Velvet – Fall 2017 Design Trend

Every few years we hear that velvet is making a comeback, and we think to ourselves, “What? It never left!” To the Panacea team, velvet is a timeless fabric that adds a pop of color, texture, interest, and all-out sexiness to any room. Whether we’re staging a house, or designing a chill-space for a headlining artist at Lollapalooza, we love using a bold velvet piece to turn the room up to an 11. Below are some ideas, tricks and tips for bringing a little velvet into your life.

Velvet is your “DIY” moment.

While we’ve found some gorgeous velvet pieces in showrooms, and incredible refurbished pieces online at sites like 1stdibs or Chairish, we think there’s something truly gratifying about finding a set of accent chairs, a sofa, or a headboard and reimagining it with velvet. Sometimes you don’t have to leave the house to find that perfect piece, but if you do, explore garage sales, estate sales, thrift stores and flea markets.

When on the hunt for that perfect piece with loads of potential, our co-founder Autumn always says, “try to strike a balance between finding a piece of furniture with great bones, and forgiving it for its flaws.” You can always pull stuffing to slim the line of a sofa, remove the skirt from a vintage piece to expose the great legs, or switch out the legs to Lucite or brass for a truly modern update. Once we have a clear vision for a piece, we take it to one of our trusted craftspeople to bring the piece to life.

Make it Pop!

Velvet is a fabric that wants to be bold. Let it. Go for that rich royal blue, deep teal, forest green, or be right on trend with blush pink or mustard yellow. If the piece you choose has a wooden frame, paint it a bright white to make the color pop even more.

Don’t fear the fancy.

Velvet doesn’t have to be the stuff of royal sitting rooms and Hollywood starlets. You can dress it down in your space with natural elements by mixing materials, adding wood or aged metal side tables, bringing in some leather, or incorporating contrasting textiles. If you’re experimenting with a velvet headboard, you can dress up the glam with sheepskin rugs or a faux fur throw, or play up the cozy with a chunky knit blanket. With a little imagination, velvet can be one of the most fun and versatile fabrics to play with.

Splurge on fabric. Then take care of it.

Velvet is delicate and it crushes easily. Pushing it up against another piece of furniture, or leaving something heavy on it overnight can leave a mark that will make you cry. When choosing your fabric, look for something crush-resistant, like Mohair Velvet, which is more durable. Make sure you know what your velvet is made of (cotton, polyester, etc.) so that you can select the right upholstery cleaner and method for the inevitable stain to come. Invest in a velvet brush to maintain the original pattern of the fabric, and keep a small steamer on hand to help fluff up the fabric when necessary.

Want to play with velvet without committing to a piece of furniture?

A great way to experiment with velvet is to incorporate smaller pieces like pillows or throws. We’re obsessed with these velvet bolster pillows in ethnic prints from Lily Koi Saigon, as well as their line of velvet throws and blankets in dusty pastels. Its boho chic at its best. If you’re looking to add a little velvet into your life, you absolutely can’t go wrong by upgrading your bedroom with a little Lily Koi.

Looking for more ways to rock velvet in your interiors or for an upcoming event? Stay tuned to our Instagram to see daily design inspos and contact us today!