VELOUR, VELVET AND THE MAGIC OF FABRICS

Transforming existing objects. With new fabrics, processed in our workshops to create curtains, cushions, bed plaids, headboards and upholstery, our interior designers can fundamentally reconfigure the atmosphere of a room.

The most obvious element of home fabrics are their colours and patterns. Both are subject to changing trends. Just like in fashion, new trends come around each year in interior design. Colours of the year are defined, and for the patterns there are eye-catchers that become standard in many areas.

In 2023, we’re seeing an abundance of trends in colours, patterns and qualities from which we distil the tendencies that are relevant for us.

Colours and patterns are like makeup, a great outfit, a stunning hairdo. Eye-catchers that grab our attention (or not). One essential aspect when choosing textiles is their quality, the make in terms of textile technology.

Home fabrics need to fulfil certain requirements in order for the people living there to enjoy them and for the investment in good quality to be financially justified. So it’s worth spending some time choosing suitable qualities for the intended purpose.

Some of the questions we ask are: In which room are the fabrics going to be used? What product is being made? How will it be used? Are there specifications? A decorative curtain in a children’s room needs to meet far fewer requirements than, say, a sofa in the living room or armchairs in a hotel lounge.

Weight, washability, processing, flame-retardant properties, anti-stain or even disinfectant finishes – all of these are questions and criteria commonly addressed by the expert advisors at the Design Center. In every consultation, a wealth of knowledge comes into play, and ideally the best possible qualities will then be selected for the respective need.

Fabrics for a cosy ambience, for rooms that, as it were, spread their arms wide and welcome all who enter – these are the kind of fabrics that are at the core of the considerations by our interior designers and advisors. One of our favourite qualities for many years now is velour.

Velour is a flat weave with a soft surface made of an upright pile. This is formed from a woven fabric with loops that are cut open. Both natural and synthetic fibres can be processed. This blanket of fibres is also known as the pile, and it can take on the appearance and feel of velvet, suede or fine corduroy.

Who hasn’t sunk into a velvety sofa, lost in thought, and drawn circles or smileys and then smoothed them away with a stroke of the hand? Depending on how the pile of the velour lies, the colour has a different intensity. The height of the pile plays a decisive role, as does the material. Synthetic fibres, for example, can create an additional effect with a shimmer.

Velour with a long pile never looks perfectly neat and tidy. Velvet is nothing other than velour with a slightly shorter pile, making it somewhat cleaner in this regard. Originally, velvet was made from silk, and its price reflected this. These kinds of fabrics are frequently used in fashion.

All velours immediately show if someone has touched them or even sat down on the sofa or armchair. Classy and cosy in a laid-back way and appealing to the touch – this is how fans of velour describe the fabric.

The height of the pile plays a role in one undesired effect: after a certain height, it is more likely that the upright fibres will bend and can no longer be straightened out. The colour of the spot is then permanently altered. On sofas, benches and armchairs, this is known as the “seat sheen”. If you wish to prevent this, you should go for fabrics with a short pile. – Advice and expertise when choosing textiles for all living situations is worthwhile.