A scallop-backed bouclé armchair atop a shaggy cream rug. Bouclé pouffes against a canvas of similarly milky beige. Bouclé headboards, footrests and even bouclé walls. For a while there, we were immersed in inescapable bouclé abundance, so popular had the fabric become. Soft, tactile and reassuringly neutral, it’s easy to see what made it so moreish. It felt both classy and comforting, at a moment when many of us were craving exactly that. With such oversaturation, though, it became shorthand for an offputtingly omnipresent Instagram aesthetic. And while we might still love it, it’s time to step beyond. “While I appreciate its tactile quality, I’ve reached a point where it feels overused,” says interior designer Katie Harbison. “The issue isn’t the material itself so much as its ubiquity. It’s lost any individuality.” “For a number of years, there was a tendency towards highly curated, minimalist interiors that photographed beautifully but often felt somewhat anonymous,” she explains. “Now I’m seeing clients become much more interested in creating homes that reflect their personalities, histories and lifestyles.” Color is returning. Antiques are finding their way back into contemporary homes. People are becoming less concerned with aesthetic perfection and more interested in telling a story, even if that story is that a family with children could never hope to keep a cream bouclé sofa in stain-free nick. So, if bouclé is waning, what are the new materials and textures on the rise in contemporary living?