Buying Guide

The Cult Guide to Velvet

Everything you need to know about velvet fabric and velvet furniture.

10 min read

Our Velvet, made for you

Who doesn’t love the allure of velvet? For rich depth of colour and luxurious quality, velvet fabric is a tactile and soft material that is also highly durable, with velvet furniture being suitable for everyday use in any space.

From our carefully curated and ever-growing collection of sumptuous colours to expanding our sustainable collection of eco velvets, it’s fair to say we’re obsessed; we live and breathe velvet! This exquisite range incorporates key colours designed to work in any interior for forward-thinking design, created for you. The result? A timeless colour palette available across velvet, mohair velvet and sustainable velvet options that transform spaces in a blink of an eye. We know you’ll love them just as much as we do.

Our range of handpicked colours across velvet sofas, chairs, and stools span across warm and cool shades, in both modern and retro designs, so there’s always going to be a statement velvet piece that suits your style.

Caramel Brown

Moss Green

Rust Red

Truffle Brown

Dark Blue

Olive Green

Taupe

Mocha Brown

Blush Pink

Teal

What is Velvet?

Velvet is defined as much by how it’s made as how it feels. It’s a woven fabric constructed with two layers of cloth formed at the same time, connected by an extra set of yarns that create a dense, upright pile. Once woven, those connecting yarns are precisely cut, releasing thousands of short fibres that stand on end and give velvet its unmistakable depth and softness.

Traditionally, velvet was made from silk - luxurious, fragile, and reserved for the elite. Today, it’s more democratic and more durable, woven from cotton, viscose, wool, or synthetic fibres like polyester, each altering the hand feel, sheen, and performance.

The pile is what gives velvet its drama: it absorbs and reflects light unevenly, creating rich tonal shifts across a surface. In furniture, that construction translates to substance - fabric with weight, resilience, and presence. Velvet isn’t printed luxury. It’s engineered indulgence.

A Very Brief History of Velvet

Velvet’s roots are deeply entwined with power, trade, and desire. Originating in the Far East, early velvet techniques are believed to have developed in China before travelling west along the Silk Road.

By the Middle Ages, the craft had been perfected in Italy - particularly in Venice, Genoa, and Florence - where velvet became a symbol of wealth, authority, and control. It was worn by royalty, clergy, and aristocracy, regulated by sumptuary laws that dictated who was allowed to touch it, let alone own it. Velvet was never casual; it was deliberate.

As centuries passed, it moved from ceremonial dress into interiors, draped over palaces and lining the rooms where decisions were made. Today, velvet carries that history quietly but confidently. Every piece still echoes its origins in craftsmanship and exclusivity - luxury born from labour, time, and intention, reimagined for modern spaces that understand its weight.

Made from recycled ocean plastics -

Made from recycled ocean plastics - Made from recycled ocean plastics -

The Sustainability Factor

Is velvet sustainable?

The short answer - absolutely!

Our recycled velvet range is sustainable! For excellent quality, conscious design, and sustainably-sourced fabrics and processes, our eco velvet turns wasteful plastic from our seas and oceans into soft luxurious velvet.

Made from 100% recycled PET yarns using particles of used plastics transformed into luxurious sustainable fabric, our eco velvet is used in many of our chair, sofa and stool ranges, and maintains this soft and durable premium quality. Doing the right thing by making environmentally-conscious decisions doesn't mean you should sacrifice on style and quality. AND we’re continually adding even more gorgeous colours in sustainable velvet options.

You really can have it all; beautiful design, at affordable prices that's kinder to the environment!

Shop Sustainable Velvet

Why choose velvet?

The 3 main characteristics of velvet...

That Distinctive Softness

Rich depth of colour

Ability to capture light

Capturing light? Let’s delve a little deeper...

Velvet reflects the light beautifully, offering further depth to the fabric, and therefore, allowing your furniture to shine! This really is the beauty of velvet, offering that mirage of tonal hues.

What is Mohair Velvet?

Velvet is already renowned for its luxurious softness, yet mohair velvet takes this one step further.

