Times Colonist

10 tips for using velvet in your home

Plush fabric adds touch of elegance to any space

- CATHY HOBBS

Soft, rich, luxurious, glamorous.

Yes, velvet is all of this and more.

Velvet is a plush, elegant fabric that can add a touch of refinement and elegance to nearly any space. It is also a wonderful contrast material that truly helps to warm up a room. While materials such as leather are hard or may be perceived as cool, velvet adds warmth and comfort and serves as a wonderful accent or contrast to materials such as fabric and leather. Velvet can also help to add interest and depth to decor.

When looking for interestin­g ways to incorporat­e velvet into your home environmen­t, here are 10 Design Recipes tips.

1. Consider incorporat­ing an accent piece into your space such as a bench. Benches are wonderful complement­s to a room.

2. Consider incorporat­ing a velvet decor item in a bright or festive colour. Velvet accents are perfect for where you may want to add a special pop of colour.

3. Mix velvet with other materials such as faux fur, leather or fabric. Velvet can provide the perfect complement and can help to soften an overall look.

4. Look for interestin­g ways to incorporat­e velvet such as wallpaper or other wall covering.

5. Bring velvet into your bedroom. Looking for ways to use velvet? Why not consider a velvet headboard? Bringing soft materials into your bedroom will help convey a feeling of calm and tranquilit­y.

6. Layer your velvet pieces. Don’t be afraid to mix different colour velvet elements or use more than one element of velvet. For example, pair a velvet bench with the accent of a velvet pillow.

7. Look for complement­ary velvet pieces to accent your decor such as side chairs.

8. Consider using darker fabrics. One of the interestin­g and appealing aspects of working with velvet is being able to see the plush hand of the material, which is typically easier to notice with darker colours.

9. Consider adding embellishi­ng elements to highlight velvet pieces such as tufting or nail heads.

10. Purchase some large upholstere­d pieces to make a bold statement such as sofas, chaises and benches.

Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Awardwinni­ng television host and an interior design and home staging expert with offices in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C.

 ??  ?? Black velvet chairs paired with white pillows create a striking contrast with a light-coloured fabric sofa.
Black velvet chairs paired with white pillows create a striking contrast with a light-coloured fabric sofa.
 ?? HANNAH ROKES ?? A black velvet headboard complement­s bold black animal print embossed wallpaper in this master bedroom.
HANNAH ROKES A black velvet headboard complement­s bold black animal print embossed wallpaper in this master bedroom.

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