When I moved to Craighall Park when I first started working, I fell in love with how the suburb is dotted with little hubs of creative energy, while new shops, eateries, galleries and generally fantastic spots open in a subtle manner with whispered announcements. My first visit to the Bamboo Palace was no different to when I first arrived to my beloved suburb, surprising me with its quirk and fertile, creative energy.

Run by two artists in their own right, Kevin and Nicolas both contribute to the collective of eclectic goodies that reside in Craighall’s first palace. Kevin’s paintings and Nicolas’s restored furniture compliment each other in this odd little space, creating what can only be likened to a cave straight from an insert of Ali Baba and his Arabian Nights. Everywhere you turn, there is a tiny detail that catches your attention, a glint of the future the Bamboo Palace is creating in Craighall Park.

Kevin will offer oil painting lessons on Wednesday evenings and Saturday morning here, and I can only imagine how gorgeous those are going to be in the sunny courtyard here on the perimeter of Delta Park. Nicolas will offer furniture restoration while also assisting those than want to learn more about this artisan trade.

The Bamboo Palace sits amongst, you guessed it, stacks of bamboo shoots inside the REEA complex (behind the bookstore) and is like the slightly crazy neighbour to the Rambling Rose Charity Shoppe. This development is really building itself into a great little hub. I’ve also been meaning to check out Delta Cafe which has recently opened here. A percentage of the profits from Bamboo Palace will go towards the REEA Foundation, which crosses the ‘feel good’ box for any purchases here!

Not all of the details have been announced quite yet, but you can visit the Bamboo Palace Facebook page to see just how far they’ve come. They don’t know it yet, but I’m going to commandeer a spot in the courtyard in summer for my creative writing!

I’ll definitely be posting more about this gorgeous place in time, and until then I’ll just keep staring at these pictures and remembering the magic of sunset at the Bamboo Palace.