Last week I bought a pair of corduroys — my first since the lilac pair with rhinestones on the pockets that I had in 3rd grade — and it got me wondering what corduroy had been up to in the intervening years. Floor cushions, tea cozys, and catnip tomatoes, it turns out…

I feel like corduroy has to be used carefully, but perhaps that's just because my parents once owned a rust-colored wide-wale corduroy fold-out couch. It was not worthy of their gorgeous old home, let's just say that. A bit of corduroy goes a long way...

• The Man Repeller's chair has a classic, even formal, shape, but the chartreuse corduroy gives it an edge.
• These corduroy floor pillows from Urban Outfitters are exactly what I need for fire escape lounging and floor picnics.
• Cabin fever on a rainy fall day? Give your kitty Wags & Wiggles' corduroy tomato catnip toy, and look forward to hours of entertainment.
• LeapHouse's Irish linen tea cozy has been sold, but I wanted to point out the effect a tiny piece of corduroy can have. That loop makes it!
• Corduroy goes classy with a couch covered in Ralph Lauren's fabric, featured in House Beautiful.
• Design*Sponge featured the home of Nancy Aebersold and Dana Blumrosen, including Craigslist-find chairs reupholstered in corduroy.
• This wool and corduroy random square quilt is just one of many made by Celebration Quilters, using salvaged fabrics.
• This Gee's Bend quilt was the inspiration for a sweater made by The Purl Bee, and combines two favorite fall fabrics: corduroy and denim!

Images: All image credits as listed above, with #6 photographed by Allen David Noonan and Ron Jones for Design*Sponge