Room by Room – The Modern Throw

This week, Room by Room with FormFire Glassworks looks at an item that is both decorative and useful – the Modern Throw.

Hung over the back of a chair or spread along a sofa, a throw is a great way to visually add to your living spaces or bedroom. Not only can a throw provide a shot of color on a more neutral background, or add a rich, dark neutral to intensify the ranges of a monochromatic color palette, but it does something that many other modern accessories cannot – it allows us to break the geometric lines of our furniture and layout by providing a dynamic diagonal in the midst of  lots of horizontals and verticals. Because the modern home usually has very clean straight lines – in sofas, wall art, bookshelves, etc, there is a tendency to create a vignette that appears rather static and impersonal. The throw, when draped along the corner of a chair or bed, changes up the sightlines and gives a lived-in look to a space. Throws come in many styles: from knit to crocheted, quilted to felted, in fabrics from cotton and wool to linen and silk.

Throws tend to get used quite a bit when they are around – as support, for warmth, in lieu of a pillow, they can serve a multitude of purposes. As with any textile or handmade item, know the materials and care instructions before purchasing. A silk dupioni for a family room full of children may not be the best choice, but an easily washable cotton may be just the ticket. This is not your grandmothers multi-colored acrylic afghan, but these handcrafted pieces may become your familys heirlooms.