Inspired-Modif-Car: Burlap and Grainsack - Cheap Chic or Faux Humility?

This Dan Marty settee in burlap retails for $5,450.

When I was in middle school, the hot "must wear" clothes were Levi's jeans, Fair Isle sweaters and Izod shirts (collar up, of course!) - and I lived in a town listed in the Preppy Hand Book, so the pressure was on! Of course, I was dying to go along with the crowd and wanted all these must have brands. My family was going through tight times financially during those years and the budget did not include these "label" prices. My mother had a friend in the clothing industry who told her that Levi-Strauss made Sears Roebuck jeans - so guess which I wore. According to Mom - they were the same thing. NOT!

Okay, so fast forward a few years and I've grown into an adult who generally shuns fads and labels. I don't want brands where I have to pay for the privilege of promoting their label (think Louis Vuitton) and I'm very quick to tire of seeing the same thing over and over (think coral, think zebra rugs, think "Keep Calm and Carry On"). No thanks.

And what's the purpose of these "anti-design-establishment" rantings? I've been contemplating the whole grainsack and burlap fad recently - this new/old trend is everywhere. And, for the most part, is certainly a very attractive trend. But, I wonder... why is this suddenly trendy? Why burlap and why now?

A recent article by David A. Keeps for the LA times (which I read in the Providence Journal) making the syndication rounds posits "Burlap upholstery proclaims an era of faux humility". Is part of the current "in" state of burlap and grain sack due, in part, to the current economy and a desire to "dress down"? And, if that's true in some cases, is this a genuine desire to dress down, or only "look" dressed down? I know of designers whose clients have put projects on hold because they think a big new design project will look bad. I know of an antiques dealer who was asked to deliver an expensive piece in a plain truck - the decor version of the plain brown wrapper. Burlap is, of course, the quintessential plain brown wrapper.

So, do you like burlap and grain sack for its vintage-y feel or does it make you feel like you're keeping it real?

Los Angeles Times / KEN HIVELY

The armchair, above, for sale at Colcha in Venice, Calif., has reclaimed wood legs and is upholstered in European feed-sack fabric; it goes for $1,600. The recycled burlap cushion is $42, and the feed-sack pillow $198.

The French hemp napkins from Vintage Weave are admittedly adorable. But, at $275.00 for the set, one might not want to dab one's mouth with them while eating ribs and friend chicken...

These graphic antique grain sack pillows from 3 Fine Grains run into the hundreds of dollars.

Well, I'll admit I love this printed burlap sack available on Ebay. But, it only dates to 1960 (barely vintage in my book - ahem...) and at $115, I'm not sure it's worth the price.

These loosely "upholstered" French style chairs, seen on Apartment Therapy, were reportedly on sale for $1,400 for the pair at the Paris Boutique. Keeping things real, these look to have been upholstered by someone with all thumbs and dangerous access to a staple gun. Horrific on so many levels! They are no longer listed - did someone actually buy these?

Of course, the shelter mags are up on the trend - this from the current Elle Decor, a design by Dale Saylor. Note that not only is the day bed filled with grain sack pillows, but the standing lamp on the right also has a burlap shade.

The dining room of designer Abby Rizor's 1920s Florida house was originally a porch. From House Beautiful.

Local magazine Dovetales Antiques and Home Magazine is au courant...

Even The Skirted Roundtable banner is in on the act!

And, at Baker Furniture in the Boston Design Center, they have in their window an upholstered settee in faux grain sack. Seriously. It's upholstery weight fabric that is woven to look like a printed burlap with red stripes. I didn't manage to take a photo, but the price is likely a few thousand dollars. Huh?

Of course, burlap can be a very cost effective textile. Just check out Rhoda at Southern Hospitality's posts on how she upholstered the back of a cabinet with a bolt of the stuff:

On Etsy, you can purchase very price effective grain sacks at Antique Linen Store for around $44.00.

And this little flea market find footstool has been covered in about 88 cents worth of burlap, with mini-ruffle. From Country Living. A very easy DIY project for someone who can sew.

OK - so, we've seen high end uses of burlap and grain sack as well as more moderately priced examples. While this is a trend I'm not likely to jump on board with simply because we're seeing it everywhere, I do see the appeal to others. But honestly? I see it only on the low end. Some of the truly antique grain sacks may have value for their provenance but I still can't wrap my head around paying high end prices for what was made to be cheap goods to transport grain and flour.

Edited to add - Alex from The Real Housewives of New York. As suggested by Tracy @ Comfort and Luxury. Image courtesy of W Magazine Editor's Blog.

So, the question is - is this trend faux humility or simply shabby chic? Take the poll and let me know how you feel about this trend? And, for bonus points, how long do you think the trend will last? Will it outlive the recession?