Post #220135 by woofmutt on Sat, Mar 11, 2006 4:58 AM

West Seattle Target has the bar and gazebo set up. The bamboo used in both (the gazebo is a mix of fake and real) has been painted a bamboo color with light brown highlights. This was probably done to give a more uniform look to all the bamboo used but the paint makes the bar look super fakey. There was also signs of chipping and scraping on the floor model so it's possible the bamboo was not prepared properly for painting. The bar seems shaky and may not hold up to steady use. Splitting was evident and despite Target's claim in the Kaikaina post above ("Bamboo is a natural material that will split and crack, this is not a defect") this may be a sign of bamboo not dried fully before use. As the bar is constructed almost entirely (if not completely) of bamboo continued cracking and possible warping could seriously compromise the structure.

It's a nice design that'd be great in a small space, but the paint makes it look like molded plastic. It'd probably look better in low light. And for the price ($300) most anyone could create a much sturdier home bar.