“There is a great amount of uncertainty in the world at the moment and traditional velvets hark back to a bygone era, evoking warmth and comfort.
- Amy Sommerville, interior designer
@the_girl_with_the_green_sofa Instagram
We are crushing on velvet here at The Basket Room. Big time. In fact, Holly speaks dreamily of her lust for a green velvet sofa, a hot cup of tea and a stack of style magazines to work her way through. We’ve been eyeing up plush armchairs and button-backed chesterfields, and daydreaming about peachy pink ottomans.
Once the reserve of traditional country houses, today velvet is part of a more contemporary and eclectic interiors movement. Think lush hanging baskets and Moroccan floor tiles, a velvet-upholstered chaise longue and copper hanging light fittings – all in one, cohesive space.
Christina Meneses Home, Shot by Dabito for The New Bohemians Handbook
This retro fabric looks decadent against dark walls - think Farrow & Ball’s sumptuous Hague Blue – and magical under the light of a soft bulb. Maybe it’s this unseasonably chilly March or maybe it’s the unsettling state of the world we live in, but we’ve all found ourselves reaching for soft, tactile fabrics and warm, opulent colours recently.
Velvet works beautifully when it’s layered with other materials for a cosy and eclectic look. Whether you plump for a statement sofa or if you use velvet more sparingly – fringes, tassels, throws, bedspreads and cushions - velvet brings a dash of drama and personality to a room.
@ArloandJacob
And it’s not just the velvet texture that’s making waves in the world of interiors – it’s the rich colour palette associated with it. So we’ve started curating our own velvet crush edit: sisal storage baskets and woven basket bags in enchanting jewel tones: plum and teal, dark blues, berry-hues and burnt orange terracotta.
The Edit | Velvet Crush
The beauty of these darker, velvet-friendly colours is that they “anchor a colour scheme by stopping everything from being too flighty,” explains interior designer Peter Ross. Could a touch of velvet crush be the answer to Scandi whitewash, perhaps?
Deep tones like terracotta “mix beautifully with blushes and naturals, which is perfect when combining fabrics in the form of cushions, linens and throws.” … And natural, hand-woven storage baskets, we would add!
Image via Dabito
At the other end of the colour spectrum are those new neutral tones – soft dove greys and dusky pinks – that also work exceptionally well with inky blues and deep purples.
Shop our Velvet Crush collection here.
Shop our New Neutrals collection here.
