Welcome to our first second-day post! We are pretty excited to start spending more time together. Also in case you missed our first post of the day here is a link to that bad boy. So without further ado let’s get to it…
Years ago when I was doing more designing and styling for clients, I would solemnly say that boucle was one of the only fabrics I didn’t touch or want my assistants to waste their time getting swatches of. Ten years ago, I hated it, opting for linen, cottons, velvets, mohair, etc. In the fabric stores, it always felt dated, very “decorator-y” and ’80s or ’90s. Boucle was really just an absolute no. Too curly, too loopy and not what I wanted in any of my designs. I was probably wrong about it even then, I’m sure that there were some good ones that I just didn’t open my mind to, but such was the level of my dislike.
So like the bolo tie (the one thing I never thought would come back, like EVER but has), I’m finding myself extremely attracted to this nubby, textural fabric and I’m considering it for our next sofa because it looks pretty cozy and supposedly decently durable. Who AM I?
I was surprised to find it in a pattern that I loved, but that broken stripe by Rosemary Hallgarten is awesome.
These colors? YES. P.S. I found these all via Instagram by literally using the hashtag #boucle. I was on the hunt. So after a quick Google translate (the original post was in German), I learned these are from a shop called Lidani Store, but if anyone knows where to source something like this stateside, I’m interested in the rose color. It’s so pretty.
It has a ’70s Italian modern feel, which we are all very into here at EHD. Perhaps it’s the more refined older sister to sherpa which is continuing to be hot in 2020.
It seems like when and how it works is in a solid modern color, in a sleek modern shape, so no decorative details…it’s about more architectural pieces. Would it look good on a traditional wingback? I fear less so, but in these really chunky and streamlined pieces, it’s a win.
Thoughts? Were you a hater, too? Would you bouclé with me?
P.S. If you were wondering what this second super fun but random post was, I am here to say that the time has officially come…we are doing second-day posts. I’ve been wanting to do more short posts of just my design thought starters and other fun topics. When I want to debate something or see something worth talking about, I’ll pop them into a post. Sounds great, right? So me (and my awesome team) will be talking to you now twice a day (in the morning with your coffee and in the afternoon for your second coffee?) with a short, fun thought of the day. Come back every day at 11 am (PT) for a little blog snack, won’t you? Let me/us know if you are into them because I/we have A LOT of thoughts, as you know and sometimes they don’t warrant a lengthy post, so I’m like “let’s just write them and put them up and see if people are into them.” xx
V into boucle. It looks like the subtler little sister of sherpa.
On board with Boucle—and tbh a wink back might be hilariously cool in it?? One with some good lines and wood details. Call me crazy.
Also, I am thrilled about the afternoon post announcement. 2pm EST is right when I need a break for a blog post!
I have been stalking a Boucle CB2 sofa for over a year. With your approval, it might me time to bite the bullet.
I am here for it. It being both boucle and 2-a-day posts. (It… Them?)
same
Same, same.
Huh…I don’t think I’ve ever recognized boucle as outdated, but maybe I’m just forgetting where it might have been seen in the 80s and 90s? Could you show some examples of it in the more outdated applications?
I agree, it’s jumping on the sherpa trend – things that look squishy, cozy, or textural are having their moment.
I have always loved boucle. I even reupholstered two MCM chairs in Knolls boucle fabric in the colour chartreuse 10 years ago. They looked beautiful, but I felt that the fabric wasn’t that durable. I have since sold the chairs, but I’d love to have another piece of furniture using a more durable boucle.
Don’t do it with pets. I have two boucle MIlo Baughmann chairs that are hell to vacuum when the chi/terrier mix sneaks a nap.
I was going to ask this! I have a dog and a cat – I love the texture of sherpa and boucle but felt like it would be a disaster with pets. Especially cat claws 🙂
Agree! My two cats would love to dig their claws into a boucle couch. Definitely not a good fabric for cat owners..
YES. I have a pair of gorgeous living room chairs and the dogs aren’t even allowed on them, but their hair is like woven into the chairs now.
Yes. I can’t even imagine how much fur gets woven into that nap!
Im afraid I would have a soggy gross mess, my cat seems to like to kneed and suck on soft fabrics so I can’t have softy things left out or lying around.
I think you should call this BlogSnack.
🙂 We were internally calling it “afternoon snack” so we’re basically on the same page here!
For the rose color, there Is a close one called little Devil from Knoll. They have great boucle fabrics and They’re all made for contract installation, so they wear well ( if you don’t have a cat— cats will pull at the nubs and ruin it within 2 weeks!?)
