It is important to stand up for what you believe in, and when you own green furniture, it is also possible to sit, lie down, and and lean on your convictions.  To fully relax with a clear conscience, it is best to purchase furnishings that take advantage of recycled materials, sustainable woods or grasses, and are free of harmful chemicals.  As a bamboo specialty store, Bambu Batu supports the increasingly popular trend towards eco-friendly fabrication and design.  Hoping to outfit your home with stylish appointments worthy of the earth-respecting soul that you are?  Here are a couple of companies we would suggest:

Anji Mountain-  Bambu Batu is happy to carry Anji Mountain’s beautiful bamboo mats.  The company takes advantage of other renewable natural fibers and offer full lines of area rugs from jute, seagrass, wool and sisal.  Unlike many other floor coverings, these materials do not release pollutants and large amounts of carbon during production or release heavy metals and synthetic chemicals during disposal.  Man-made fibers can emit VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) while sitting in your home.  Avoid allergies and respiratory illness by choosing plants over plastics!

Modern Bamboo- Contemporary design and environmental awareness converge in Modern Bamboo’s clean, sleek chairs, closets, and tables.  Fabricated in the USA by skilled craftsmen, the company also custom builds pieces from reclaimed materials and uses VOC-free glues and finishes.  Taking advantage of bamboo’s natural strength and flexibility, the designs reminiscent of Charles and Ray Eames help to create an indoor atmosphere that is sure to remain in style far into the future.

Atmodsphere- Located in downtown San Luis Obispo, home and kitchen decor boutique Atmodsphere showcases beds, desks, chairs, and tables fashioned from reclaimed wood, recycled milk bottles, and poly lumber.  Ranging from the affordable to the very high end, the store hand selects the best in modernist style.  Drop in to browse or take part in one of their many handmade-craft workshops.

El Dot- Simple and stylish, you too will dream of outfitting a whole room or office in an El Dot collection.  Constructed from a Nepalese timber species of bamboo and of rosewood, the frames of their pieces are harvested annually by local farmers from private land.  Cushions, padding, and upholstery fabrics are composed of non-toxic and biodegradable wool, hemp,  and organic latex.  The nuts and bolts are all brass, and sourced from Kathmandu.

Linker Workshop- Central Coast local craftsmen Jamie Coxon and Nick Wilkinson provide custom installations, furniture, and displays from reclaimed materials through the Linker Workshop.  From succulent-adorned wall planters to jewelry cases, lighting fixtures to seating build-outs, picture frames to decks, these two can make just about anything for your home or business.

Show love to thy sweetheart and thy neighbor by buying local gifts this Valentine’s Day!

Sweets for the Sweet: Why buy a plain old grocery store sampler when you could look to Sweet Earth Chocolates for organic and fair trade treats this year?  Not only will your purchase support a San Luis Obispo small business, but it will also help contribute to Partners In Health, Haiti relief efforts, and make it possible for West African cocoa farmers to sustain a living wage with socially just business practices.  Nothing says affection like principled confections!

Light a Fire: Bambu Batu is proud to carry Big Dipper Beeswax candles to add a tender glow to your night.  Available in scented and unscented pillars, pots, votives and tapers.  Sourced from beekeepers throughout the Pacific Northwest, the wax is smokeless, dripless, free of animal or petroleum products, and produces negative ions that help relax and clarify your mind and body.  Big Dipper is a Green America Approved Business, and donates 10% of their net profits from candle sales are donated to promote sustainable beekeeping, support local schools, community health and research organizations, animal shelters, and sports teams.

Nightdress to Impress: Both comfortable and romantic, Bambu Batu offers the BambooDreams Women’s Flirty Lace Nighty.  Not just for a romantic encounter, this bamboo and spandex nightgown is an excellent way to show kindness to yourself and whoever you are snuggled up against.  Guys will fall for our incredibly soft Bamboo Boxers. Gentle on the earth and kind to your skin, nothing says love like bamboo.

Romantic Records: Need a soundtrack to set the mood?  Head on over to Boo Boo Records for the perfect album to express your feelings.  Their knowledgeable employees will guide you through their wide variety of music to select some sweet sounds.  The store also sells shirts, posters, bags, and other gifts to provide some happy harmony to your Valentine’s Day.

Bicycle enthusiasts have long known the environmental, economic and physiological benefits of cycling.  Now, by buying a handcrafted bamboo frame from Zambikes International, bikers can help support Zambian workers and their families.  In Zambia — where literacy is low, there is no free public education, and over half of the population is unemployed — the California-based startup has made strides to offer decent living wages and technical training to communities struggling with poverty.

In a country where public transportation can be unreliable, a bicycle can mean a dependable way of getting to what little work is available.  Since 2007, Zambikes has been using bamboo as a strong, sustainable base for their bicycles, taking advantage of a durable, light, surprisingly shock-absorbent material that is a cheap and abundant alternative to metal.  Bamboo grows well in the Zambian climate, and once the grass is mature and treated, the frame can last up to ten years.

Under the direction of two Zambians and two Americans, Zambikes International employs a large team of builders that produce quality cycles in a variety of styles including a cruiser, road bicycle and mountain bike.  Crafted with rural living in mind, they also offer brilliant cart and trailer attachments such as the Zambulance, which has been fashioned to meet the needs of remote medical clinics, and the Zamcart, a hitch created for farmers that has the capacity to carry a load of up to 250 kg.

By offering bamboo cycles both locally and internationally, Zambikes helps provide environmentally and socially conscious transportation that benefits not only those buying their products, but also those who produce them.  While for many Americans a bicycle is a tool for recreation, in Africa it can be the only form of reliable transportation to and from work, the fastest way to get to a hospital, an efficient means of carrying a heavy load of equipment, or a swift method of removing arrested criminals.

For more information on the mission of Zambikes and the people behind this amazing company, visit Gershom Sikaala’s website and read about his motivations for establishing programs benefiting his fellow Zambians.