I have been drooling over faux bamboo furniture for several months. Pinning to Pinterest inspiration boards and searching Facebook marketplace for a piece within budget. It has a well-traveled feel that is classic and feminine. Faux Bamboo style dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) but became popular in Europe as an exotic and decorative material in the 19th century. Some of the most popular brands were Dixie Aloha, Henry Link Bali Hai, Thomasville, and Stanley. When popularity soared in the 1960’s and 1970’s, numerous other brands started manufacturing furniture in the same style with slight variations. The mid-century boom in production meant lots of ugly tones of yellow-brown and dingy off-white that were so popular at the time. Yuck! Not what I am after. If you search further back, original pieces made of solid wood remained unpainted but alas those are most likely way out of my budget. Ha!
Taking a quick peek at antique shops as well as online, the faux bamboo style can be priced at hundreds if not thousands of dollars depending on the refinishing and original condition. Often the pieces are refinished in a high gloss color that plays off the classic style beautifully. Last week during my daily peek at Facebook marketplace I finally came across a faux bamboo china cabinet. It’s original color being an awful yellow with brown speckles. Honestly, this thing was hideous and dirty. But I could see the bamboo details were gorgeous and the cabinet was sturdy and intact with original hardware. The price was unbeatable as well because it was FREE!! I could not believe it. After a quick back and forth with the seller, I was able to pick it up later that day from her storage unit in the next town over. The nice woman explained that it came out of her parents house and based on the paint color I would say that it was a midcentury piece. There is a number on the back of the cabinet but no other markings as to the manufacturer from what I can see.
The Before photo……
The Inspiration
Like I said I have been searching the www for a faux bamboo piece but I do not have the budget to purchase a brand new piece to add as a decorative cabinet to my kitchen/dining. I was looking for a cabinet to add to an empty wall and kind of finish off my dining space in my kitchen. The dimensions and proportions had to be just right in order to fit on this wall as it is a corner with a doorway to the living room right next to it. The seller did not have dimensions available so I took the chance of it working out and the cabinet could not have been a better fit. The colors I wanted to work with were in the light blue, hint of gray to tie into the rest of our home.
The After
I was able to use a paint color I already have on hand from my powder room makeover. The color is Flint Smoke by Behr. The decorative objects came from my own collection and I purchased a couple of new frames that I will add photos to eventually. I also plan to add wallpaper to the back of the cabinet but I am still considering what pattern I will go with. I am trying to be more mindful in our purchases, so this may take a little bit of time. My home style has a lot of asian, colonial West Indies and elements from our family vacations as well as acquired over time antique finds. I am so pleased with how this project turned out. It took under a week to complete and adds so much character to that once boring corner of my kitchen.
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