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The Cutting Table · a question, worked through

Is your velvet shiny or matte, and is the pile short?

Two buyers asked, two honest answers came back, and they did not quite agree. That tells you something true about velvet.

Answered by

The Colorist of New Orleans ·

Pinned by Élodie

The quick answer

The velvet has a short, tight pile that feels smooth and soft rather than long, and its sheen has been described both as a little glossier than matte and as not shiny. Because light decides how velvet reads, ask for real-life photos of your exact color. For a truly low-sheen look, the linen range is the alternative.

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Key facts

  • The velvet has a short, tight pile.
  • The pile feels smooth and soft rather than long.
  • One reply described the sheen as more than a matte velvet; another called it not shiny.
  • The deep navy velvet buyers asked about is a polyester-blend velvet.
  • Real-life photos of your color are sent on request.
  • Linen is suggested for a low-sheen look.
  • Physical velvet swatches are roughly palm-sized, about 4 x 4 to 6 x 6 in (10 x 10 to 15 x 15 cm), enough to tilt in daylight and watch the sheen change.
  • Velvet comes off a roll about 55 in (140 cm) wide.
  • Velvet covers machine-wash at up to 86°F (30°C), turned inside out on a gentle cycle.
  • Many velvet bench buyers choose a 3 in (7.5 cm) thick cushion.

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Color is easier to settle in a conversation than on a screen. Tell the workshop about the room and the light it gets, and the fabric choice follows. — Élodie

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Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
The velvet has a short, tight pile.
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
The corded seam edge: matching, contrast or none.
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

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First question: shiny or matte?

A buyer asked about a deep navy velvet and was told it has more sheen than a matte finish. Another buyer asked the same thing and heard that the velvet is not shiny. Both replies were honest about the cloth in front of them.

Velvet's sheen is not printed on it. It happens where light meets pile, so an ink navy by a north window and the same navy under a lamp at dusk can seem like two different fabrics.

Then: is the pile short or long?

Short and tight. It feels smooth under the palm, soft rather than shaggy. Brush it one way and back again and the color shifts by a shade; that is velvet being velvet, not a flaw. The velvet care Pattern explains the shading and how to keep it even.

And: cotton or poly?

The deep navy in question is a polyester-blend velvet, not cotton. Rather than trust an adjective, my friends, ask for real-life photos of your exact color. The workshop sends them, and a photo taken in daylight tells you more about sheen than any word in a listing.

Last: what if I want almost no shine?

When a buyer wanted only the slightest sheen, the shop pointed away from velvet to its linen range. Linen is quiet in light; velvet is not, and that is its charm. The eye sits down first, so decide what you want it to find. Which should your bench do in the late afternoon: glow, or rest?

The same short-pile velvet has been described as a little glossier than matte and as not shiny, so judge the sheen from real-life photos.

Élodie
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Buyer questions

  1. A common question

    Is your deep navy velvet cotton or poly, matte or shiny, short or long pile?

    The workshop's answer

    It is a polyester-blend velvet with more sheen than a matte finish, and a short, tight pile that feels smooth and soft rather than long.

  2. A common question

    Is the velvet shiny, and is it a cotton velvet?

    The workshop's answer

    The shop described its velvet as not shiny and offered real-life photos of the color. For a buyer who wanted only a slight sheen, it suggested the linen range instead.

  3. A common question

    Which of your fabrics wears best?

    The workshop's answer

    All are upholstery-grade and wear well; velvet, soft fabric and linen are broadly equal. For the heaviest use choose soft fabric, pick velvet over linen, and use the outdoor range anywhere a cushion may get wet.

  4. A common question

    What if the velvet code I want is no longer on the chart?

    The workshop's answer

    Charts change. Some codes are removed but still in stock and orderable, some are replaced by a new fabric under the old code, and some are discontinued. If yours is, the shop contacts you with alternatives before production starts.

Questions buyers ask next

Is the velvet a cotton velvet?

No. The deep navy buyers asked about is a polyester-blend velvet with a short, tight pile. For a natural-fiber cushion, look at the linen and cotton-linen range instead.

Which cushion fabric has the least sheen?

Linen. When a buyer wanted only a slight sheen, the workshop pointed away from velvet to the linen range, which reads flat and calm in daylight.

How can I see a velvet's real sheen before ordering?

Ask for real-life photos of the exact color; the workshop sends them on request. Look at them on more than one screen, and if you can, compare a swatch by a window at midday and again in the evening.