Bouclé Furniture

The word ‘Bouclé' comes from the French boucler, meaning ‘to curl’. Furniture in the Bouclé style is characterised by the use of heavy fabrics made using a looped yarn. The material was widely used with mid-century furniture in the 1950s and 1960s, thanks to its sleek appearance and durability, and it is still used today to add a retro charm and hard wearing but comfortable covering. As such, Bouclé furniture looks great in a choice of retro and vintage colour choices, such as orange, yellow and some shades of green. However, it can also be used for cream and grey shades for more modern design styles.

Bouclé was a staple of mid-century furniture design, with its hard-wearing and durable fabric offering long term protection for furniture. In recent years, the fabric has undergone a renaissance and has come back into fashion, and not just as a covering for mid-century inspired designs. Bouclé’s image has been softened and it can now be used to cover all types of furniture in a much wider range of colour choices. It is ideal for adding cosy textures to modern designs, as well as for use as textile accents across your living room and bedroom. Bouclé is also a great choice for outdoor lounges,with its hard-wearing design giving it extra protection.

You can either choose larger Bouclé furniture pieces such as sofas or chairs, or simply use it to add some textural accents in your room. If you do have larger Bouclé items, try and use smoother and softer fabrics for cushions and soft furnishings, and vice versa. Too much Bouclé can be overwhelming.