Tulp Outdoor Living opens at old Christmas Tree Shops store at Sagamore Bridge

BOURNE —The windmill was turning at Tulp Outdoor Living on March 15, site of the old Christmas Tree Shops store at the foot of the Sagamore Bridge. Three men carried a teak outdoor table through the front door into a delivery truck outside. The table and chairs that went with it were being delivered that morning to a customer five miles away.

“Everybody wants to be outside,” Tulp’s principal owner Gabriel Kroeze said that morning. “Our focus is we want to bring the comfort of inside furniture. We want to bring the same comfort outside.”

Kroeze is from the Netherlands and his accent is flavored by the country known for its tulips, clogs and windmills. It was the windmill that caught his attention before he signed an eight-month lease. And it's a location that he hopes will be a boon to the brand he and his family have been building for two years.

The approximately 17,000 square-foot space has been transformed into a showcase of outdoor dining sets, sectionals, bar chairs and tables, loungers, gazebos, decorative pieces and accessories. With an open concept, a cathedral ceiling almost as high as the sky, and walls covered in panels highlighting the company name, the store is meant to be an experience center, Kroeze said.

A sectional is set against a panel with huge green leaves as tall as a man. Panels show huge, variegated leaves, palm fronds, and TULP spelled out in green. The columns supporting the roof are covered in panels showing tulips in bright oranges, yellows and reds. The furniture on display looks as inviting as the outdoors depicted in the panels.

Furniture maker with 250 contemporary items

Tulp is a furniture maker with 250 contemporary outdoor furniture items. Wicker, teak, aluminum and Sunbrella fabric set the furniture apart. The high-density synthetic wicker is UV- and chip-resistant. The teak is resistant to extreme weather. The powder-coated aluminum ensures protection from the elements. And textelane fabrics made from yarns coated with PVC allow for breathability, Kroeze added.

Most of the wicker furniture is made at a factory in Vietnam, the teak furniture at a factory in Indonesia. There are two other factories involved in producing accessories and other pieces.

Kroeze laid out the design and production process that resulted in the Coco sectional, displayed as a floor model at the new store. The design began with sketches and drawings and led to consultation about little details with factory production professionals. Details such as the height, length and width of the frame, the degree slant of its back frame, and how to attach fabric cushions to the frame, were all discussed before actual production began.

Looking to do business-to-business sales

Tulp products are in The Local in Sandwich and East Bay Grille in Plymouth, Kroeze said. The company hopes to do a fair share of business-to-business sales with bars, restaurants and hotels on the Cape, he added.

Products range a large teak candle holder with glass to a 95-inch Bali Table with a powder coated aluminum frame and certified SVLK teak tabletop. A Goni solar lantern costs $395 and a 31-inch round teak table $769. There are gazebos, big umbrellas, chaise lounges, high top tables and teak benches. Accessories include pillows, décor that can withstand winter and summer weather.

Furniture is made of powder covered aluminum, teak and wicker and comes in matte white or matte royal gray and comes with a five-year warranty.

“You can combine anything; that’s the idea behind the brand,” Kroeze said.

Tulp’s headquarters and warehouse are in Carver. The company offers delivery services.

Denise Coffey writes about business, tourism and issues of concern to Cape Cod residents and visitors. Contact her at dcoffey@capecodonline.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Tulp outdoor furniture finds Cape home with thatched roof, windmill