You probably don’t think much about fabrics except when some need arises in your home. Then a well-meaning employee talks to you like you absolutely know the difference between two shades of white or two fabrics like, for example, velvet and chenille.
That said, most of us have responded to velvet and chenille with something along the lines of “Uuuuu” or “Oh, wow. Have you felt this?” at some point.
Velvet and chenille are indisputably alluring, offering a comforting softness, depth, and texture. On furniture, both cry out to be sat it or snuggled up to. But that salesperson is right. Velvet and chenille are not the same fabric. They have a different look, feel, and behave differently in your life.
Today, let’s explore velvet and chenille to understand what makes them both the upholstery fabric stars they are.
Velvet And Chenille Feel Different Because They’re Made Differently
Imagine velvet and chenille are guests at a dinner party, both the center of attention in their own ways.
Velvet makes an entrance. Impeccably dressed, knowing just what to say, and always ready to strike an Instagram-able pose. Chenille has a distinct “I woke up like this” energy. Easy-going, grounded, and magnetically comfy.
As fabrics…
- Velvet is elegant and glamourous with its smooth, dense pile and luminous surface. Adopting the tone of whatever piece it’s covering, it can be moody or tailored, like a deep emerald green or rich orchid purple velvet.
Velvet’s texture comes from how its pile (aka the depth and feel) is created, as two fabrics are essentially woven together, and then cut apart revealing a luxurious plushness.
- Chenille’s comfiness comes from its often cushy and nappy surface, offering an inviting, relaxed feel while still looking put-together, like in a neutral camel beige or cozy creamy coconut white chenille.
French for “caterpillar,” chenille’s pile is made from short lengths of yarn sandwiched between two core yarns then twisted together, giving chenille its distinctive depth and softness.
So, velvet’s pile is cut and chenille’s is twisted. Both are made from a variety of natural and synthetic materials. And both are defined by their deeply appealing pile. They just get there differently.
How Velvet And Chenille’s Differences Show Up In Real Life
Understanding how those differences look and feel in real life helps you visualize where velvet and chenille fit into your home.
Velvet — particularly the plush variety — has a smooth, shimmering appearance, positively begging to be touched. Plus, because of velvet’s pile, its color tone changes with the light and with touch. If you’ve ever rubbed your hands back and forth over velvet, you know the experience.
Velvet is popular for adding something luxurious to a space. Like a living room sofa in a shine blue velvet, a bedroom headboard quietly luxe in blush pink or seaglass aqua velvet, or elevating dining chairs without getting stuffy in sterling silver plush velvet.
Chenille’s softness cushions and is decidedly warm and welcoming. It tends to do well in plunk-yourself-down-for-a-long-hang areas. Like a pair of accent chairs in navy blue contemporary jacquard chenille, a sectional in sage green or chocolate brown textured chenille, or dining chairs in a playful desert gold and light blue swirl wave pattern chenille.
Choosing between velvet and chenille is part personal, part the personality of the space. They both offer an alluring softness, while rocking different styles.
When To Use Velvet And When To Use Chenille In Your Home
Another simple frame for envisioning where velvet or chenille work best in your home is that velvet works great on statement pieces, chenille is great for mostly comfort-driven pieces.
Of course, velvet is certainly comfortable. (Like super snuggly comfortable.) And chenille can certainly make a statement. So the statement versus comfort rule is more a call to focus on the visual and textual role you want any particular piece to play in a space.
Ideas to get you started…
- Add elevated impact with a sofa in parchment white velvet, elegance with accent chairs in hunter green velvet, and romance and sophistication in you dining room with chairs and/or curtains in burgundy red shine velvet.
Also, velvet is richly relaxing on a love-to-linger sectional in navy blue velvet. (It just swaggers a bit.)
- Chenille’s a natural for sectionals, like in a champagne beige traditional caterpillar-like chenille with ottomans (or DIY floor poufs) in chorded chenille jacquard in shadow blue. Perhaps a bedroom changing bench in a grounding soft terracotta orange tweed chenille. And try living room chairs in playful peacock aqua chenille.
Also, chenille on a home office loveseat in earthy sage green chenille gives off polished, vintage vibes.
Focus on how you want the piece to feel in the space, the role it serves. The right fabric will reveal itself.
How Velvet Vs. Chenille Fabrics Fare In The Long Haul In Your Home
One of the great misconceptions is that you can’t have cozy, luxurious fabrics like velvet and chenille and have an active life, including pets or children.
That was true once upon a time. However, the rule of thumb is — and this one is a rule – if you have high-traffic needs, stick with a performance velvet or chenille (aka heavy-duty, hospitality, or commercial) and you’re good to go.
Actually, you’re better than good. Performance velvet and chenille are quite resistant to stains, pokes, and tears. There are, however, a couple of differences between them to consider.
A traditional chenille that’s particularly nappy and caterpillar-like may not be a great choice for clawed creatures. Stick with a chenille with a more smooth texture.
Plush velvet’s ability to change in look and color tone depending on the light and how the pile lies is really a cool feature. But if you want things to look uniform all the time, stick with a non-plush velvet.
In their performance forms, velvet and chenille fabrics are profoundly durable these days, designed for a busy life like yours. We’re huge fans of both here at the largest online furniture upholstery fabric store.
Why Velvet And Chenille Fabrics Both Have A Place In Your Home
In the end, velvet and chenille both deepen the welcome your home’s style vibe offers, each with a particular gift worth remembering.
Velvet has a gift for adding a sense of luxury, depth, and cozy elegance. And chenille’s gift is adding a sense of softness, texture, and comfort.
One simple way to start playing with them in your home is with throw pillows, made even simpler with our custom pillow cover service. (Maybe in orchid purple or lapis blue chenille, or oro gold or steel blue velvet.)
Velvet and chenille are the kinds of fabrics people love being near. So perhaps that’s one last quick tip, don’t put them anywhere you want to keep people out of or off of. Because that will be an epic fail.
No two fabrics are better example of the transformative power of fabrics than velvet and chenille. And we have a huge variety of both and people who love helping you choose. Give us a call today.
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