Quilts are suddenly chic again. At Calvin Klein, Raf Simons has stitched quilts into the brand’s fashion collections, while the company’s Madison Avenue flagship sells vintage throws. Dior and Libertine have also sent quilt-inspired pieces down the runway.
Among those of us looking for homespun comfort, however, quilts have never been out of style.
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“They’re just wonderful, cozy things to have in your house,” said Mary Beth Donohue, a partner at the New York interior design firm McMillen Inc., who owns a number of quilts, both vintage and new.
“I appreciate the heritage of them, and the patterning,” Donohue said, pointing to the American tradition of quilting in the 19th and 20th centuries.
And with a virtually limitless range of patterns and fabrics, she noted, quilts can offer dramatically different looks: “You can have something that’s very Americana or something that’s very tailored.”
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— Where will you put it? Quilts can be used in more creative ways than just folded on a bed or slung over a sofa. “I have a vintage quilt my grandmother made with a poinsettia design, and we used it around the base of our Christmas tree,” Donohue said.
— Are you looking for warmth in the winter or year-round versatility? “A quilt is basically a sandwich: two layers of fabric with some fill in between,” Donohue said, which means that some are lighter than others. “Look at the material, the quilting pattern and how heavy it will be.”
— What will you pair it with? “They’re great for layering,” Donohue said, but consider how the quilt you choose will work with patterns on nearby bedding and upholstery.
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Arrowhead Pieced Quilt Set
Machine-washable cotton quilt with two shams.
From $229 at Pendleton: 800-649-1512 or pendleton-usa.com
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Arctic Quilt
Cotton and poly-silk quilt depicting the Arctic Circle and changes in sea ice.
$314 at Haptic Lab: 718-694-2469 or hapticlab.com
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Handmade Gray Triangles Quilt
Cotton quilt made in Seattle.
$325 at Plover: 503-234-0930 or ploverorganic.com
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Sea Seeker Quilt
Cotton quilt by Jessica Ogden and Jean Touitou with fabric from fashion collections.
$515 at A.P.C.: 888-803-3437 or apc-us.com
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Signature Throw Quilt
Graphic cotton machine-washable quilt.
$435 at Louise Gray: 612-401-8668 or louisegray.com