Boucle Beds

What is boucle?

Boucle is a fabric woven from yarn that has been spun with loops along its length, so the surface is covered in small curls rather than lying flat. The word is French for curled. That looped structure is what gives it the soft, slightly irregular texture that reads as expensive, and it is also the source of every practical question about it.

Does boucle snag?

It can, because the loops stand proud of the weave and anything sharp can catch one and pull it. This is the honest drawback. A pulled loop should be trimmed flush with scissors and never yanked, since pulling unravels a run. In practice a headboard is far less exposed than a sofa arm: it is vertical, nobody sits on it, and the main risk is a pet or a zip on clothing.

Does it pill?

Less than people expect. Pilling comes from abrasion, and a headboard sees very little of it compared with seating. Where boucle does mark, it is usually crushing rather than pilling, and the loops lift again with a soft brush. The fabrics used on beds are generally tighter woven than the very open boucles used on accent chairs.

How do you clean it?

Vacuum with an upholstery attachment rather than a beater head, which can catch loops. Blot spills immediately with a dry cloth and do not rub, because rubbing works the liquid into the loop structure and distorts it. Check the manufacturer cleaning code before any liquid, and test on the underside of the frame where the fabric is hidden.

Why boucle on a headboard?

A curved headboard in boucle is the shape the fabric suits best, and the most searched version of this product. The looped texture reads at a distance where a flat weave would look plain, and it takes a curve without the seams and darts that a smoother fabric needs to sit flat. In an otherwise plain room, it does the work of a piece of art.

What sizes are stocked?

King and California king only. Frames measure 83 to 93 inches long and 64 to 83 inches wide, and headboards run 28 to 54 inches high, which spans a low curved panel through to a tall one. A king mattress is 76 by 80 inches and a California king 72 by 84, so check which length your room takes before choosing between them.

What is under the fabric?

Metal and wood frames with padding over a backing board. On any upholstered bed the structure is hidden, so the thing to check is what the rails are made of rather than how the fabric looks: the rails carry the whole load through their bolt holes whatever they are wrapped in. Construction: engineered wood and MDF on select models.