I’m here for this! Maybe put the boucle in for new dining room cushions in the mountain house?
I love this post idea! I am absolutely the same…I’ve noticed a lot of this fabric and have really liked the look of it, but I would have said nope back in the day too. That’s the cycle and benefit of “trends”…back but with a refined twist…usually better. And I think it’s the colors and the pieces the fabric is on that has me hooked. Some may say nay when something like this comes around again, but I’m a yay!
I LOVE seeing your name in my inbox, so twice a day totally works for me!!! A Happy Hour one would be welcomed, too!!!
We LOVE bouclé at Revitaliste! We’re super into the cozy, inviting, textural-ness of it. We think it has real modernizing power for clean-line upholstered pieces (e.g. mid century) or amorphous, curvy pieces (e.g. 70s’/80s vintage). We like to add contrast welting in a tonally similar color but in different texture (e.g. silky or leather piping) to break up the nubbiness a bit.
For luxe bouclé, our go-to brands are Sandra Jordan and Rogers & Goffigon (FYI…they both have pale pink options!) For family-friendly options, Perennials boucle-like fabrics are perfect.
I love seeing your name in my inbox, so twice a day totally works for me. A Happy Hour one would be welcomed, too!!!
Love! Can’t get enough of the EHD team!
I would cat test that first if it is going in your house. You may wind up with a very fuzzy cat magnet.
yes! I can read this blog all day long! And I’m craving to become a real interior designer asap, so to me the more fresh posts that help me spot current and nascent trends and understand modern design principles, instead of digging into older posts, the better. This second post is like casually chatting about today’s design news to an awesome conversation partner on design, i.e. EHD – Daily! Personally, I find it a very precious thing!
Two posts a day is great! Boucle I’m less into, because both the look and feel remind me of velcro. I imagine getting my nails snagged on it, eugh. Also I imagine it collects pet hair and dust like mad (also why I’m a sherpa curmudgeon). Maybe I’ve just encountered bad quality stuff, though.
I’d love it if you did a post of just boucle items. Would very much appreciate your findings 🙂
Ooooh. I think it *might* work but the color & piece matter so much. Great on the ottoman. Really don’t like it in an oatmeal shade on a big piece. Makes me think of a used ace bandage, or a worn-out teddy bear. Maybe it’s because it is a very tufty one?
How does it clean up? It’s hard to imagine it’s easy to clean that texture and that’s a consideration for those of us with fur babies … I definitely am on the texture train but, like chenille, not sure that extends to boucle.
I didn’t even know what Bouclé was. It’s pretty, though! I wonder if it’s comfortable. At any rate, yay for two-a-day blog posts! More chances for Tina to learn! 🙂
Weighing in as the partner of a full-time mid-century furniture restorer @good_bones_vintage)… Boucle is GORGEOUS and textural and can be both period and an unexpected modern update. Yay to boucle! (And yay to two-a-days!) I would not describe it as “durable.” It snags and pulls. And it gets little “Troll” hair poofs when it gets snagged. A sweater shaver is a must. I would not use it in our home anywhere our kids or pets would have access to it, sadly.
I am so here for the second day post! Great idea!
Yay! Thanks for the enthusiasm Nicole. We have A LOT to say around here that one post a day simply just wasn’t enough.
Love the second post. Do not love boucle. Looks like a popcorn ceiling, that fell down onto the furniture. The striped fabric wasn’t so bad, maybe because it distracts the eye from the lumpiness of the fabric. Not for me thanks.
Definitively into 2 posts a day. Love it.
We have a boucle 1960s children’s rocking chair and it inspired me to re-do our G plan late 60s, early 70s teak dining chairs in a slightly less loopy, slightly more durable boucle inspired material (that I got from a car boot sale, which is the British version of a yard sale. Well, it would be if everyone put all their yards together; and then sold all their stuff from the trunks of their cars.) The key is the colour. The rocking chair is a navy, aqua mix and the dining chairs are a teal, black mix. The colours pop against the wood. So far so good with the cleaning of all the chairs and I have a 2 year old (although I have brainwashed her in to being a neat freak who enjoys cleaning!).
Hurrah for boucle.
Boucle just feels dirty even before you touch it. But this afternoon bite of a post is AWESOME. An extra cup in the afternoon!
Laughing because I’m literally reading this while enjoying my afternoon coffee and read this morning’s post with my first cup. I like where this is going.
