Should you still invest in boucle furniture? We asked the experts

Boucle has been trending for a few years now in the world of interior design, making a statement and taking its rightful place in our own trend round-up – but is it a trend that is here to stay, or will it pass just like everything else?

In the age of social media, trends come and go like waves. It's easy for us to be influenced by 'the next best thing' we see on our feeds, but when it comes to choosing the best sofa, it should take a lot more than following an influencer to make up our minds when furnishing our own homes.

Despite boucle reserving the first spot in our own round-up of living room trends for 2023, the question still stands of whether it's a style worth investing in. We've asked the experts to weigh in.

Should you still invest in boucle furniture?

The short answer? Yes. 'A once trendy fabric in the 50s, boucle is having a moment and is making its way into our bestselling list of upholstery fabrics,' says Patricia Gibbons, design team at sofa.com.

'Boucle has been trending for a few years in the world of interior design but it has now reached the masses and we believe it's here to stay,' assures Kellie Wyles, head of upholstery at DFS.

'Neutral, Scandi-inspired homes have stood the test of time but as we step away from cool greys and replace them with off-whites, creams and beiges we've simultaneously embraced textures more.'

Not only is boucle furniture very in line with the Vanilla girl aesthetic, which we love, but it brings us closer to the 'recent retreat back into our homes ' where we yearn for cosiness and comfort. Kellie Wyles at DFS says that boucle's tactile nature offers this cosy feeling in abundance.

Not only does boucle furniture hold up within trends, but it's also a continually growing popular choice for consumers. Gisela Lancaster, head of buying at Sofology confirms that their boucle furniture has been performing as well as our classic velvet and linen ranges.

'The natural chunky texture of boucle offers a striking balance of comfort and style, with its soft woven yarns adding a tactile look and feel,' says Gisela Lancaster at Sofology. Boucle's versatility also means that it works equally as well in a modern living room idea as well as in a period home.

She also assures that boucle fabric is surprisingly easy to maintain, therefore is the perfect choice for those looking to maintain a neutral or white living room colour scheme, to really show off the texture of the fabric. Even Primark has hopped on the trend, offering a stylish bouclé tub chair in its range.

Will boucle furniture stand the test of time?

'We predict that, in the same way, the nation embraced velvet several years ago, we'll see boucle rise in popularity and become part of the mainstream fabric choices with more extensive colour palettes on offer,' says Kellie Wyles at DFS.

'As mid-century design makes a comeback, and shapely furniture with curvilinear elements trends, bouclé is the perfect fabric pairing' and is a 'combination proving timeless,' assures Patricia Gibbons at sofa.com.

Whether you're after something larger-scale, or in particular, a sofa idea for a small living room, 'the soft slubby texture of the fabric works particularly well on accent pieces, chairs, and loveseats are by far the most popular items we are seeing customers opt for.'

And if you were worried about dirtying up your new investment, you can simply clean up any liquid spillages with a soft clean white cloth or a natural sponge, and brush with light strokes, avoiding any back-and-forth scrubbing motions.

So in conclusion, boucle furniture isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and we couldn't be more relieved to hear that.

Will you finally invest in this trendy buy that'll be here for the long run?