Star Bamboo Singapore

A recently completed project in Bishan was billed as the first DBSS housing project with eco-friendly bamboo flooring. Using bamboo flooring has helped the developer to achieve a Green Mark building Gold Plus certification. Although Star Bamboo was not involved with this project, we were cheered to see bamboo flooring used in a large scale residential project.

Unfortunately, since the residents moved in, we have been receiving a steady stream of queries. Many owners took issue with the quality of the bamboo flooring, and wanted us to help. Most of the calls are grouses about the bamboo flooring that have been installed in their bedrooms. There were complaints such as unsightly gaps between the planks, slight cupping and unevenness, and widely varying colours.

It was an unusual decision to do pre-finished installation for the bamboo flooring. After all, most local home owners do not use footwear at home, and would prefer the bamboo floor to be site-sanded, which would provide a smoother feel. In addition, the gaps between the micro-bevel edges in the prefinished flooring easily trap dirt, and can be unsightly unless one cleans the floor diligently. This problem was exacerbated by shoddy workmanship.

We had the opportunity to do some work for one of the apartments (photos available) and also observed that the natural colour tones of the bamboo varied very widely. This probably explains why colour staining was done on the bamboo flooring.

It was indeed a pity that the bamboo flooring for this project did not get the acclaim it deserved. Installing bamboo flooring requires expertise and care, which would be a challenge to execute for hundreds of units under tight and cost time pressure.

If you are a resident of this project and want us to help with your bamboo flooring, please contact us today.

See photos of completed projects on our Facebook page.

We’ll be the first to hold up our hands and admit that our bamboo flooring is not the cheapest in the market. There are more affordable options available, such as laminate flooring or ceramic tiles. However the old adage holds true: you do get what you pay for.

If you are looking for a high-quality, attractive long strip wooden flooring product that is also friendly to the environment, then frankly, you only have one choice. Bamboo flooring is the only candidate that ticks all the right boxes.

Unfortunately, some clients have told us that they reluctantly choose parquet or laminate flooring, purely out of budgetary constraints. That is why most of our projects are in the luxury residential or commercial sectors (companies usually have substantial construction budgets, so choosing bamboo flooring hardly impacts their costs).

But every once in a while, we are lucky to meet clients who are committed to the environmental cause and truly understand the principle behind Star Bamboo. They see and cherish the value that we deliver.

Here, we present a HDB project from the West of Singapore. Not only did they choose bamboo flooring, they even opted for the high-end water-based polyurethane site finish coating. Being eco-friendly also means providing a healthy environment for the family.

They visited our showroom time and again, to look and feel the bamboo samples on display. Faced with such sincerity, we just had to give them a fantastic price.

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Lots of natural light in the Play Zone.

The client has creatively restructured a 3-room HDB flat into a Play Zone and a Bed Room. With sunlight streaming across the floor in the Play Zone, this is the ideal place for the client to practise her yoga and relax after a hard day’s work. You can see the matt finish on the Natural Horizontal bamboo flooring.

The wardrobe is actually a wall.

Don’t be deceived by appearances, this wardrobe is actually a partition between the 2 rooms. If they ever decide to combine the rooms into one, it will be a relatively straight-forward task.

Taking a closer look at the bamboo flooring.

The Natural Horizontal bamboo flooring is the lighter of our range. The bamboo knot patterns are highly distinctive, and sure to leave a deep impression on your guests. This provides a nice constrast with our previous project, which used Carbonised Vertical instead.

This is the Bed room, with a wooden partition discreetly screening the washroom in the corner.

This is the Bed room, where the light colour of the Natural bamboo makes for a soothing atmosphere. It also helps to create an expansive feel, which is especially suited for smaller projects.

If you like what you see, just get in touch with us and we’ll try our best to make it happen for you!

Hello, it’s been a while since we had some new photos. Here’s one of our favourite projects in the recent months, we hope that you will like it.

The owner of this Nathan Road apartment has a generous collection of solid wooden furniture. The colour and general air of solidity goes well with our carbonised bamboo flooring. There are many pieces of rose wood furniture, which one might think is too dark-hued for our bamboo flooring, but the overall effect is surprisingly harmonious. Together, they provides a warm and luxurious feeling.

Rose wood bed and study desk perched on Carbonised Vertical bamboo flooring

The rose wood bed has been in the family for many years, and was handed down to the owner by her parents.

Modern and clean lines in another bedroom. The white walls make for a nice contrast with the Carbonised colour of the bamboo flooring.

Rooms have a touch of modern contemporary flair, yet the bamboo flooring goes well with the design. Whether your design theme is modern or classic, our bamboo flooring is timeless.

The designer opted for a matt coating on the bamboo flooring. As you can observe in the following photo, there is little glare in the bright afternoon sun, making it the default choice in tropical Singapore.

The matt coating not only reduces glares, but also takes the inevitable wear and tear excellently.

An open-concept bathtub in the bedroom is a tad cheeky. After an indulgent soak, one steps right onto the warm, welcoming bamboo flooring back to the bed.

There is always the curtain to shield one from curious neighbours.

We hope that you have enjoyed the photos presented above. If you would like to enjoy bamboo flooring in your home or office, contact us here.

