BLEACHED BURLAP CREATES A MODERN KITCHEN TRADITION

THE HEART OF A HOME

The kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s where memories are made. It’s the room where families spend time, enjoy meals, celebrate special occasions and live everyday life.

So when renovating their kitchen showroom for Kabi, a custom cabinetmaker in Denver specializing in contemporary design, their design team aimed to create a modern environment, while maintaining the warmth and life a kitchen should have.

A MODERN TRADITION

Traditionally, wood elements are used in kitchen cabinetry to maintain a warm aesthetic in a more modern design. But the Kabi team wanted to create a connection between modern and traditional—without using wood. That’s when they found Naturals 501 Bleached Burlap. With the organic, earthy properties of the jute textile, making every square inch unique, the Burlap collection was the perfect fit.

We were looking for a solution that would bring a natural element compatible with a contemporary design—something that could bridge the gap between a traditional feel and a modern look.

— Curt Tomlinson, Sales Manager, Kabi

Made by laminating natural burlap, Naturals Burlap has a rustic finish with markings that are not uniform. But because it’s encapsulated, you don’t get the shedding. So it achieves a natural appeal with variations in color and texture, but with the durability of a laminate.

“Clients are attracted to the texture, as well as the organic aesthetic and ambiance that Lamin-Art’s Burlap creates,” Tomlinson says.

TWO-TONED NATURE

Kabi’s Burlap Kitchen is two-toned, combining the color and sleek texture of a modern, dark, rich espresso with the lighter imperfections of 501 Bleached Burlap laminate to achieve a palette that is compatible with a range of neutrals and accents. It creates an Arcadian, verdant ambiance with the style of a spa.

We chose Bleached Burlap because of the texture and how unique it was from other laminates on the market. In particular, this color enabled us to achieve the two-tone kitchen we wanted in a palette compatible with a range from white to dark brown.

— Curt Tomlinson, Sales Manager, Kabi

Not only did using Bleached Burlap in their showroom renovation allow the Kabi team present different styles and unique finishes, but it also enabled those clients who are used to classic elements like wood to see a fresh take on tradition.

Since the renovation, they’ve already sold two kitchens. Burlap is capturing attention from customers and may be a trend we see moving forward, because it infuses modern style with natural elements.

A REMARKABLY TEXTURED BACKSTORY

Burlap, has an unmatched reputation for versatility, resilience, and environmentally friendliness, making it popular among designers for a variety of uses.

Seen more and more in interior design, burlap was first a popular material for a variety of uses including camouflage scrim on World War II combat helmets, sandbags for emergency flood response, a nd smoker fuel in beehive tending. And because burlap is naturally resist condensation, biodegradable, and (as a bag) can hold 440 lb (200 kg) of product, it’s also used to transport coffee beans, rooibos, cement and tobacco.

It’s no surprise, then, that burlap has been popular for more than three centuries.

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