Velvet Is the Touchable Textile Your Home Needs

There’s just something about velvet furniture. Its alluring, touchable quality evokes a luxurious, regal ambiance in any space. Reupholster a vintage piece in the smooth, high-end fabric and watch your furniture transform from every day to irresistible. Athena Calderone did this when she covered an antique bench in her Brooklyn bedroom in a rusty red hue that perfectly complements the wrought-iron base. With this much charm, it’s little wonder this treasured textile has been a mainstay of fashion design and home décor since the 13th century.

But before you start upholstering your favorite furniture in the coveted cloth, let’s get acquainted with some of the velvet varieties. While we’re all familiar with the crushed velvet fashion trend of the 90s (who could forget?!), there are another six types to consider:

Crushed velvet: Just as its name suggests, this velvet has a patterned appearance that is produced by either pressing the fabric down in different directions or alternatively by mechanically twisting the fabric while wet.
Panne velvet: Also known as a pile knit or velour, this velvet is produced by forcing the pile in a single direction by applying heavy pressure.
Embossed velvet: A metal roller is used to heat-stamp the velvet fabric to produce a pattern.
Ciselé: To create this velvet, the pile uses cut and uncut loops to create a pattern.
Plain velvet: This is the most commonly known variety made of cotton with a firm hand.
Devoré or burnout: This velvet is treated with a caustic solution to dissolve areas of the pile which in turn creates a velvet pattern typically with a sheer base.
Pile-on-pile velvet: Also called double velvet, this luxurious fabric is one of the oldest known velvet weaving techniques and is created by weaving with piles of differing heights to create a pattern.

Now that we’re acquainted with the many variations, it’s time to share some of our favorite velvet furniture to inspire your space. From lounge chairs to sectionals, bolster pillows, and ottomans, there’s a piece guaranteed to metamorphose your home with its sensorial style.