With its silky tactile fabric and rich, inspiring colourways – velvet sofas are known for their ability to immediately elevate their surroundings. Designer sofas and sofa beds in swoon-worthy velvet finish are a must if you seek to achieve a highly curated living space.
The impactful presence of a velvet can often seem daunting for even the most fashion-savvy. But once you go velvet there’s no going back. With the plethora of velvet sofa options out there, finding the perfect one for your interiors can get confusing. We created this guide by consulting some of our sofa experts so we’re sure that it will provide you with some clarity.
Who doesn’t want a touch of muted opulence, style and elegance in their interiors? When chosen and placed well, a velvet sofa will speak volumes about your personal penchant for creating luxuriously elegant spaces. Their appeal is not limited to their looks alone – they come with a surprising range of added benefits:
A mid-century favourite, this fabric has seen a surge in popularity in recent times and rightfully so. The beautiful material simply lures you into running your fingers and soaking in the supple texture. Velvet sofas offer an uber-plush comfort level that can’t be matched by other fabrics. The silken finish channels a regal aura and provides the perfect canvas to express your lifestyle.
Ever noticed how a velvet sofa just seems to stand out? It inherently emboldens any colour due to its short pile height which results in a condensed impact for the fibres. Deep royal blues, emerald greens, sparkling metallics, rich browns – the list never ends. Velvet can enhance and beautify virtually any colour.
A velvet corner sofa bed often serves as the perfect spot for an indulgent little nap on a lazy Sunday. It creates the perfect cosy, warm atmosphere that makes you want to just sink in and relax your worries away. Velvet sofa sleepers have gained a real fan following among those who value their leisure while maintaining a distinguished taste.
These sofas have that lustrous allure as their silken fibres will naturally reflect light. They glow like precious jewels and bring a subtle touch of luxury which signifies a discerning taste. This creates a textural depth within your room by juxtaposing it with its other materials.
Many have shied off velvet – mistaking it for a truly fragile fabric fit only for a king. Velvet sofas are surprisingly easy to maintain and clean up – especially ones made of polyester. Unlike its woven counterparts, velvet does not snag or trap fur as it has no thread loops – making the sofa a pet-friendly zone.
Velvet is essentially a short pile of fabric that was originally made purely of silk. Over time, more durable and synthetic options such as nylon, rayon, viscose and polyester took over. The versatile nature of the fabric allows it to take different forms and create a diverse range of options for creating a living room sofa. Here are some of the most sought-after types of velvet fabric:
This texture-rich luxurious fabric achieves its unique appearance during the manufacturing process by twisting it while it’s still wet. A crushed velvet sofa is often the first recommendation if you seek to add a chic, slightly dishevelled look while still maintaining a polished appearance. The twisting curves allow velvet to truly reflect light and create a shiny effect, which is why they’re often opted for in metallic colours.
If you want to add a pattern to your place without going too bold, then a sofa in embossed velvet will be your saviour. This velvet has raised patterns in geometric or floral designs. They create a highly tactile experience and can spruce up any flat-feeling space in your home.
This fabric has a crushed look which is achieved by pushing its piles in a singular direction with great force. This condenses the fibres together and creates a more plush, bold look than regular velvet.
A modern velvet sofa is extremely versatile as it comes in different forms, textures, shapes and sizes. Your selection needs to accurately weigh several parameters before deciding on the perfect sofa to uplift and improve your space without overpowering it. The first thing you need to have in mind is the design story you’re seeking to tell through your interiors. For instance, a Mid-century modern space will make good use of bold colours and linear silhouettes. A minimalist interior will benefit from large corner sofas of neutral-toned and lighter colours. You can also offset your room's key aesthetics by juxtaposing them with your sofa. Say, an all-neutral room will gain some visual interest by placing a bolder teal velvet corner sofa as a contour to your room’s dimensions. Consider it the focal point of your room, a conversation starter rather than a passive bystander.
