Why Won’t Bouclé Fabric Die?

Within the ever-changing tides of design trends, materials come and go, leaving their mark on our interiors before receding into the annals of style history. Yet, bouclé fabric, with its looped yarn and textured feel, emerges as an enduring enigma. Last year, AD PRO predicted the imminent ebb of the fabric’s popularity, specifically in shades of white and cream. However, its nubby reign in richer colors, patterns, and sometimes still in those lighter hues is up for designer debate.

Some, like AD100 designer Josh Greene, trace the pervasiveness of white bouclé back to Vladimir Kagan’s cream-colored, bouclé-clad furnishings of the 1980s—a cocooned Nautilus sofa or curvy Serpentine sectional. Meanwhile, fellow New York designer Kati Curtis theorizes that the trend began at Paris flea markets, where dealers have long reupholstered their wares in white bouclé to showcase each piece as a blank canvas. Bringing these pieces as-is into their clients’ homes, designers let the temporary upholstery live on. “It became a ubiquitous—albeit, in my mind, lazy—way to upholster major pieces in a room,” Curtis explains.

Regardless of how it entered the trade’s collective consciousness, a quick Google search for “white bouclé furniture” confirms that big box stores are betting on its longevity. Retailers from CB2 to West Elm to Target all have their own versions of a white bouclé accent chair and sofa. According to AD PRO Directory designer Lisa Frantz, this continued commercialization is a holdover from Covid-era decorating, which she defines as “the desire for cozy, womb-like furniture and rooms that envelope and make you feel warm and secure.” North Carolina–based designer Carrie Moore, an AD PRO Directory member, concurs. “Bouclé was hitting its stride just as Covid lockdowns were taking effect,” Moore says. “It’s no surprise that its use exploded as people began to spend more time at home.”

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Beyond how bouclé fabric makes us feel, new technology and price points have also played a role in its rise. “The most luxe bouclés were often out of reach for clients to use in large doses, such as on a sofa or chaise,” says Frantz, who is based in New York. “The industry has revolutionized the use of wool and rayon blends for fabric composition. Now, there are a wider range of options at many different price points.” Plus, she adds, “they have also become more resistant to staining with the advent of [performance fabric] Crypton and similar technologies that make owning a white sofa just a little less scary.”

However, after spotting white bouclé sofas almost everywhere for five years, the design world is ready for a fresh wave of inspiration. “The fabric itself isn’t to blame,” says Curtis. “It’s the lack of originality in its use!” Most designers are quick to point out that bouclé is not entirely unfashionable. “That’s the equivalent of saying Labradoodles are out of style and declining in popularity,” says Rebekah Zaveloff, cofounder and creative director of Chicago-based AD PRO Directory firm Imparfait Design Studio. “The truth is that anything overused will face fatigue. But most homeowners aren’t as quick to eschew trends as designers are—we just get sick of things faster.”