Western Living Magazine
Reimagine Remodelling with Kitchen Canvas
Protected: Merit Kitchens: Urban Cool Meets West Coast Warmth
Finalists Announced: HAVAN Professionals Inspire
Recipe: Balsamic Strawberry Sponge Cake from Oh Sweet Day
Recipe: The Perfect Blueberry Scones for Springtime
The Only Irish Coffee Recipe You’ll Ever Need
I Had the Best Nap of My Life in an Anti-Gravity Pod
Editors’ Picks: The Best Trips We Took in 2022
Victoria Might Just Be the Perfect Pre-New Year’s Getaway
The Future of Beauty: How One Medical Aesthetics Clinic is Changing the Game
Trending Now: The Best New Furniture and Homewares for Spring
Sleep Tight, Whatever Your Size: This Mattress Company Embraces All Body Types
Designers of the Year 2023: Introducing Our Furniture Design Category Judges
Designers of the Year 2023: Meet Your Maker Judges
Designers of the Year 2023: Meet the Architecture Judges
Interior designer Kendall Ansell gives us the scoop on why this luxe fabric is making a comebackand shares her secrets for how to get the velvet look at home.
Designers everywhere are excited about velvet’s reemergence in interior design (see Alykhan Velji‘s thoughts on the material and check out a Stephanie Brown-designed velvet space in our 2017 trend report) and now interior designer Kendall Ansell is weighing in.“We went through this stage where we were using a lot of sleek, grey and white (cold!) materials in the home, but now we’re heading back to cozy-warm spaces that make you feel good,” says the Kendall Ansell Interiors principal. “We’re seeing big knit blankets and linens—all those textural fabrics are coming back—and with that, obviously velvet fits right in.”Here’s why Ansell loves the look—and her fave ways to incorporate velvet in the home.
Find a look that suits your style—and your budget. “I like that you can still achieve the look at different price points. We can get some really lush velvet and we can get some lower pile (thickness) velvet that’s a lot less expensive,” says Ansell.
“If you have triplets running around with sticky fingers, velvet it probably not a good choice, but if you have a household that’s able to have some showcased pieces, adding velvet pillows is the easiest way ,” says Ansell. If you want to make more of a commitment, opt for a chair or sofa.
“I think there is such a thing as too much velvet. We can all picture the velvet-on-velvet-on-velvet look from the ‘60s—when it starts looking like a velour track suit, you’ve gone too far.”
“The colours you choose can keep your velvet looking up-to-date and modern,” says the designer (a burnt orange or burgundy, for example, can date itself). “I personally love to see it in navy blue and other jewel tones because the shimmer lends itself to those tones.”
Combine velvet decor with metals, woods and mirrors. “I always find that when we’re working with velvet, we typically pair it with sleeker, less textural fabrics that will let the velvet be the star. It’s one of those fabrics, like linen, that’s very versatile. It can go with a lot of different materials, but I do think it needs to be paired with something that won’t outshine the velvet,” says Ansell.
Velvet may seem like a winter fabric, but it can be used in spring, too. “Again, it depends on the colour you choose, the thickness of the velvet and what you’re pairing it with, but I do think velvet can be used as a neutral fabric across all seasons.”
Are you over 18 years of age?