The sheer softness invokes one instant reaction in anyone that touches it; “WOW!”. It is still as strong and as durable as our standard and eco velvets, with the ability to absorb colour for a vibrant and exceptional fabric. Mohair velvet also features a slightly mottled organic effect, which suits our ranges perfectly. At Cult, our Mohair Velvet is also 100% sustainable, made from eco-friendly processes from unused ocean plastics. Your conscience will feel as great as this feather soft mohair velvet.

Our use of velvet and sustainable velvet is carefully considered in any chair, sofa and stool range, so you get thatcohesive design across any space.

Whether it’s a green velvet dining chair with the clean lines of the Ibiza Black Marble Dining Table, or rich walnut-stained wood with the equally decadent velvet accent chair (hello Luxe 70s Revival), each velvet piece fits seamlessly with dining tables, sideboards, and coffee tables. Don’t worry, we have even more about how to style your velvet furniture just below…

How about a little science?

Martindale Rub Test

The Martindale Abrasion Rub Test measures the durability of fabric, including velvet. To ensure the chosen fabric will maintain its softness and colour during frequent use, this test is performed by passing the fabric through a machine with two discs of wire mesh or similar material in a circular motion until there are signs of wear and tear.

At Cult Furniture, our velvets exceed the minimum of 100,000 rubs, which is more than suitable for domestic use across any furniture type.

“We select our velvets with strict criteria in mind...

They must have sublime softness and rich depth of colour, weaved from the most highest quality yarns. We choose shades and hues that extend across staple interior styles. The result? An exquisite range of velvets, made for you.“

How to style your velvet furniture

Contrasting colours

Likewise, mixing with contrasting colours results in modern style, but also hints at mid-century design. Our blush pink velvet dining chairs, combined with green velvet dining chairs, give a retro feel that is anything but dated. And don’t forget the accessories - staying safe with a grey velvet sofa is no problem when accented with plush velvet cushions in a rainbow of colours, and soft linen throws offer a textural contrast of materials.

How to style your velvet furniture

Making a velvet statement

When styling a fabric like velvet, it can be tempting to stay safe with just touches of velvet here and there. This works incredibly well, however, don’t be scared of making a statement! Mixing materials such as a bright orange velvet sofa with rich walnut wood and luxurious marble coffee table exudes opulence and modern style. Grey velvet dining chairs exclaim ultra contemporary living with modern metal and concrete industrial dining tables.

Why Choose Our Velvet?

Ok, so selecting the perfect velvet, that’s an important task. At Cult, we take velvet very seriously. What would look great with your rich walnut 70s revival table? We know. How about your fascination for the clean lines of Japandi design? Over here, we have the answer!

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How to care for velvet

How to clean velvet

For everyday velvet cleaning, you can simply vacuum your velvet furniture using the soft bristle nozzle available with most vacuum cleaners. This will help to remove any build-up of dirt and dust that naturally occurs over time.

For a more thorough clean, with the types of velvet we produce at Cult Furniture, you can clean your velvet furniture at home with a special velvet upholstery cleaner. However, we strongly encourage you to always read the label.

We would advise testing on a small hidden section of your furniture to ensure the cleaner doesn’t discolour or damage the fabric. Leave this for 24 hours before returning. If this is successful, continue to use this cleaner as instructed. Afterwards, once dried, you can brush and vacuum the area.

How to get stains out of velvet furniture

For spot cleaning and spills, swiftness is key. Prompt action dealing with accidents can avoid permanent stains on velvet. Firstly, absorb the excess liquid with a paper towel and blot the area until the moisture has been removed.

Caution! Do not rub or wipe the fabric!

When applying the cleaner, apply softly and sparingly with a cloth or sponge, dabbing the area you need to clean. Avoid harsh and heavy strokes that can damage the fabric. You can then repeat the process until the stain has been removed. Make sure to remove excess liquid and allow it to dry naturally. Once dried, vacuum the velvet back into place.

Best way to protect velvet furniture

You can purchase a fabric protector specifically for velvet that can provide some resistance against liquids and dirt. This process is called scotch guarding and special scotchguarding sprays are available.

Velvet can be prone to colour fading so try to avoid direct sunlight. You can cover your velvet chairs, stools, and sofas with throws on bright sunny days to avoid this happening.

If you are ever unsure about how to protect or clean velvet, seek expert advice. After more time passes, you may need to get your velvet furniture professionally cleaned.