Author: Rhoda Parry

Velvet. It’s the fabric that sums up luxury in just one pure and simple word. Plush, glamorous and high-quality, velvet is synonymous with bringing elegance and sophistication to the home.

It’s also one of the most practical modern-day fabrics by virtue of its versatility; happily insulating windows and doors and effortlessly hardwearing on upholstery.

“We love velvet here at Warner House,” says founder Lee Clarke. “It epitomises our raison d’etre of timeless design, for today.”

In this article, we take a look at six ways to adorn your home with velvet, adding statement verve to curtains and blinds, furniture and soft furnishings. From sumptuous curtains to stand-out accent chairs, discover how velvet printed fabric can bring a little bit of flamboyance to every room.

How to style velvet in your home

The term velvet is believed to be derived from the Middle French word, velu, meaning “shaggy”. Woven in a pile weave – a looped tuft that stands above a smooth ground – it results in a delightfully soft and tufted texture. Since its invention way back in the annals of time (early incarnations of the textile have been discovered in Egyptian tombs), velvet fabric has always been coveted. Originally woven in silk, linen and cotton, its quality and sheen linger steadfast through the centuries and has been beloved by the rich and famous.

Velvets have been woven at Warner from the 1870s onwards. It was Benjamin Warner that revived the use of figured velvet weaving at the end of the 19th century. Fast forward to the modern day and velvet still retains its high-end status. Yet, thanks to advances in technique, can be enjoyed by the many rather than just the few on all manner of furnishings.

With its piled texture and exquisite softness, cotton-rich velvets come in many textures – from smart to crushed – to suit every style of home be it a casual country cottage or a smart town house.

For those of us wanting to create bold and beautiful decorating projects, archival patterns are particularly popular and coordinating plains abound to calm and complement. Colourways range across the spectrum starting with good-looking classics, including rich indigo blues, mineral malachite greens and regal pomegranate reds. The romantic hues are having a moment with French pinks and roses too, while monochromes are standing out with charcoal blacks and snow whites.

Feeling inspired? We showcase six elegant ways to introduce velvet into interiors…

Add drama with full-height velvet curtains

Greg Penn (@manwithahammer) opted for Horsham Navy velvet curtains.

The ultimate in luxury, full-height velvet curtains will take living and drawing rooms to the next level. Coverage is from ceiling to floor, allowing the timeless drop and drape to showcase elaborate archive patterns to their absolute best effect.

Choose story-telling narratives in stately blue velvet, such as Horsham Navy. The document was sourced from an 18th century, hand painted Chinese wallpaper found at Hurst Park, near Horsham in West Sussex, and inspired the designer Bertram Whittaker to create this pattern depicting birds on whimsical swings with a trail of passion flowers and ferns.

Due to the weight and volume of this style of curtain, opt for good quality and substantial curtain poles for practical reasons, but also for proportion and scale.

Fall for a velvet conversation piece

The St James conversational seat in Panthera Espresso velvet.

Is your hallway or reception area area lacking in pizazz? Then look to statement maker furniture that will turn charisma-poor spaces into the talk of the town. A velvet conversational seat is a truly distinctive piece that magnetically fills a large space and lures guests to converse tête-à-tête.

For a unique look that speaks to English Country House style, choose a velvet animal print fabric in the form of the St James conversational seat in Panthera Espresso. Taking inspiration from the fur of the Panthera, this exotic velvet print is based on the markings of the majestic leopard and feels rich and opulent in the season’s must-have dark chocolatey/coffee hue.

Finishing touches are all important on these pieces so embrace button backs and lavish bullion trims that will complement dark wood floors and period furniture.

Mix and match on a headboard

Chinese Garden Ochre headboard finished with a smart Downham Russet border

Headboards are the design statement of the moment. Beloved by interior decorators, they’re an excellent design ploy to add a bespoke and lavish element to a bedroom.

Play with shape, colour, pattern, depth and texture to create a bedhead that is truly unique to you and your dream style. Mix fabrics, such as velvets with linens, for energy and pace. Use your show-stopper pattern as a starting point to then draw out complementary plain colour choices.

Here Downham Russet, a smart velvet fabric made with a small carbon footprint, frames the linen mix of Chinese Garden Ochre. A green velvet Downham Juniper accents a cushion.

Sink into velvet dining chairs

Paradiso Charcoal dining chairs.

The dining room calls for comfort. Deeply upholstered velvet dining chairs are the perfect way to keep dinner party guests at the table into the wee-small hours.

With cushioned seats, backs and half arms, this type of chair can take evocative designs handsomely. Look at mystical trailing designs that flow across the piece and mirror the fluidity of the chair shape. Here printed velvet Paradiso Charcoal with its mid-18th century design weaves its late-night magic. Look at upholstery details such as immaculate piped seams that echo the lines of a beautifully crafted dining table.

Be bold and consider layering up patterns in the space too. Choose the same design as a wallpaper backdrop but in a reverse colourway, such as Paradiso Sepia, for an enchanting and immersive atmosphere.

Mirror velvet armchairs

Two Bailey Chairs in Jannah Midnight

Symmetry is an all-important watchword in the world of interior design. This style trick mirrors two identical elements in shape, pattern and colour between a centreline. The result is pleasing to the eye and brings balance and equilibrium to a room space.

Seek out handsome velvet accent armchairs, such as the Bailey Chair Jannah Midnight, and position either side of a side or cocktail table. This arrangement brings functionality and form, whereby the table is in each reach for books, glasses of wine etcetera while the tree of life patterned seating creates a tableau of harmony.

The Indian-inspired tree of life Jannah Midnight velvet is a good companion for this classic shaped chair that is finished with wenge stained wooden legs and brass castors.

Drape a velvet panel

Lusso Copper Curtain

Panels decorate a window beautifully. This humble curtain design is having a renaissance; ticking the boxes for stopping drafts entering and heat from escaping your property while also remaining high in the all-important style stakes.

Head for the crushed velvet fabrics for an iridescent sumptuous effect. Plains, such as Lusso Copper are the epitome of the “quiet luxury” school of decoration, blending glamour in a restrained and understated fashion.

Consider draping the curtain half open for a soft diagonal line of fabric across the window that will catch the light throughout the day. As a finishing touch, be sure to invest in a gorgeous tassel tie back (Luxury Tie Back Taupe shown) or a rounded wooden pullback.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these inspiring ideas to bring a touch of velvet into your home. Buying velvet by the metre is a sure and simple way to elevate your home - whether it's refreshing the upholstery on a favourite piece of furniture or going to town on a bespoke headboard. Head over to see our full range of velvets. Alternatively, why not take a look at our furniture, we’ll help you choose the fabric and the style and do all the hard work for you.