Hi everyone, time sure flies when projects are running. Before we know it, it’s already March in the new year (which isn’t quite so new any more).

We have completed more projects, it’s always a peak time for us before Chinese New Year. I’ve posted more photos up on our Facebook page, so do go check them out.

This project was completed recently for a client in the financial industry. Bamboo flooring is enjoying a current surge of popularity in the banking sector. Top reason is that bamboo flooring is eco-friendly, and companies are scrambling to broadcast that message to their clients.

Spend a little more on the flooring, and reap a high ROI on your marketing and branding. Now, that’s being financially savvy!

Here’s a little taster photo…

Now go check out the rest on our Facebook page (and click on “Like” while you’re at it!).

Hi all,

2010 is closing with a bang, the construction market is positively booming right now. We have been busy running concurrent projects, sorry we have been rather quiet here.

We have just uploaded more photos of a newly completed project onto our Facebook page. Something different from our usual bamboo flooring, hope you like what we’ve done – the owner certainly did!

This is just a small part of what we have done. Go check the rest out now!

p.s. Have you “liked” us on Facebook yet?

Yes you read that right.

This article came out way back in April but it just slipped my mind to post it after scanning the pages. This means you probably can’t grab a copy now, but better late than never, so here it is.

I liked the thoughtful manner in which the accompanying essay was written.

“It is an example of eco-friendliness,  sustainable living, and space management that helps to save costs and reduce wastage, which resonates particularly in such challenging times.”

The photos were some of the classiest shots in interior design. There is great depth, and I especially love how Linda and her cat were cleverly placed.

Enjoy the pictures below.

Nice wide shot of the living room and kitchen. The living room, corridors, and bedrooms were all laid with our Carbonised Vertical bamboo flooring.

Dom’s a musician, here’re some of the tools of his trade. I almost mistook their cat for a plush cushion.

Very open concept, you can cut across the toilet from the bedroom to the kitchen.

The real star of the place is lazing comfortably on the bamboo flooring, next to the kitchen counter top made from reclaimed wood.

Hi everyone, it’s been a while since a proper update.

Here at Star Bamboo, we’ve been busy expanding and training a team of bamboo flooring advisors in the past few months. Despite the current economic climate, I do believe there is in fact, a growing market for eco-friendly products.

If you’re a fan of interior design magazines, you might notice that Star Bamboo has been prominently featured in recent issues (go check out our media section).

Mind you, these aren’t paid advertisements. They’re specially selected by the editors for a free write-up.

I thought it’d be interesting to tell you some of the behind-the-scenes effort that went into these projects.

Let’s take a look at the Oasis Sep 08 issue today.

Oasis Magazine (Sep 2008)

“Sustainability in Singapore: Plans for this little green dot”

This issue featured 3 photographs from our South Korea projects. These are model showrooms of a residential development project we did.

Star Bamboo was first established in 2001, and from the very beginning, we targeted the export market. South Korea has always been one of our major markets.

The market has wide acceptance of bamboo flooring, and customers loved the designs and eco-friendly properties.

Our bamboo flooring has been specially adapted for the cold Korean winters. The apartments are fitted with underfloor heating systems using hot water pipes.

This means our flooring has to withstand the huge pressures that come from contrasting temperatures: cold on top, hot at the bottom.

It is also thinner than usual, being 12mm thick instead of our standard 15mm. This allows the heat to transmit efficiently and bring the temperature up to a comfortable level quickly.

The design you see are that of the Carbonised Horizontal design. The Carbonised colour is similar to popular hardwoods such as oak, while the Horizontal pattern shows off the distinctive bamboo design. No wonder it is so popular in South Korea.

Do check out the other choices available, and I’ll share with you more stories from our featured projects soon.

Star Bamboo’s eco-friendly bamboo flooring is an excellent choice for restaurants and cafes due to its superior hardness and durability compared to many species of hardwood.

Ceramic tiles might be somewhat easier to clean but can’t hold a candle to the natural feel and look of bamboo flooring.

Bamboo flooring is especially popular with Japanese and Asian restaurants which want to create an Oriental Zen atmosphere, but more and more designers and restaurateurs are discovering its unique charm.

So we were excited when Kay Ngee Tan Architects decided to use our bamboo flooring for their latest F&B creation: The Canteen by Les Amis Group which reopened last month after a two-year break.

I’ve always known Les Amis as a French restaurant, but they’ve branched out into all kinds of cuisine. The Canteen serves up fusion food combining influences from the East and West.

I popped by the other night for dinner, but business was so good we went to its next-door sister outlet, Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie, instead (Canelé might be better known as a dessert place, but their pastas are not to be missed.).

The crowds also meant I couldn’t take a decent shot of the bamboo flooring (there’s always someone blocking the view), so here’s a snapshot from a popular Singapore foodie web site HungryGoWhere.com:

This project uses Star Bamboo’s Carbonised Vertical bamboo flooring. It comes factory-finished with 6 layers of polyurethane coating for excellent scratch and stain resistance (very handy in a busy restaurant!), and ease of maintenance.

