Velvet Chairs by Season and Color: Emerald, Blush, Navy, Champagne

Velvet is the one rental chair that changes the temperature of a room. A blush velvet chair says spring brunch; an emerald one says December ballroom. In Chicago, where the seasons feel very different from each other, color choice does a lot of the styling for you. This guide gives a color-by-season map, shows how to place velvet in the room and explains where to save money by using it only for part of the guest list.

Our four velvet colors

Our velvet dining chair has a channel-tufted back, slim gold or black legs and a cushion included. The colors:

• Emerald: a deep green with a jewel quality.
• Blush: a soft dusty pink.
• Navy: a dark blue that reads close to black in low light.
• Champagne: a warm beige gold, the most neutral of the four.

Spring: blush and champagne

March through May in Chicago is often cool and wet, so most spring events are indoors. Blush velvet warms up a gray day. Pair it with ivory linen, peonies or ranunculus and gold or brass flatware. For a more neutral look, champagne does the same job with less pink.

Summer: champagne and blush

Summer receptions are often late afternoon and evening, sometimes under a floored tent. Champagne reads light and does not compete with greenery. Remember that velvet is an indoor chair in our catalog, so summer outdoor use needs a covered, dry, floored space. Heat and humidity are the real enemies of upholstery.

Fall: emerald and navy

Fall brings color, milder weather and earlier sunsets. Emerald velvet looks natural beside rust, burgundy and pumpkin, and navy suits a black-tie evening. Fall is also when ballroom availability is most limited, so see when to book event chair rentals before you decide.

Winter: navy and emerald

Winter weddings and galas have the darkest rooms, and velvet is made for them. Navy with silver flatware and white florals, or emerald with evergreen, candles and brass. Our winter wedding seating guide covers coat checks, heating and room flow.

Use velvet only where it counts

Velvet is the highest-priced wood-and-upholstery chair in our catalog, with an estimated range of $18 to $25 per chair. Many planners use it only at the sweetheart or head table, or at family tables, and save with a plainer chair for the rest. The result is the same in photos, because those are the tables people look at.

For the head table specifically, see Louis chairs for head tables and sweetheart table chair ideas.

Matching linens and care

• Emerald or navy velvet: ivory, champagne or black linen. Avoid green linens with green velvet; the colors fight.
• Blush velvet: white, ivory or soft gray linen.
• Champagne velvet: nearly any linen, including sequin overlays.

Velvet shows crumbs, pet hair and spills. Keep the chairs in their wrapping until setup, avoid placing them near the cake cutting, and tell your venue they are upholstered. If something spills, blot rather than rub.

Choose your velvet colors

Book a free 15-minute seating call and we will help you pick a color against your linens, or request a quote for your date.