You can always throw a duvet cover on it.

Bed Bath & Beyond has a faux fur electric throw, which isn't hideous:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=40658506&RN=590& </a href>

I'd just stow it away in a closet when not in use.

I have an electric mattress pad that I love. Similar to this (although mine was less than $60).

http://www.amazon.com/Soft-Heat-Thread-Count-Low-Voltage-Electric/dp/B001JEPSSA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354219435&sr=8-3&keywords=electric+mattress+pad

Gosh, the image posted with your query is the nicest one I've seen! I'd get that one, if I were you. :)

I second the electric mattress pad option. They make them with dual zones so you can each set the temperature for your side of the bed.

She doesn't want a mattress pad because this is for the living room...

The Company Store has one, but it's super pricey for a living room blanket: http://www.thecompanystore.com/Satin-Stripe-Heated-Blanket/KN90,default,pd.html?dwvar_KN90_color=CREAM&start=13&cgid=cs-blankets-throws

Here is a plaid one (but it's sold out...):
http://cozywinters.com/shop/bb-shht.html

Maybe try looking for a electric "throw" not a blanket. Smaller size, but maybe more decorative???

I changed my google image search from "electric blanket" to "heated throw" and came across some pretty decent patterns - I don't know what your style is, but I found some nice plaids and a few modern prints. Granted, they'll probably all be some sort of fleece or microfiber, but the colors/patterns were nice.

I have the one in the picture. It's really great. I'm really not sure who would see it anyway. We keep between the sheet and the bedspread.

The duvet cover idea seems pretty brilliant to me. That way you can remove it and wash it easily, or swap it out for another one. Or, if you're crafty, you can sew up your own.

My husband's electric blanket burst into flames while he was in bed. Luckily, he was not burnt, but his entire bedroom was. We will never have electric blankies in our house. That is what down is for.

I think the duvet cover idea is brilliant...especially on the couch, since you may enjoy your movies with snacks, so being able to wash the cover allows for beauty and convenience!

Great idea @chieromancer! I wish I could take credit for that myself! ;)

They're probably made out of a synthetic material because they are electric blankets.

I wouldn't use a duvet on an electric blanket unless you want it to catch on fire.

@thorndale There are so many questions your comment generated for me. How old was the blanket? What was the quality—was it purchased at a Family Dollar store? Did your husband disregard or not read the directions clearly? My grandmother used an electric blanket every night in her house for over twenty years, and my parents have had one for almost as long as that, plus I'd trust newer ones more than either my parents' or my grandmother's, none of which have ever so much as even caused an electric burning smell, btw.

I can understand why you will never have them again—that is one terrible experience to live through. But from a family who has had electric blankets through several generations with zero problems, I'm not worried by your anecdotal story which provides no information about the quality of blanket or the user error that may or may not have contributed to the fire.

I have the one in the photo and it has turned me into an adult, female Linus. I love that blanket.

@thorndale That is exactly my worry! I recently bought one in an impulse buy and it seems to be a good blanket -- nice gentle heat, works as intended. But my cat found it suspicious (she could feel the wiring inside) and started scratching at it, which had me freaked out that she'd shock herself. So I tossed a regular blanket on top of it, unplugged the cord, and now have a really expensive ($100) extra throw. Meh. Just didn't seem worth the potential downside.

Electric blankets scare the crap out me from s hes;th perspective. . Electric blankets emit EMFs at levels 5 to 20 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed safe level of exposure. The World Health Organization classified EMFs from cell phones and other devices as possible carcinogens – placing them in the same category as DDT! Since electric blankets are right against our skin for a prolonged period of time, they are dangerous. They are even known to supress melatonin production!