As you can see from the photo, our bamboo flooring planks were also installed onto the ceiling and wall. I was especially delighted by the beautiful design on the ceiling.

This photo doesn’t quite do our bamboo flooring justice, so do check it out the next time you’re in Orchard Road. Here’s their opening hours and location:

The Canteen (newly opened beside Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie)
1 Scotts Road
#01-01B Shaw Centre
Tel: 6738 2276
Sun-Thu: 11am-11pm
Fri, Sat: 11am-1am

(Information provided by food blog with delicious shots of the dishes)

So now I continue part 2 of the Norway report (part 1 can be found here).

There’re more leisure photos here. Enjoy!

The trade show was also a time to learn and absorb new ideas. The above series of booths is a fantastic marketing concept by a flooring company.

It tells the story of a man who bore a deep hatred against his boss. One night, he killed him in a violent struggle. Can you see the knife on the bed with the red blood stains?

So what has this got to do with flooring, you might ask?

According to the eloquent sales manager, the flooring they sell is hardy and could withstand the impact of the struggle. It is also easy to maintain, and stains (including blood stains) wipe off easily.

Desperate to conceal his crime, the murderer dug a hole beneath the wooden floor.

This engineered wood flooring comes with a click system, which makes it easy for quick assembly and removal. Just what you need when you have a corpse to bury.

It’s controversial and got many tongues wagging at the show. Success!

The organisers also organised a few mini concerts to whip up interest in the general public. This one is by a highly popular contestant at the recent Norway Idol show.

She didn’t win but you can see why she is so popular.

Here’s a view from my hotel room. The row of black buildings in front has 3 restaurants, we tried them all. Food is expensive but quality is uniformly excellent.

This is reindeer steak. Tastes like beef and literally melts in your mouth.

A quick shot in front of the convention centre. You can see the houses dotting the hillside, such a lovely sight and worlds apart from the urban jungle that is Singapore.

A jaunt to the marina where a gorgeous rainbow awaits us.

Captain of his ship, charting the course to higher profits.

Well, that’s all for now. It’s been a wonderful experience, with new friends and contacts made. We’ll certainly be devoting much more time to the Europe market from now on.

Till next time!

Part 1

Yes I know I’ve been tardy with the photos from our trade show in Norway, but things have been really hectic the past week.

It feels like people in many countries have simultaneously woken up to the wonderful properties of our eco-friendly bamboo flooring.

Anyway, I’ve managed to figure out what “Bygg Reis Deg” really means (No, it’s not “Big Rise Day”).

• Bygg - Building
• Reis - To construct
• Deg - You

So it loosely means “building and construction for you”, an apt name for the largest building materials fair in Norway.

OK, on to the photos!

When I say that Bygg Reis Deg 2007 is the largest show of its kind in Norway, I wasn’t kidding.

Just check out the crowds above at one of the two entrances.

The numbers increased every day, and the grand total at the end of 6 days was well over 60,000.

This is an astonishing figure because the fee is 120NOK (or S$32) for 1-day entry pass. Many trade shows I’ve attended before would struggle to meet this figure even if entry was free. This speaks volume of their passion for building and renovation.

This is our lovely booth, with bamboo flooring installed, of course.

“Stjerne Gulv” literally means “Star Floors” in Norwegian, which is a direct translation from Star Bamboo.

“Bambusgulv” = “Bamboo flooring”. Not too hard to guess, but hard to pronounce.

Our regular visitors and customers would probably recognise the cover photo from our web site and brochure.

Norwegians are very hands-on people – even the bamboo flooring was a DIY job and the standard was comparable to many flooring professionals here in Singapore.

The per capita spending on renovation and construction in Norway is among the highest in the world. Despite a small population of 4.5 million (Singapore’s latest figures show 4.68 million residents), they spend a staggering amount on flooring.

The best is that they are willing to pay for high quality products. This is great because that fits perfectly with our ideals at Star Bamboo.

Sometimes it could be disheartening losing a sale because a higher quality product costs more to manufacture, but I see it as a case of getting the right customer.

One size can’t possibly fit all. We cannot compromise quality to lower costs. So it’s a matter of finding customers who appreciate our quality.

This is Sigmund, the Managing Director of our Norwegian partner company, hard at work. Our bamboo flooring has certainly intrigued many visitors.

He’s a natural salesman, it was an eye-opener to see how he put people at ease before he gave them the pitch.

This is Sigmund, taking a break (thankfully there weren’t many visitors around at the time).

Norwegians are friendly people. They are at ease making eye contact and smiling, even to strangers at a business event such as this. It was such a contrast with Singaporeans, and left a deep impression on me.

It was a casual and relaxed atmosphere. You could see that our attire was plain jeans and shirts. Many of the builders even turned up in their overalls.

This is Petter, our marketing expert. We had a lucky draw during the trade show, and what else could the prize be but bamboo flooring, of course.

Here, Petter is busy sorting the eligible entries and the winner out of more than 150 participants was later announced over the PA system.

He also single-handedly dismantled the booth and flooring after the show ended. I feel small when I stand next to him and Sigmund.

OK, that concludes part 1 of my Norway report. Part 2 and more photos coming your way soon!