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Color Crush

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A Zeal for Teal

Exploring the Teal Velvet Trend

April 05, 2018
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A Zeal for Teal

Exploring the Teal Velvet Trend

April 05, 2018

She may have worn blue velvet, but it’s that variation of blue, teal, that has us crushing on the velvet. It’s certainly been making the rounds on design sites, Pinterest, and other places, and it has not escaped our notice. In fact, we even created a little Pinterest board of our own to keep the inspiration flowing, as far back as a year ago.

Velvet has a history of elegance and affluence: the velvet rope; the smoking jacket; the plush red seats at the theatre. The blue velvet dress. It’s also undeniably sexy. The fashion industry hasn't forgotten this, and as of last year, velvet is back on the runway in bold new ways.

As velvet gets reimagined, it's no longer a sure sign of luxury. It can play that way, but it depends on the color and context. The new velvet is versatile.  

Evolving out of the jewel tones and crushed velvet trends of a few years ago, teal is an unexpected color for velvet. Teal moves velvet out of the drama zone and deep into the realm of the chill.

Set in a room with a white-black-grey background, teal velvet is sure to pop; interacting with other colors, the lush hue is capable of a variety of moods. These other colors could be paint colors, accents, and lighting fixtures. Natural colors can come into play through shades of metal, wood, and stone. 

Design by Douglas Mackie, from his own home. Photo by Simon Upton.

We love how, above, Douglas Mackie tied in the teal velvet sofa to another shade of blue with grey on the walls, complementing it with warm pillows and wood in the form of a nearby coffee table and bookshelf. That beautiful carpet lightens the space, allowing the other elements their due gravity without overburdening the room.

We could all take a tip to combine teal velvet with nearby natural complements such as copper, wood, and marble. Organic materials like these set up a beautiful cool-warm contrast. 

Yellow, orange, and others in that range are considered “warm” while blues and greens are "cool." Brass has a color that looks “warm,” so prominently featuring lighting fixtures and decorative accents in brass near teal velvet furniture or drapes, or against a teal wall, creates a dynamic contrast that stays charged. In addition, brass pops against that background. Mustard yellow accents convey a mid-century modern feeling in a teal and brass setting.

Not that lighting in proximity to teal velvet furniture need be brass or golden.

Old Bronze looks black at a glance and complements other dark accents to help ground a space. It's easy to imagine our Masonville in that finish hanging like a mobile in the space below.


Silvery tones such as Polished Nickel add to that feeling of cool repose, perhaps even picking up a blue undertone and carrying it through.

Setting teal near grey creates a smooth contrast that has a calm vibe. Teal and white makes a space feel bright and light, like being amidst open ocean and sky.

On the other other hand, black and teal are striking together.

We love how Nina Seed used this darker shade of teal velvet in a space containing both dark and light. The sofa complements the accent mantel-bookshelf wall, which our Bari sconces in Aged Brass pop against, while white cabinetry and wallpaper give the space some lift.

Other colors close on the color wheel, ranging from eggplant purple to ruby red mix with teal to form an inviting feel.

In this beautifully lived-in space, the blogger complemented her teal sofa with a tufted brown leather couch and it totally works

A great way to add teal velvet into a space is through heavy drapes. Especially in a room with high ceilings and more of a grey-black-white color scheme, long teal velvet drapes create a rich background for things in the foreground to pop.  

What do you think of teal velvet? Can you picture it in your home?

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