Bamboo kitchen cupboards/cabinets

Has anyone used bamboo for kitchen cupboards/cabinets?

How does it compare to melamine for cost and durability?

We will be completely redoing our kitchen and need something that will last well in a house with young boys, at a reasonable cost.

Looks are not a key feature; durability and cost are. Low fumes would also be good.

Thanks for your help.

Hey fred, my friend has recently put bamboo doors/facings in his laundry and they look great! You can see them on his blog, about halfway down this page:

http://www.*.com/f176/icf-extension-project-76617/index9.html

He's used vertical/horizontal bamboo. This is not as hardy as strandwoven bamboo (strandwoven has a much higher Janka hardness rating) however, for a vertical surface I think it would be more than sufficient. Vertical/horizontal bamboo was used for some time as a flooring material, however, mostly strandwoven is used now for floors because it's less prone to damage from high heels etc - but a floor is punished a lot harder than a kitchen cabinet!!