Cozy blankets add visual feast to almost any room

Looking for a way to add a touch of class or style to your rooms? Well, there's nothing quite like a throw.

The small blankets, once used principally for warmth, are now as likely to be used as a design element. In fact, throws are among the most versatile accessories in the home.

Throws are showing up in an ever-expanding array of materials including animal prints, chenilles, cottons, damasks, silks and velvets. They are a quick and effective tool to add that wow factor to new or renewed rooms. They can be purchased for $19 at discount stores to more than $190 at high-end stores.

There's little question that many of the typically 50-by-60-inch blankets are feasts for the eye. But how should they be used in a room? Should they be coordinated with pillows or other accessories? Or should they be design statements that stand on their own?

Coordination

"I am of two minds," says Marian Chatfield, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers.

In some cases, it would be great to coordinate a throw with pillows or other accessories, she says. In other cases, it would be better not to coordinate a throw, but to use it as a surprise design element.

"It depends on how much you have going on in the room," says the designer, owner of Chatfield Interiors. "If it's a lot, I would say don't bring in the surprise because it might be too much. If you have a neutral room, a shot of turquoise and violet or maybe a real thick chenille that's got a lot of texture would be great. Faux fur would be wonderful. Or do a huge paisley and small prints in a room.

"Throws can be used over the back of a chair, arm of sofa, across the end of a bed or over an ottoman. Perhaps you don't have to limit yourself to one in a room. Put one over the arm of each chair. Fold it up and call it a pillow. Maybe they could replace pillows as a decorative element."

Preferences

"I like yummy throws that you can nestle in -- rich velvet throws with silk backing. I usually like them with some type of tassel to them," says Lucinda Race Robinson, owner of Eden Boheme on King Street.

Some of her favorite throw colors are purples, hot pinks, lime greens, yellows and darker blues that are so hot now, says Robinson, an interior designer. One of the most attractive throws she's seen is a midnight blue velvet one with a coordinating striped silk backing. Pompom trims are a favorite accent.

There's nothing better than a throw to make a reading nook more attractive as well as cozy, Robinson says. She often recommends thick cotton throws to those looking to wrap themselves in a fabric that feels great on the skin during cooler nights.

Making the choice

Trudy Mercy Brown of Ethan Allen in West Ashley says the best choice of a throw depends on how you intend to use it.

If it's for design, a throw made of fringed blanket fabrics, hand crocheted and knitted fibers and sequined silks or satins could change a room's feel, she says. A beaded silk throw might be what's needed to add a touch of sparkle to a room, she says. A patterned throw can be used to add pattern to a sofa.

When it comes to choosing a throw for function, consider the user, says Brown, an allied ASID member. A hand-knitted or crocheted throw is fine for an adult to use, but it's probably not the best choice for kids because yarns can easily be pulled out of shape. When a throw will be used regularly, choose one made with fibers that can be washed.

"I don't really have a favorite because I like so many different types. I have throws in every room in my home."

Throws can be found at numerous boutiques and home furnishing and discount stores around the Lowcountry. They also can be found at www.pillowsandthrows.com and www.wovenworkz.com.

Reach Wevonneda Minis at 937-5705 or wminis@postandcourier.com.