Velvet is one of the most luxurious looking fabrics on the market and is still incredibly popular - even in today’s modern age. This is often because of its incredible versatility, as it can be used for both dressmaking and home furnishing projects.  Not only is it aesthetically pleasing to look at, but also extremely cosy to sit on, so you don’t have to sacrifice comfort in the name of style. Here at Fabrics Galore, we absolutely love velvet, so we have put together this guide to help you understand how to use velvet fabric in home furnishing. 

The history of velvet fabric 

Velvet has always been a very popular material to sew with, especially for a luxury interior look. It’s currently believed that velvet originated in the Far East, around the 13th century, but then became increasingly popular during the Italian Renaissance. Throughout Italy, there were three central hubs, where this fabric was produced - Venice, Florence, and Genoa. These areas were in huge competition with each other at the time, so took extreme measures to prevent rivals from learning their secrets - which just proves the incredible significance velvet fabric had at the time. 

How is velvet fabric made? 

Velvet can be woven from any type of yarn, including silk - which is the most expensive option. It is woven on a special loom called a double cloth, that has the ability to produce two pieces of cloth simultaneously. 

In early centuries, because mechanical looms were not available, this entire process used to be incredibly lengthy - which is one of the reasons why producing velvet was so expensive. Once the manufacturing process became more streamlined, velvet became more affordable especially once synthetic fabrics that simulate the appearance and feel of silk were used to produce velvet. 

Velvet can therefore be made from either natural or synthetic fibres and polyester is commonly used in velvet fabric nowadays, making velvet less expensive and easily accessible for upholstery projects, curtains and even dressmaking garments.

How can velvet be used in home furnishing? 

As we have already mentioned, velvet is such a versatile fabric and can be used in many different ways - including home furnishings. Although it may come across as quite an intimidating fabric to use, velvet is in fact a practical option for any home and deserves to be used. Contrary to popular belief many of the modern velvet fabrics are stain resistant and easy to clean. So, if treated right, the raised pile of the velvet fabric can look good for years. 

Velvet is one of those fabrics that looks good in any colour, whether a muted pastel, a rich jewel plain colour or even a digital printed velvet. Due to the raised pile, the light can reflect off the fabric in different ways so your room changes at different times of the day depending on the light.

No matter whether you are looking to achieve a glamorous feel, or something more relaxed, velvet would be a great choice for your home’s interior. Here are some of the best ways to use velvet in your home furnishings:

• Upholstery 

If you want to give your home interior a refresh, switching up your upholstery is one of the best ways to do this - and velvet is an excellent choice of fabric. Velvet looks good in both a traditional and modern setting but is always comfortable to touch, soft yet hardwearing at the same time. Although it can be quite difficult to use for beginners, the finish you will achieve with this material will be worth all the effort and hard work. If you live in a colder climate like the UK, velvet can help you create a cosy feel for your home. 

If you want to design beautiful sound and light blocking curtains, velvet is a wonderful material to use for curtains. Again, this fabric can be slightly difficult to work with, but is certainly worth the time and effort because with their elegant drape, velvet curtains will truly be breathtaking once completed. They not only look luxurious and contemporary, but if they are looked after correctly, they will last a very long time and wow everyone that sees them.

If you want to add a touch of glamour to your living space, creating velvet cushion covers is the way to go. They will enhance any sofa, adding a playful - yet vintage glamour look to your home. Especially as we are heading into the colder months of the year, they will make your evenings feel that little bit more magical. Sewing velvet cushion covers is a lot easier for a beginner than tackling velvet curtains or upholstery, so is a great way to inject some velvet into your home without revamping an entire piece of furniture or window setting. 

Would you like to buy velvet fabric from Fabrics Galore? 

Here at Fabrics Galore, we are here to help and provide you with the inspiration you need to implement new and fun materials into your home - including velvet fabrics. Our beautiful 100% velvets are super soft and perfect for a home furnishing or dressmaking project as they are available in a wide variety of colours and patterns. Look for our stretch velvets for dressmaking or our beautiful digital print 100% polyester velvets in our furnishing range. Our velvet range is perfect for any home furnishing project, with each fabric being the perfect weight for cushions, curtains or even for an upholstered chair.

If you would like to ask about any of our fabrics with a dedicated member of the Fabrics Galore team, then just give us a call now on 020 7738 9589.