There’s something that feels right about turning the calendar page and taking a moment to realign for the year ahead. And we can do it gently, rather than with all that usual aggressiveness.
Case in point, Veganuary, an annual tradition intended to inspire a shift to more earth-aligned living and a chance to get curious about what you truly value.
Obviously, here at the largest online furniture upholstery fabric store, exploring the benefits of more veggies, less dairy, or really any food related things isn’t our bailiwick. We do, however, have a thing or two to say about upholstery fabrics.
So let’s use Veganuary as inspiration to talk about vegan fabrics and how to use them to offer comfort and style, welcome and warmth, and say a little something about what you value in the world.
What Veganuary Really Means (Hint: There’s More Of What You Love.)
First, what is “Veganuary” anyway? It began in the UK in 2014 as a community challenge. The idea was to encourage folks to go vegan for a month, just to see how they feel afterwards.
Since then, Veganuary’s gone global and become as much an opportunity for self-exploration and discovery as it is about sustainability and health. What’s important for our purposes is that Veganuary is really about opening up to possibility and exploration.
It’s about asking questions like, what if I chose (insert whatever you’d like) just to see how it feels? And what if I could feel more aligned and feel like I’m indulging and luxuriating? Of course, these are excellent questions for areas of your life well beyond your kitchen pantry. For instance, your home and the fabrics in it…
Why Vegan Fabrics Are Perfect For Your Home (No Matter How You Eat)
Now, what makes a vegan fabric vegan? The answer starts where the textiles do, and the impact of that point of origin.
With vegan fabrics, that means steering clear of animal-derived materials. Broadly speaking, that means things like leather, wool, cashmere, silk, etc. Basically, if it was once a part of something alive, it’s a no-go.
But wait, there’s good news!
Here in the 21st-century, vegan fabrics include modern faux leathers, high-performance synthetic fabrics, eco-friendly weaves, fabrics with recycled content, and soooo much more. Plus, today’s vegan fabrics offer more durability, less maintenance than many traditional textiles, and all the luxury and beauty you expect. So many wins.
All that and there’s just a confidence, pride, and joy that comes from knowing the things in your home are there because they reflect something that matters to you.
Faux Real: How To Go Vegan One Fabric At A Time In Your Home
Remember, Veganuary is a gentle invitation to experiment. Same with vegan fabrics in your home. No complete makeover required. Here’s how to get started:
Start Small
Using vegan fabrics isn’t learning a whole new language. It’s more like picking up a phrase or two, playing with color, pattern, and texture in spots that might get noticed — and loved-on.
Like throw pillows in Brittany blue microfiber adding a moment of comfort. An entryway bench in shetland green vegan suede warming up your welcome. Dining chairs slipcovered in a burgundy abstract geometric pattern slipping your dinners into a different conversational gear.
Any coffee or tea drinker knows the difference a splash of cream or teaspoon of honey makes. Vegan fabric accents are like that. Once you try them, you wonder why you haven’t before.
Reimagine
A sofa you love is a sofa you’ve worn-in — and worn-out. Perhaps the leather you chose back in the day doesn’t feel like such a good choice anymore, or the wool is looking a bit more wildly woolly than welcoming woolly.
Vegan fabrics offer a fresh opportunity to refresh things without replacing them.
Like reupholstering that beloved sofa in deep French grey vegan ultrasuede. Or slipcovering armchairs in off-white washable denim, bringing that fresh look time and again. Your loveseat dressed in indigo blue eco-friendly velvet makes your favorite end of the day landing spot comfier than ever. Small efforts, big rewards.
Zhuzh Boldly
Every home, like every outfit, benefits from a bit of bling to zhuzh it up. Sometimes that’s artwork. Sometimes an heirloom antique. For you, how about a vegan fabric moment?
You get the satisfaction of choosing a vegan fabric, and you get to make it a work of art, maybe even one that feels like an heirloom piece. With just some fabric.
Like the chaise lounge you “accidentally” nap on, all the more snuggly and stylish in an amethyst eco velvet. Or a reading chair that tells its own story in classic green houndstooth. Or a headboard that makes bed even more irresistible in a lake blue microfiber.
Bold pieces don’t have to be loud, they just need to boldly declare your personality.
Be Intentional
If you’ve ever experimented with veganism, or really any dietary ism, you know such shifts change your relationship to food more broadly. Vegan fabrics do that in your home. Particularly when used intentionally.
So, warm neutrals, like nutmeg brown, ground a family room, elevating your unwind. An abstract leaves pattern echoes the outdoor world’s aliveness in any space meant for restoration. A cotton white performance fabric makes a small space feel expansive and lit up. A golden earth tone in your bedroom enhances its centering, calming effect on your day.
Colors and textures do more than decorate, they define the emotional architecture of your home. That’s not a pressure thing, it’s an opportunity thing.
Gradually Amazing
To get in better shape, go to the gym, do 30 sit ups, and — tada! — six-pack abs, right? Of course not. That’s not how fitness or design works. Meaningful progress is gradual, not all at once.
That’s why those throw pillows in a bold black and white geometric pattern make a difference. Why reupholstering your ottoman in deep blue plaid offers more than just a place to put your feet up. And why your favorite chair reimagined in sage green vegan microsuede feels transformative, even though it’s just one corner of your world.
Suddenly (aka., gradually) your home starts to feel more aligned. Not just beautiful. But welcoming, intentional, and you.
It’s Time To Align Your Home’s Style Vibe With Your Best Life
Your home should feel like a place that’s aligned with the life you truly want for yourself. Not a life you wanted at one point, but the one you want now.
Veganuary will end. But the gift of trying new things that might be just a bit more aligned with you is available all year.
And, thanks to advances in vegan fabrics, you can find fabrics that offer performance, warmth, comfort, and pretty much whatever else you could want for the life you live now — and next.
And we’re here to help you sort out the best vegan fabrics for you and your home for all the small steps and big leaps along the way. Give us a call today.