Monday 21 March 2011

Trend Watch - Tufted Luxury


There's something very sexy about tufted furniture. Take the hit show Mad Men for example, this pale blue bed makes the bedroom in the Draper's upstage New York home as drama-packed as Don and Betty's marriage. With deep tufting, blue velvet, and a sensual curved shape, this piece is the epitome of lush luxury.




But where and when exactly did tufting begin? The above Louis XV. Chair is from 18th century France so we know it has been around for some time.



Although it was considered old fashioned and out dated at times, tufted furniture made a huge come back when Bauhaus Meister, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe debuted his Barcelona Chair, turning tufting into an icon of modernity.





Since then tufted furniture has been a staple in chic homes and movie star portraits. What's interesting is that there seem to be two styles in tufted furniture, much like feminine and masculine versions. We think there is a parallel with the Mad Men cast...




Tufted furniture can be sophisticated, elegant, luxurious and comforting. The soft padding and classic texture create a dimension to the furniture and add instant glamour. It is feminine yet strong, assertive yet modest.



Yet tufted furniture can be Oh-So masculine and sexy. When created with materials like sleek black leather, it exudes power, stoicism, and sovereignty. It's simply hot.





Tufted furniture is also an obvious choice in event styling when playing up the luxury and glamour. Simply by using and placing gorgeous tufted furniture, a luxurious seating area is created where guests can socialize and mingle.



A perfect addition to any cocktail parties, weddings or corporate events with glamour.






The tufted look is not limited to furniture only. As seen above, applying shallow tufting to flower boxes can instantly glamorize the event and creates luxury.



If a fully tufted surface is too heavy but you would like to incorporate the luxurious feel of tufted furniture to your event, this tufted cushion for chairs just do the magic. It's light yet carries the same elegance and glamour as the original furniture.



Some like to take it all the way with the theme. Here is a gorgeous wedding cake where the tufted look has been carried over and it is just breath taking. Very original and unique.
Add the diamonds and voila! The flowers are now part of the diamond tufted theme. Creativity is key when it comes to event styling.

And here is a quite humorous take on tufted furniture. These life sized "pigs" are by Yvonne Fehling and Jennie Peiz. They are interior decoration, toy, art and of course, chairs. Maybe you can feel like the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland... "I love a warm pig belly for my aching feet."

2 comments:

  1. i love the tufted look, so classy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with you Susan; that look can only evoke luxury and elegance and can work in classical and modern setting.
    An excellent article. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete

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