DateMarch 22 2018
LocationToronto, Ontario
By Glen Peloso Special to the Star
Sensual velvet is again capturing hearts and fingertips around the world. Historically the fabric of kings and queens, it’s return to popularity may be linked to the thrill of royal weddings and babies. Glen Peloso offers five great ways to add a velvet touch to your castle.
Large seating is the most popular use of velvet in a room. At the Las Vegas Furniture market this past January, velvet covered sectional sofas, large fainting couches and oversized love seats were easy to spot by the people stroking them. Grey and beige were the most popular colours next to navy and deep green. And don’t worry, if it can survive movie theatres and concert halls, velvet can survive most families; it cleans up with soap, water and a brush.
Occasional chairs, like tub chairs and easy chairs, were more commonly upholstered in bright colours, deep red, navy blue, amethysts and gold that all become a little more intense with velvet’s nap. Occasional seating is the perfect place to make that big colour statement in a room and it’s often easier to commit to a big colour statement. Canadians are far more likely to accept a grey sofa and put their courage in the deeper hues on occasional chairs.
Wallpaper can make you think your eyes are playing 3-D tricks. Chances are, velvet is the reason. Not only does the velvet provide an intense colour, it also plays beautifully with the light: the paper component of the wall covering reflects light, while the velvet absorbs it. This contrast of highlights and shadow provide visual depth. And with a vibrant tone of velvet, you get a spectacular wall at a fraction of the cost to have a faux finish, with those details, on the wall.
Good quality throw pillows are a cheap and cheerful way to introduce velvet to a room. While pet lovers know that a velvet sofa or chair can be hard keep clean, they still want some addition of velvet. Throw cushions are a great way to add intense pops of colour to the room. Patterned or carved velvet can be a very elegant addition to more formal seating while amping up the luxe factor. Feather-filled cushions add another layer to the sensual experience in softness.
Mohair is the way to out-velvet your velvet-loving neighbours. Mohair velvet is created with angora as opposed to cotton — it feels just that much better and looks a little more organic. The process of making mohair velvet is the same as the cotton version; but the nap is left a little longer. If you don’t mind the one-third increase in cost, a mohair velvet piece will be a stand-out. Although, it may be a little more difficult getting your friends to stop petting the sofa.
Glen Peloso is principal designer of Grafus Design Build & Studio on King East, a design expert on CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show and design editor for Canadian Home Trends magazine.
