Everyone’s crushing on velvet for spring

Glamping cabana or sexy velvet chaise?

These are some of the choices design shops are offering this spring. Retailers look forward to clearing out their shelves after the winter holidays and bringing out fresh collections just as daffodils start to bloom. Overscale hurricane lamps, chunky straw placemats, wooden cake stands and Easter egg- pastel curtains are part of the new look.

We checked out what’s starring in some of the home catalogues. Here are some eye- catching trends:

VELVET

Yes, retailers are crushing on velvet for spring. The boho fashion staple is showing up in living rooms and bedrooms. According to Ann Haagenson, Anthropologie’s merchandise manager for home decor, “There is something about velvet that has a big appeal for all seasons. It looks rich and gives a sense of texture.”

Crate & Barrel is also showing velvet for hot weather.

“We think velvet is seasonless,” says Raymond Arenson, a Crate & Barrel executive vice- president.

Arenson likes velvet pillows layered in several hues, and so do I.

DAYBEDSAND CHAISES

The romantic daybed and its cousin the chaise are more often found in vintage and antiques shops, but Anthropologie and other stores have modernized t hem with clean- lined shapes and fabrics such as leather, rattan and linen. “We see them in larger bedrooms, dens and reading rooms,” Haagenson says.

BOLDPRINTS AND PATTERNS

A dramatic new upholstered bed, the Paradise Found Ainsworth, shows off one of the new bold print textiles at Anthropologie.

“These Pucci- esque print fabrics are sort of like what you’d see in fashion on palazzo pants and pyjamas,” Haagenson says.

“GLAM PING ”- INSPIRED ENTERTAINING

At Ballard Designs, a new outdoor collection celebrates glamping, that glamorous trend of exotic safari tents and folding furniture.

“You can set up your cabana and put a sofa and rug in there. Throw up a string of lights and have a dinner party,” says Karen Mooney, senior vice president at Ballard Designs.