Bamboo Interior Studio

The Bamboo Interior Studio project began with an audacious brief from Chicago-based Lifestyle Magazine: transform a tired, conventional open-plan office and photographic studio space into a showpiece of sustainable interior design — a space so visually compelling and materially innovative that it would serve as a permanent editorial backdrop and a living demonstration of what eco-conscious interiors can achieve at the highest level of design sophistication.

The centrepiece of the design is a custom-engineered structural bamboo ceiling installation — 3,800 sq ft of hand-selected Moso bamboo poles arranged in a rhythmic wave pattern that undulates across the full length of the studio. The bamboo was harvested from a certified sustainable plantation in Zhejiang Province, China, steam-treated for pest resistance, and finished with a natural linseed oil coating. The installation required the expertise of a specialist bamboo joinery team and took six weeks to complete — the result is breathtaking: a ceiling of extraordinary warmth, texture, and structural drama.

The main editorial studio walls are clad in reclaimed oak boards salvaged from a decommissioned bourbon barrel warehouse in Kentucky — each plank carrying the rich, smoky patina of decades of spirit ageing. The boards were hand-selected, de-nailed, planed, and finished on-site, creating a feature wall of genuine material authenticity that no manufactured product could replicate.

Throughout the office areas, walls are finished in hand-trowelled natural clay plaster in a palette of soft earthy tones — warm ochre, pale sage, and deep terracotta — applied by a specialist plasterer using traditional techniques. Clay plaster is inherently zero-VOC, naturally regulates indoor humidity, and creates a surface of incomparable tactile richness.

Biophilic elements are integrated throughout: a 14-metre living moss wall forms the backdrop to the reception area, maintained through a simple automated misting system; potted native ferns and trailing plants occupy every window ledge; and a small interior courtyard garden features a gravel bed, smooth river stones, and a single mature olive tree planted in a reclaimed cast-iron planter. The combined effect is a workspace of exceptional calm, creativity, and connection to the natural world.