The Best Velvet For Your Sofa - Order Free Fabric Samples

The Best Velvet For Your Sofa

When you think of velvet you automatically picture opulence. Renaissance women layered in rich velvet dresses, Oscar Wilde kicking back in velvet slippers or velvet-clad celebs on the red carpet. Velvet has been used throughout the ages and we know first-hand how its show-stopping credentials can turn any sofa into a star player. 

We look at why it’s hard to resist a velvet fabric for an interiors redesign, how best to look after it and what colours you can find in our Love Your Home collections.

What Material Is Velvet Made Out Of?

Velvet refers to the weave of the fabric, not the material. Two pieces of fabric are woven on top of each other and then the yarns that hold them together are cut, creating a raised pile. This gives it the plush feel and shiny lustre we know and love. Traditionally, it used to be made from silk, but today lots of materials are used, from natural fibres like cotton or wool to synthetic ones like polyester.

Where Do We Source Our Velvet From?

Whichever yarns we use for our velvet, we always focus on quality, affordability and durability. All our fabrics are sourced directly from third-and-fourth generation European mills. And we work hard to ensure that materials are easy to care for, so that they can be enjoyed by busy households for many years. Plus, our velvets come in an array of bespoke colours and patterns to suit myriad tastes. 

Is Velvet A Good Choice For A Sofa?

The choice of queens as well as rockers, velvet really is for everyone. Here are five reasons why we can’t stop getting enough of it:

- It’s luxurious: okay, so this might be an obvious one, but velvet exudes decadence. The eye-catching texture and the deep colours make it great for everyone, no matter their style. 

- It’s comfortable: not only does velvet look soft and plush, it is soft and plush. The deep pile means that it’s delicate to the touch, and deep to sink into. 

- It’s colourful: velvet often has a deeper more intense colour to it than other fabrics. This makes it a great choice if you want a bold accent piece to make a statement.

- It’s practical: Just because velvet is luxurious, doesn’t mean it’s not durable. In fact, it’s a very practical solution for sofas, which means you can use it for everything. Whether it’s for that two-seater sofa you need in the kids playroom or a corner sofa that will get jumped on by cats. 

- It’s durable: We measure durability with the Martindale rub test, which calculates how hardwearing the material is. The perimeters for this test range from around 10,000 for light and occasional use to 30,000 or more for heavy duty use.

How To Care For Velvet

To avoid losing that decadently plush look to your velvet, it’s important to help preserve its soft and alluring appearance. It’s easy to do, if you stick to these simple steps: 

- Vacuum regularly: Gently vacuum the fabric to keep it clear of dust or dirt that might dull the fabric. You can also use a soft brush to keep the fabric looking fresh. 

- Brush marks out: you might find that pressure on the velvet can leave dents in the fabric. It’s best to avoid resting anything heavy like books or glasses on the surface for too long. But if you do leave a mark, the best thing to do is brush it out. 

- Plump the cushions: to avoid wrinkles in the fabric, try to plump up your cushions and turn them regularly. 

- Clean spills: as velvet is made up of different materials, the cleaning instructions will vary from type to type. Make sure to check the label. If in doubt, lightly blot any spillages with a dry cloth. Avoid scrubbing the stain as this will embed any dirt further into the fabric. 

Order Free Fabric Swatches

You can see all our fabric samples online. However, some colours on screen may differ to the colours in real life, so we always recommend ordering our samples. You can request up to eight free fabric swatches to any UK address. Simply enter your details in the form online and wait for the delivery. 

Find Your Favourite Love Your Home Velvet

Now’s the chance to add your own flair to your house with a vibrant velvet of your choice. From recycled yarns to silky soft textures, we’ve got an array of fabrics to suit every sofa, chaise, cushion or footstool. It might be tricky to choose just one…

Studio Rich Stain Resistant Velvet

This high quality Italian velvet is sourced directly from third-and-fourth generation European mills. Half cotton and half polyester, it has the soft feel of cotton velvet with the durability of synthetic velvet. It is very hard wearing with a Martindale rub test of 100,000, making it ideal for everyday use and busy households. It’s also finished with a nano tec stain guard which is an efficient stain repellent technology. We recommend dry cleaning where possible so as not to change the stain repellent properties, although you can put it on a gentle machine wash at 30 degrees if preferred.

- Martindale rub test: 100,000

- Cleaning: dry clean or gentle machine wash at 30 degrees if preferred. 

- Composition: 50% Cotton, 50% Polyester

Studio Stain Resistant Velvet

Make any sofa instantly inviting with our polyester Studio Stain Resistant Velvet, a luxurious Italian velvet with a deep pile. It has the look and feel of a cotton velvet but with the added benefit of being incredibly durable, with a Martindale rub test of 100,000. Not only that, but it also has a nano tec stainguard, which is a steadfast stain repellent technology. We recommend dry cleaning where possible so as not to change the stain repellent properties, although you can put it on a gentle machine wash at 30 degrees if preferred.

- Martindale rub test: 100,000

- Cleaning: dry clean only.

- Composition: 100% polyester 

LYH Recycled Velvet

At Love Your Home, sustainability is high on our agenda. That’s why we developed this recycled velvet for eco-conscious customers. All the yarns in this velvet material are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. That means used and unwanted PET bottles are saved from landfill and transformed into polyester thread. Cleverly, the yarns have the same quality as virgin polyester, which is what is normally used for upholstery. Make sure to dry clean this fabric when it needs to be washed.

- Martindale rub test: 60,000

- Cleaning: dry clean only. 

- Composition: 100% recycled plastic bottle polyester

Botanical Printed Velvet

Perhaps you’re more into patterned velvet fabrics than plain ones. Why not try our Botanical Printed Velvet? It’s exclusive to Love Your Home and celebrates the organic shapes of flora and foliage. This velvet material comes in two different colourways that perfectly complement our Studio Stain Resistant Velvets if you want to mix and match. It’s made from 100% polyester and is stain resistant to make it extremely practical and durable, with a Martindale rub test of 100,000. We recommend dry cleaning this velvet fabric so as not to change the stain repellent properties, although you can put it on a gentle machine wash at 30 degrees if preferred. 

- Martindale rub test: 100,000

- Cleaning: dry clean or gentle machine wash at 30 degrees if preferred. 

- Composition: 100% polyester

Kid Mohair Velvet

Our Kid Mohair Velvet has a natural shine and comfort that is completely irresistible. Made from the fine wool of Angora goats, the fabric is incredibly resilient as well as silky soft. It doesn’t pill or wrinkle as much as other materials, and it’s completely free of synthetic fibres making it an excellent eco-friendly fabric. It also has the ability to take dye exceptionally well, which means the colour palette we offer is particularly rich.

- Martindale rub test: 100,000

- Cleaning: dry clean only.

- Composition: 100% kid mohair