Trend Alert: Boucle Fabric

We are seeing a huge surge in interest for Boucle fabric! Specifically, furniture that has been upholstered in this beautiful fabric. We love adding extra texture through boucle fabric! Let’s take a closer look!

What is Boucle Fabric?

Boucle fabric is a fabric that has been woven or knitted with boucle yarn. These yarns are produced from a number of different loops such as large circles and small curls. Boucle fabric originated from the French word meaning “curled” or “ringed”. The most popular fiber used for producing boucle fabric is wool, however cotton, linen and silk are often used for the fabric’s textured hand.

Why we love it!

We love boucle fabric because of its beautiful texture. Originally used by fashion house Coco Chanel in 1954, there is a huge history and wealth of world renowned designers who have used it time and time again. It is also really durable because its made from wool, making it a great option for upholstering furniture. We also like to complement spaces with boucle decorative pillows if the space needs some extra texture!

How to use it. 

There are many ways you can use boucle fabric in your home…

Our favorite being through furniture upholstery. As boucle fabric is largely made from wool, it is very durable and therefore makes a great fabric for sofas and armchairs. If you have pets though, we don’t recommend using this fabric for upholstery due to snagging and scratching.

We also like to use the more delicate blends of this fabric (silks and mohair) for throw blankets and decorative pillows to add texture to a space where this fabric hasn’t been used as the main furniture upholstery.

Boucle fabric looks particularly stylish when used to upholster curved pieces of furniture as the curves complement the loops and knotting of the fabric’s texture. 

What to watch for.

While boucle fabric is beautiful, there are some considerations to take into account when thinking of incorporating it in your home.

If you have pets, boucle isn’t recommended. The fabric can be easily be pulled and shredded if left in the hands of cats or dogs! Sadly this fabric can snag so care should be taken when handling it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that boucle fabric can feel stiff and scratchy on the skin, so always get multiple fabric samples to ensure you choose one that is right for you.

Ways to make this trend last in your home

Adding a completely different fabric than what you’re used to can feel daunting and scary, but there are ways you can make this trend last for many years.

If you’re ready to take the plunge with boucle fabric, make sure to get lots of fabric samples. Fabrics always vary by supplier, type and color so samples are really important. Decide which piece of furniture you will use the fabric for and make sure the fabric you choose is suitable for that use and how much wear the furniture is intended to get.

You can easily make this trend last in your home by using neutral colored boucle fabric for your sofa, armchair, accent chairs or even decorative accessories to add some texture to the space. The fabric is timeless, and so long as you keep to neutral colors, yours will be both classic and timeless and last many years!

While the most common colorway for boucle fabric is cream and natural tones, there are some available with different colored yarns running through the fabric, or even boucle in other more brighter colors. 

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