museum of Modern Art. We covered that in our bambu blog in the second part of our Sightings post, here. An article in the New York Times is here.

Small Bambu is a different creation. An installation of different scale…

The mystery of the numerous Bamboo Pebbles purchases has apparently been solved. At least partially.

Our friends at Green Pioneer share with us that a private customer from Germany has been buying an unusual amount of our bamboo Pebbles. bambu developed decorative Bamboo Pebbles as a way to utilize the excess material we have.

This particular customer in Germany is creating mini sculptures using our Pebbles and then photographing them. A few examples are below. It isn’t clear where this is headed.

Our Pebbles never looked so good. They are professionally lit. These creations highlight the varied and beautiful organic shapes. If anyone has been hiking and has ever come across trail stones that have been similarly stacked to mark a trailhead, or a marker to show a change of direction, that’s what these remind us of.

The best part. A reminder that you can make cool stuff happen with scrap. You can find Bamboo Pebbles from bambu, right here from our bambu Shop.