We just can’t get enough of velvet at the moment… Traditionally made from threads of silk, today there are many varieties available from splendid pure velvet through to more budget friendly velveteen, velour and corduroy.
Royalty and the upper class were traditionally the only people who could afford velvet, owing to it’s high cost. Then it fell out of fashion for a while, but it’s been back with a vengeance both on the catwalk and on cushions for a while…and the options just keep getting better.
Use velvet for; upholstering furniture – from seating to bedheads as well as for curtain or wall coverings. Velvet is easily damaged though, so should be dry cleaned and carefully maintained. Store it in a way that you will not flatten the pile, cause creases or form lumps. It also requires special care when sewing.
New luxury and vintage mood: velvet is back in fashion and design. This sumptuous fabric, a big favorite of the 1990s, makes its reappearance in style. Its aristocratic, sophisticated look presents new, more informal versions matching silk velvet to more resistant, natural fabrics like cotton, linen, wool, mohair and synthetic velvet fabrics like polyester, nylon and viscose.
Soft and silky, velvet will accompany us into winter, at home. Kick off this Autumn autumn with Auru Home’s new quilts in shades of eucalypt, aubergine and fig, which look great combined with natural fabrics such as linen and cotton.
If you do not love it already, here follows a short history of this fabric, bringing us back to the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road and more precisely to Kashmir, where velvet came to Europe and Italy enchanting noblemen from Lucca, Florence and Venice along with celebrated artists like Titian.
King Richard II of England, who in 1399 decreed that his royal skin should not be touched by any other fabric, would have probably loved the Restaurant Ours, fearlessly facing the hordes of “it girls” that crowd the catwalk inevitably making selfies before entering the restaurant, where flowerpots and green velvet padded chairs give the distinct impression of being in an actual wood… in the centre of London.
In order to obtain a similar decorative effect at home regardless of both kings and influencers, we might choose between Edra’s and Saba’s beautiful collections: velvet sofas blending precious materials and comfy shapes for an informal seating experience. Boa, for instance: an ample, woven nest-like sofa by Brazilian design duo Humberto and Fernando Campana for Edra. A true design icon, an enveloping velvety embrace that invites users to explore new sitting and resting positions among its plush cushions. Saba, on the other hand, presents its new New York Suite collection, suitable both for contract and private contexts. Contemporary with a touch of retro, this sofa series features a new stylistic balance in the beautiful contrast between steel feet and velvet cushions.
