What, When, Where: A Tuft Act to Follow

Lots of new products come through my Inbox on a daily basis–some good, some not so good. While I was weeding through e-mails about seed packets and upside-down planters, mounted taxidermy, pink ceramic cabinet pulls and floral-themed candles, the Tina dining chair from Jessica Charles caught my eye.

Photo courtesy of jessicacharles.com

Tufting is a technique that has not only withstood the test of time–it’s been around since the 1800s–but has also managed to cross style lines, equally at home in both traditional and modern interiors. It’s not “tuft†to see why it remains so popular today:

Can you imagine anything more romantic than drifting off to sleep in this shabby-chic, reproduction Louis XV corbeille-style bed with its tufted, oatmeal-colored linen headboard and footboard?

Photo courtesy of beekeeperscottage.com

And what could be a better conversation starter than this charcoal velvet Lampert Sofa from Jonathan Adler?

Photo courtesy of jonathanadler.com

For the mod squad, there’s the black leather Barcelona daybed-cum-sofa from Design Within Reach.

Photo courtesy of dwr.com

Saving my favorite item for last, how could you not want to sink into this plush, aubergine velvet sofa? Surely some of its regalness would rub off.

Photo courtesy of eclecticrevisited.wordpress.com

And, in the spirit of proving it’s not such a “tuft†act to follow, check out how these interior designers have incorporated tufted furniture into their own homes:

Designer Todd Romano goes glam in his Manhattan studio with an electric blue Lee Jofa-upholstered velvet couch.

Photo by Thomas Loof, courtesy of architecturaldigest.com

Last year, we featured the home of Boston-based designer Tony Cappoli and, sure enough, his sleek South Boston apartment boasts a pair of tufted white leather chairs.

Photo by Keller & Keller, from New England Home; click to see more

Designer/photographer Vicente Wolf opens up his Manhattan loft to reveal a sparsely tufted chair (which Wolf designed himself) at the center of a stylish sitting area.

Photo by Vicente Wolf, courtesy of veranda.com

–Erin Marvin