I would not have guessed that Boucle would speak to me BUT Rebecca Wakefeild posted her new Arlo & Jacob sofa in Boucle and I have been drooling for like a week since.
I wasn’t aware of design trends or what different type of fabrics are called up until a couple of years ago, so I didn’t know boucle was making a “comeback” I just thought it was a cool new fabric. I personally love it. I tend to gravitate towards neutrals and solids, so I like to have a bit of texture in my fabrics. Boucle, jacquard, and velvet are my favorites. Room and Board just added a new boucle fabric option, and I have my eye on a chair from them in their boucle fabric.
My grandma and mom both had boucle sofas. My grandma’s was a curved sectional..she was very stylish for a woman born in 1899. My mom’s was a Lawson sofa. It wore like iron. If the new patterned boucle is the same hard working, nearly indestructible fabric, count me in! Twice a day posts? Love it.
The Calico stores have a wide selection of Performance upholstery fabrics woven with boucle yarns, in both the Crypton lines and the Inside Out lines. All those noted below are easy to live with and easy to clean with a diluted soap and water solution on a sponge. These are not really loopy boucles, which are likely to snag on jewelry and pet claws, but more tightly constructed boucles–and some even have a light backing to keep the yarns intact. The following are all on the website http://www.calicocorners.com and in the 60+ Calico stores across the country: KIKI BOUCLE – Dana Gibson Crypton (8 colors) ARCHIBALD – Dana Gibson Crypton (2 colors) HAXTON OD – Inside Out (18 solid colors) ASTON OD – Inside Out (7 colors – multi-color) COCONUT – Crypton (5 colors) CHILI – Crypton (1 color) SISAL – Crypton (2 colors) PRATO – Crypton (4 colors) MANI – Crypton (3 colors) In addition, there are two boucle upholsteries in the stores that are not online, NAIMA CR in Blush and DARIA CR in Blush (both close to the color Emily likes–but a more interesting blend of colors). The Calico stores can also handle the reupholstery process to… Read more »
I really only like the boucle on that round stool, which is stunning. But on a bigger piece, I think I would be tired of it in a month. Something about boucle just stresses me out. All that fuzz. It’s such a noisy fabric.
I am drawn to many of the boucle pieces I am seeing now, but no way. They would simply be a very expensive scratching post.
We’ll be saying boo to boucle probably right around 2025, so enjoy it now while you can.
No boucle in my life. Even if I liked it–and I don’t–I have a cat and she has a full set of claws.
I really like the look of boucle in the right application. However, if it’s anything like my suspiciously boucle-esque coat, the weave is expert at trapping and holding dog hair, so beware pet owners. Managing pet hair while having a decent place to live would be a great post topic!
Love the look and your choice of fabric. Wondering about it’s performance over time.
“… in the morning with your coffee and in the afternoon for your second coffee?”
I feel seen ❤️
Here for the boucle and here for the second post!
I can’t believe you were anti-boucle it’s SO good and I think some chunky tweed/boucle action makes so much sense on mid century pieces.
Thanks to all who said don’t do Boucle if you have pets! I love the look of it but sadly with two Belgian Sheepdogs and two cats it is a “no” if they will ruin it. I would love a post about what fabrics are great for pet owners. I have a wool mohair pillow that is impossible to get the fur off of. I like cozy fabrics so leather and vinyl are out for me. My solution so far is to slip cover with cotton canvas and wash it often. And I love the second post idea!
I also want pet friendly fabrics! A general pet friendly design post would be good, too! And I love leather, but it’s not pet friendly. My cats have done a lot of scratching on my leather sofa. And my sister has dogs, and they are also hard on leather.
What do you do when you spill something? Or god forbid a pen mark?
No. Just, no. Especially in white/cream.
That armchair in the second last photo looks ?
It seems cozy during the fall/winter, but would it be hot during the summer? I can just imagine…
I have learned something new today (that this fabric exists). But how on earth do you pronounce it?
This is nice ! first post is my after-lunch and your 2nd is my morning (I’m in France). Such a nice way to start my day, with a little snack of prettiness…Thank you 🙂
Six years ago I had a Bernhardt sofa covered in a tan boucle. It is very durable, cleaned well when I had a major spillage, and looks classic. I’ve added velvet pillows to bring in depth and sheen.
Six years ago I had a Bernhardt sofa covered in a tan boucle. It’s not as dense as some of the fabrics shown on this post. It is very durable, cleaned well when I had a major spillage, and looks classic. I’ve added velvet pillows to bring in depth and sheen.