There is a product made by Duro Design that is the highest quality, and completely "green" that you should check out. Some more information is available at http://greenbambooflooring.com/ Here is a link that might be useful: Green Bamboo Flooring by Duro Design

I think it really depends on the brand you choose. My GC has bamboo in his house and he HATES it - swears he'll never use it again and will advise his clients the same. When I told him my cousin was considering it for their beach house, he had pretty strong opinions. He said that the first time he had a party at his house, his floors were totally destroyed the next day b/c of the women wearing high heels. Personally, I would not want to have to tell my guests, esp. at a party, to remove their shoes. He also said that besides the issue with the heels, it scratches VERY easily, and that the scratches are a different color than the finish, so they are VERY noticeable. So my cousin tried abusing his samples - he had one that was considered "commercial grade" and while that one did hold up better than the residential, it still scratched kind of easily. And the scratches were a different color. He decided to go with it, since theirs is a beach house and bamboo IS great w/moisture, plus they are in the habit of removing their shoes at home anyway. it's being installed now. I'm worried about it for them though, as they keep their primary residence meticulously won't be happy if the floors end up living up to their reputation. Plus they plan to rent it, and you can't dictate your tenants also remove their shoes. We'll see...

Thanks all of your for chiming in. And thanks suzannesl for posting the photos. I see what you mean that the same floor may appear in different colors when in different lighting. Your floor matches your dog! I told DH that the java color may be too close to cat puke (he once stepped in it not seeing it), but he says light color will show the stain from the cat puke. Who would have though the flooring color decision is tightly intertwined with our little furry companions. Anyhow, despite all your help, we still have not made up our mind yet. Maybe we'll do coin toss. One question though... Do you all have your floor nailed down, or floating? One installer told me about another reputable brand, Plyboo, who happens to be local (in SF Bay Area). Unfortunately, their wide plan of stranded bamboo only comes in click & lock type. For whatever reason, I got the impression that click & lock will look, feel, and sound temporary. Any thoughts on that?

I have a feeling your husband likes the COLOUR and the PRESENTATION of the bamboo rather than the material itself. That means I would purchase a sample of the bamboo that he likes and then go shopping for a wood floor in the same colour/presentation. Happily the trend for gloss levels is matte or satin. That will automatically get you several factory finished options without having to special order anything. Remember: factory finished colours are perfect. You don't have to worry about the staining process because all of that is done for you. When it comes to 'healthy' flooring, it is easy to stick with something that is CARB II compliant. And stay away from bamboo. Yep. I said it. Bamboo (regardless of how it is made or by whom) is made up of (roughly) 30% glue. And it is the GLUE in a product that is unhealthy...not the wood/grass itself. The more glue you have in a product the more chances you have for unhealthy. An engineered hardwood will naturally have less glue than a bamboo floor. Not to mention that bamboo is picky. And when it isn't being picky...it is finicky. And when it isn't being finicky it is being SUPER fussy! Bamboo CRAVES climate control. As in PIN-POINT accurate humidity and temperature. The lower the cost of the bamboo (I would look at anything that is $9/sf and over) the more upset it becomes with poor climate control. That means you MUST HAVE whole home humidity control (whatever that means for your location). And engineered hardwood still requires climate control but it has a slightly wider range of 'happy'. Bamboo needs TIGHT control between 35% and 50% humidity whereas many engineered woods have a range of 35% - 65%. That doesn't sound like much but it is HUGE in the flooring world. Before you choose ANYTHING please check your budget (engineered worth $6/sf and over; or bamboo $9/sf or more). And then check your climate control. Make your choices based on that information.