Now's the Time for Throw Blankets That Double as Art

On the long list of frivolous home accessories you can either be gifted or elect to buy yourself, nothing gets a worse reputation for being both boring and extra than the humble throw blanket. It makes sense: Throw blankets can be at best dowdy and ugly, and at worst itchy and scratchy, and often, they are a dreaded combination of both. The disappointment that comes from being gifted a truly-whatever throw blanket that you have no choice but to display can leave any person wondering whether they’re better off being cold. Chenille blankets with tassel corners printed with the face of your family’s beloved but long-deceased chihuahua? Well, oh okay, it’s better than nothing.

But—it doesn’t have to be this way. In recent history, both the quality and the coolness of throw blankets has increased exponentially, with small companies like Slowdown Studio and Zig Zag Zurich curating throw blankets and housewares printed exclusively with designs and illustrations made by artists. Now it’s possible to proudly display your throw blanket as if it's a prized piece of art—except this one will also keep you warm.

Portland, Oregon-based painter Hillery Sproat translates her pastoral scenes of townspeople, animals, and the natural world into large and small knit blankets that are the perfect weight for colder nights but not too heavy that you can’t keep it draped on the couch through the summer months, too.

It used to be that friends would determine whether you had good taste by thumbing through your record collection when they visited you at home. In the age of streaming, show them you’re cool by draping this Katie Rineer-created Grace Jones blanket over the armchair.

What’s your aura today? Let this Zoe Schlacter throw read your energy. With five vibrant colors that blend together in hypnotizing ways, this piece of cozy art really sets the mood.

Born in 1908, Maria Prymachenko was a Ukrainian folk artist whose hundreds of colorful works captured the spirit of life in Ukraine. Zig Zag Zurich created this throw blanket to benefit Prymachenko’s family’s Ukraine aid organization, Volunteer Movement. It’s not only a beautiful heirloom that will brighten up any room, sales from the blanket also go to supporting Ukrainians during wartime.

Add some color to a forgotten piece of furniture—the guest bed or over a neutral couch are good places to start—with this abstract blanket by artist Raby-Florence Fofana. Pink and red not necessarily part of your home color palette? This same 100 percent wool blanket comes in a blue-and-black variety, too.

For the geometry-minded, this Shapes blanket by artist Kim Mullis will add both color and curiosity to any room. Made from 100 percent organic cotton, it’s a lightweight choice for those who run hot.

In collaboration with ROAM, a woolens studio in Scotland, Hauser & Wirth’s artist blankets are a slightly more affordable (though pricier than most) way of decorating your house with contemporary art. This beautiful work by Luchita Hurtado is almost too precious to get cozy beneath. (Almost.)

One of a number of blankets made by artists through Slowdown Studio, Korean artist Woo In Young’s throw is a brightly colored homage to spring and its bounty. This is the perfect choice to add color on top of a white comforter, or if you like to get warm through other means, it works just as well as a piece of hanging wall art.

UK-based artist Jody Barton was inspired by the phenomenon of the mass sporting event for his blanket that he calls the LSD Marathon. A 100 percent woven jacquard New Zealand wool blanket, Barton’s interpretation of a bunch of people running for a very long time is just the thing your couch needs to feel special.

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