Julia Washbourne recalls a life-changing moment in Ivory Coast five years ago, when she was on her way to visit a coffee plantation. Her vehicle was bumping down a dirt road towards a huge 'tunnel' made of thick, tree-tall bamboo trunks.
'That was where I fell in love with bamboo,' says Washbourne, the founder of Central-based design store Bamboa, which uses the plant in innovative ways to create, among other things, household products. 'It really is a miracle how versatile it is.' The applications of bamboo in design are extensive. It has become popular in recent years as a highly durable, low-impact, low-cost material in flooring and panelling. Growing rapidly and requiring little water, it is environmentally friendly compared to hardwoods such as teak, Brazilian ipe, cherry and mahogany.
A handful of local companies are taking bamboo a step further, introducing home furnishings and appliances such as lighting, lampshades and even plates and bowls.
They acknowledge the hard work in shifting the mindset of the city's consumers, some of whom still regard bamboo as a disposable material used in dim sum steamers, baskets, mats and scaffolding.
'Hong Kong people think bamboo furniture is a very cheap material, and they think of very old-style Chinese-made furniture,' says Billie Wong Chung-shun, who runs Verdee Bamboo Living, which uses bamboo in everything from flooring to plates and light fixtures. 'It is important to educate them and let them know bamboo is better than hardwood.'
It is cheaper, more durable and more ecologically sound, she says.