• Use bamboo to create shade overhead, on windows or on panels in your recreation room.bamboo image by hans slegers from Fotolia.com
  
  According to wiseearth.org, a sixty-foot bamboo tree cut for market takes only 59 days to replace, whereas other trees the same height take 60 years to replace. As of 2010, in Bangladesh, 73 percent of the population live in bamboo houses, and bamboo is increasingly being used in construction and interior design globally. Incorporating some bamboo into your recreation room at home can liven it up and is more environmentally friendly than other options.
  
  

Paint a Picture

• Liven up your recreation room with stenciled or hand-painted bamboo shades. You can purchase a variety of stencil designs, including birdcages, trees and animals. Choose a design you and your family like. If the rec room will be used mainly by your kids, choose a design that will grow with them. Yellow ducks may be appropriate for a toddler, but not so much a 7-year old. Consider creating a mural effect with an entire themed scene, such as the beach or circus. Since your rec room is a place for enjoyable, social activities, incorporate warmer colors (oranges and reds, for example) or bold blues and greens.
  
  

Dividing Up Space

• Bring in some shade and partition your recreation space with bamboo panel shades. This works especially well if your rec room has sliding patio doors. Get rid of the plain, white vertical blinds and install sliding bamboo panels. They open and close horizontally, like vertical blinds, but are comprised of only four or five large panels that slide behind each other when opened. This way, you can control how much sunlight your rec room gets without sacrificing aesthetics.
  
  

Bamboo Parasols

• Ditch the blinds altogether and create shade in your recreation room with bamboo parasols. Place them on floor stands or in the center of patio tables. You can go even further with this by creating a tropical theme in your recreation room. Incorporate blue, green and sandy tones and some live, potted bamboo to fill empty corners.
  
  

Bamboo Canopy in a Green Rec Room

• Instead of several small bamboo "shade stations," shade your entire recreation room with a bamboo canopy. This is effective only in sun rooms or patio rec rooms, but it will still add texture and ambiance to your indoor play quarters. Stretch the bamboo panels taut and tie them to supporting posts. For a chic, smooth look, attach a smooth-finish bamboo panel directly to the ceiling. Accent it with a living wall of plants and grasses you and your children can grow together. This way, you can incorporate some fun into green activities.