THANKS TO VELVET…
I started my pillow business back in 2010. I had a bolt of turquoise velvet (that I had found at an estate sale) and decided to sew up some pillows and see if they would sell. They sold like hotcakes until they were all gone. Turquoise happened to be 2010 Color the Year. Who knew? Tangerine Tango, 2012 Color of the Year was another very hot color that sold like crazy.
Over the years, it has been fun to guess and watch what colors do well and try to figure out why. Velvets will always remain a staple in my designer toolbox for a number of reasons.
They offer pure, saturated color in an unbelievable array of colors and patterns.
They are generally very soft and nice to the touch.
Good quality velvet is extremely durable and will withstand the test of time.
Most natural fiber velvets and today’s high performance velvets are generally very resilient and age well (manmade velvets don’t age as well and can melt when ironed).
Wrinkles can almost always be pressed out with a little TLC and steam.
Over time, velvets develop a wonderful patina even when showing signs of wear.
Dirt can be easily removed with water, a gentle soap or rubbing alcohol on a q-tip (my personal choice). Pat, do not rub, as the pile will damage if repeatedly rubbed in one spot.
Some great inspiration found on Instagram:
There are a couple colors that are hands down the most popular.
SAFFRON:
As featured in ETSY JOURNAL in 2017
:
Love this room:
HOUZZ did a video featuring MILE KUNIS and her parents’ condo makeover which included the sunny yellow SAFFRON pillows:
TULIP
Also a big seller, especially in a range of lumbar sizes:
This pillow served as inspiration for Cailtin Fleming of SACRAMENTO STREET (Image below from Domino Magazine)
It was featured in ANTHOLOGY MAGAZINE a couple years ago:
LAKE
Below, is a lovely example of LAKE velvet as shown in Katie of CLAGETT DESIGNS’ living room:
LEOPARD
Leopard velvet has been immensely popular and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. This particular one is a nice look for a reasonable price.
If anyone knows how to work leopard, it would be Mega Instagram star Deborah of BLOUNT DESIGNS
What’s fun about her posts is she transforms her white living room by switching out accent colors and accessories.
(pictured above is her friend’s house, DESIGNS BY LAILA)
Kristen Siefkin of INTERIOR DESIGN ALCHEMY is a local Portland designer who repeatedly mixes leopard with other textiles, to add an eclectic note to a room:
(Design above and below by KRISTEN SIEFKIN as seen in APARTMENT THERAPY)
I am also a big fan of leopard as you can see by this heirloom chair which once belonged to my great grandfather. It was reupholstered in LEOPARD over 10 years ago and still looks great.
APPLE GREEN
Camila of EFFORTLESS STYLE INTERIORS shows how an apple green velvet accent pillow can really enhance a space in this DINING ROOM MAKEOVER:
I can’t fail to mention Tina of THE ENCHANTED HOME.
We have collaborated on several curated collections and we ALWAYS incorporate a few choice velvets into every one.
This palette will carry forward into 2019:
These have been my current offerings for this past year, and many are staples that will also stay:
What do you think? Which ones do you like? What would you like to see next year? I would love to hear your thoughts.
I’m going to revisit my vintage velvet collection in an upcoming post (stack to the right above is the vintage velvet). Many have sold out, but there are still some lovely ones available for purchase, being made up this week.
Love this lavender velvet sofa:
PROMOTION:
I have a VELVET SPECIAL going on now until December 12th.
Major markdowns on READY TO SHIP pillow covers and 15% off all CUSTOM velvet orders (1-2 week lead time) at www.studiotullia.com
I almost always end up feeling pretty crazed in December. I’ve started my stash of gifts and I’m hoping to kick things into gear here real soon. How about you? Aiming for quality over quantity. Hope the twins are down with that…thanks for following along!
