There's something really refreshing about a beautiful antique sofa or chair covered in a humble fabric. And I have been seeing this a lot recently. I have seen both really expensive and inexpensive pieces done in burlap-- and that is the great thing about it-- It's a look that is accessible at any price point. Burlap will add tons of texture and character to your room.
Also, I have recently fallen in love with furniture that looks like it is not finished, or a little run down. I have to admit that the first time I saw it I was less than thrilled-- I thought it looked a bit too disheveled, but the more I see it, the more I like it-- especially when you have a highly tailored black leather couch, with a pair of torn/naked armchairs (a la antique armchairs pictured above).
I also included a picture of a sack of Royal Basmati Rice that I saw at the grocery store last night-- converting this sack into a pillow would be ridiculously simple. The sack already has a zipper, so the only thing you'd have to do is remove the handles, and fill the sack with foam filler-- for next to nothing (especially if you need to buy rice anyway), you have an easy do-it-yourself pillow.
- 45.00-55.00 Coffee Sack Pillows at VelvetBean Etsy Shop
- 6,498.00 Splayer Sofa at Anthropologie
- 1,995.00 Antique Armchair and Footstool at Jason Home & Garden
- 195.00 Square Burlap Ottoman at Hudson Goods
- Approx 15.00 Royal Basmati Rice at your local grocery store
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As cute as it looks, I detest having to touch, sit on or breathe in anything that is made of burlap.
I bought 3 burlap pillows just like these through CL, but when I brought them into my apartment, I was horrified by the wet dog/dead fish smell that was eminating from them. So instead of having them on my couch, I put way up high on a shelf where they look great and are out of smell-reach. I think there are ways of getting smell out of burlap, likely the best is to let them sit out in the hot sun..but buyer beware!
I don't have any burlap (though the idea of a coffee bag pilllow is intriguing), but I do have a lot of linen and jute textures in my house
I'd agree -- burlap usually has a rather unfortunate odor, especially the reclaimed kind. It also is coarse (not at all soft) and scratchy, and it sheds fibers. And, in my experience, it also is very suceptible to fraying and to damage from UV.
Maybe there are kinds that don't have these problems, but not having experienced any like that, I'd avoid it and go with linen for a similar but more durable look.
We've got a few old coffee bean bags that we bought to hold niece & nephews Christmas presents. Just may steal some of these ideas to reuse them!
I agree with @SherryBinNH, but is there a kind of burlap that's good for upholstery and isn't so loose weave? I can't imagine that the loose weave on lots of burlap would wear very well, but I'm attracted to the looks and the price.
You just can't cuddle up to burlap. It is too itchy.
Who wants to sit on a burlap-covered chair in shorts? Yikes.
My grandmother used to bleach burlap flour sacks and sew designs into them to make tablecloths. Of course, that was in the war era but she still has some and it's a great way to reuse burlap!
Burlap = sackcloth = hair shirt. Not something anyone should wish to put next to their skin. I think HernandoHouse has the right idea using linen. A nice, nubbly-textured silk or hemp would give the same effect if you were making something like pillows. Save burlap for for shopping bags... or over-wintering your rose bush.
I did the rice sack pillow a few years ago. Super easy and sharp looking in a modern chair.
I love using burlap! I have a burlap throw pillow cover from Urban Outfitters that I've had for 10 years-- it's still my favorite and looks great. (And yeah, it softens up over time.)
My dad once covered an accent wall in our house with burlap. As a kid I loved it, because for birthdays he'd cover it with balloons held in place by the static cling.
He also covered almost all the walls in his store with it. The slatwall and pegboard was ugly, but covering it with burlap was practical, since fixtures can repeatedly be poked through it into the pegboard underneath without leaving a mark in the cloth. It was just a nondescript rental space in a strip mall, but his decoration (and yes, burlap) transformed it into something magical... like a pirate ship decorated by Victorian gypsies.
Mazikeen, do you have any pictures to share of that? Very intriguing.
Agree with the others that I really don't want to sit on a burlap chair, even though it's got a cool look. I'd rather go with linen. A burlap accent pillow or two would be cool, though.
Sorry. I'll keep my antique pieces a bit more luxe than burlap. I got fabulous fabric on-line at a great price - more $ than burlap (what isn't?) but far less than wholesale for top-of-the-line decorator fabric. Suggest you take a look here and then tell me if you still prefer burlap!