Trend Forecast Calls for Flurries of Felt

8 felt picks to help you soften up hard modern spaces at all price points.

After weeks of working on Western Living‘s 2016 trend report for our December issue (out soon!), one thing is clear: texture is permeating every aspect of interior design, and with it—warm and fuzzy fabrics that feel soft to the touch.In new furniture we’re seeing a lot of velvet, but what’s really taking over is FELT. Felt coasters, furniture, rugs and baskets are popping up in stores daily, and with temperatures dropping, the felt movement is just in time.Our resident home stylist Nicole Sjostedt is also a huge fan.”I could think of 1,000 reasons why I love felt,” she says. “Not only does felt possess this incredible soft texture and give off this cozy vibe, it’s an incredibly durable textile.” Sjostedt also loves felt for its clean modern look and natural variation of speckles—something she says can hide unwanted manmade imperfections (i.e. everyday accidents and spills).

Felt Softens Up Modern Spaces

“I think in a lot of the new modern homes we’re seeing a ‘less is more’ factor, so with less clutter around and more hard surfaces like hardwood or cement flooring, floor-to-ceiling built-ins, glass, woods, marble and tile surfaces, we need to find ways to soften an area,” explains the Vancouver stylist, and the addition of a statement chair in felt or a felted basket gives hard surfaces a softer touch.

8 Fab Felt Finds

1. Building Blocks

This sit-or-serve-on-it felt ottoman from Hecks is six-sided, so you can live with one, or invest in a set that fits together like mod pieces of a honeycomb puzzle ($305). bludot.com  

2. Luxe Lamp

Lighting may be the last place you’d expect felt, and yet here it is on these classic Tom Dixon floor lampshades in mixed grey (from $675)—Dixon also designed a felty pendant version. grshop.com

3. Fuzz Factor

The felt Delo Lindo from Ligne Roset is a welcome twist on a chair design you’d typically see in wood ($1,261)—get the accompanying footstool for $741. livingspace.com

4. Weave Your Magic

There are at least two of us at WL (and counting) officially obsessed with Muuto’s sleek felt baskets, but these West Elm versions that start at around $45 (vs. $138) are a chic alternative.  westelm.com

5. Smoke Show

It’s undeniable, the Adelaide is one good-looking chair, and now in luxe felt fabric, it feels better than ever. You can get it in other fabrics and leathers, but why would you? ($922) boconcept.com

6. Pillow Pops

A spot of colour in what’s looking to be a predominantly 50-shades-of-grey felt trend, the handwoven Flechtkissen from Parkhaus Berlin comes in purple, rust, blue, brown, blush and beige (inquire for pricing). Parkhaus also has a ton of other felt products from $5 coasters to bright chartreuse ottomans and baskets. vanspecial.com

 7. Coaster Crush

Get a piece of the felt trend one surface-protecting coaster at a time—designed by the Danish-modern house, Hay (starting at around $2 each). hayminimarket.com 

8. Going Soft

Not all modern furniture was created equal. Or comfortable, for that matter. That’s why the Softline Scope chair is a sleek standout with forgiving armrests and a plush design devoid of hard edges ($1,450). vanspecial.com