Snuggling in style with a throw

Basically small couch blankets, throws set the stage for comfy days spent on a comfy chair cocooned in a comfy – well, you get the idea.

What makes a throw a must-have is its wrapability. It shouldn’t be too weighty, and should have a soft, pliant feel. Today’s woolens and blends are very different from the scratchy, itchy, heavier versions of the past. And the new synthetics are a tactile wonderland of supple, velvety plushness. In a great color that coordinates with your furniture, a snuggly throw is a functional, stylish accessory.

Elaine Griffin, a contributing design editor to Better Homes & Gardens, recommends restraint when using this decorative element. “Solid colors and discreet patterns add style to living rooms and dens; leave the boldly striped and patterned throws for across the foot of your bed or in children’s spaces,” she advises.

But she also encourages a little color play.

“Throws are guilt-free occasions to indulge in the season’s trendiest colors,” she says. If you can’t commit to a burgundy or citron wall, consider a throw in those hues.

Karma Living’s got a fun, honeycombed Indian cotton throw with pompom trim, available in a kaleidoscope of playful colors. (Honeycomb throw, $32, www.fab.com)

Homegoods has a big selection of luscious faux furs in chocolate, mink and ivory, sure to get the family pet vying for some cozy real estate. The off-price retailer also has a reversible black and gray fleece throw printed with the invitation “Wrap Around Me.” Appliquéd flowers add extra flair to a fuzzy confection of organic-hued wool and acrylic. And to evoke the winter cabin vibe, there’s a homey reindeer and snowflake patterned throw in cranberry and white. (furs, $39.99; Wrap Around, $29.99; appliqué, $39.99; reindeer, $49.99, www.homegoods.com)

Those looking for sumptuous, high-end throws might turn to the “Luxe Lodge” fall collection from Schumacher, which includes the Bancroft throw in a windowpane-check Scottish wool, available in sable, malt or oxford gray. ($312.50, www.decoratorsbest.com)

Yves Delorme’s pastel-striped, baby alpaca Cote-a-Cote throw, and his rich, mulberry-hued Reflet jacquard throw, are elegant choices. Rosita Missoni’s Lenny and Montgomery throws, in the iconic Italian house’s signature designs, would work in a variety of interiors. And Rani Arabella’s opulent cashmere throw can even be worn as a shawl. (Cote-a-Cote, $390; Reflet, $435; Missoni, $365-$590; Arabella, $650, www.gracioushome.com).