The exact spot you intend to place your sofa will strongly impact its visual weight. Ideally, you need to place it near a subtle light source like a floor lamp or pendant light to really utilise its natural sheen and enliven it. You can also place it along similar colours to create a monochromatic effect.
The short pile of velvet means that there are multiple silken threads grouped close together to create rich, lustrous colours. It’s no understatement to claim that the colour of your sofa will be a deciding factor in how it will impact your ambience.
The ethereal sheen of velvet provides the perfect opportunity for you to get creative and dabble with metallics. A silver crushed velvet corner sofa or a gleaming bronze couch can add the perfect amount of opulence to a living space.
As with bold, a velvet sofa will also intensify the grounded sense of hygge associated with earthy colours ranging from greens to browns, to beiges. These Scandi colour palettes are especially suited to living rooms as they imbue a sense of warmth – something that is often synonymous with a relaxed lifestyle.
These colours are the most popular choices for 2 seater sofas – and with good reason. The strong tones of a mysterious emerald green, a bold ruby red, or a striking sapphire blue luxury velvet sofa – each of these rich colours implies that you’re not here to play. They lend a spark of life to freshen up your home in an effortless manner.
Despite its rich personality, you may note that a velvet sofa can fall flat if not styled correctly.
Accentuate your sofa with contrasting textures like a thick, woven throw with frayed edges or luminous cushions in silk. Place a lush green plant, a bold coffee table or abstract artwork nearby.
These variations in texture will create a harmonious medley in your space while truly making your sofa shine.
As explained by our senior interior designer, Rey Amini, “I feel like a velvet sofa is elegant enough to shine on its own and I would keep it simple instead of over-styling. So my recommendation is to go with very simple cushions and perhaps a throw. If I’m adding a rug, I would go for a muted or neutral colour. I also love the interplay between velvet and silk and it’s definitely a combination that one can try for modern living rooms and even bedrooms.”
The luxurious aura of velvet sofas can have you mistaking it for a high-maintenance furniture item, but the truth is far from it. As with any furniture, regular cleaning is required but the resilience of this fabric lies in the fibre that was used to build it up. For instance, synthetic fibres like polyester will last longer than silk. Very few velvet sofas today are upholstered in 100% pure silk due to its fragility.
Your sofa should be vacuumed thoroughly to ensure no dust or grime settles within the pile – be sure to use the upholstery attachment to ensure minimum damage to the fabric. Occasionally, you can go in with your steamer and work your way against the pile to freshen it up. Alternately, you can go in with a gentle-bristled brush and dry brush your way across the short pile; you can keep your sofa as good as new with minimum effort.
When you choose to go for a luxury sofa, you’re opting for stain-repellent fabric treatment to make dealing with accidental spills easier. In case of stains, you just need to wipe with a wet towel to ensure it doesn’t seep through.
Choosing the right velvet seater can get needlessly confusing as each sofa set seems to outdo the other in looks and comfort levels.
At FCI London, our highly esteemed team of interior designers are always eager to help you furnish the home of your dreams. The interiors of your home are a highly individualised matter and here, they are treated with the complete attention they deserve.
Our decade's worth of experience helps us to understand what your space truly requires when it comes to a velvet sofa – a black crushed sofa, a muted grey Chesterfield sofa, a retro orange velvet corner sofa – it all depends on the image you want to channel throughout your home.
At our stunning, 30,000 sq. ft London showroom, you’ll find a wide range of luxury sofas from some of the world’s best sofa brands that are known for offering unparalleled comfort. Having worked in the luxury interiors industry for more than four decades, we understand the importance of personalisation which is why our sofas are completely customisable in terms of materials, fabric and colours. So discuss your requirements with our award-winning design team and we’ll help you find your dream sofa in no time.
From picking out functional modular units to layouts and customisation options, the FCI team is on hand to give you the best advice. Schedule an appointment to visit our spectacular 30,000 sq. ft showroom and we’ll gift you a free one-time sofa design consultation.
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