Pillow Styling | 101

By Laura Certa of The Spruced Home

Shopping for throw pillows? Perhaps you’re looking to update your space, wanting to add in a fresh pop of color, or just need a finishing touch to make a room feel complete. Throw pillows are one of the best ways to add color and texture to elevate the style of your home.

You are unique, and so is your home. Throw pillows are an easy and affordable way to incorporate your personal style in to your space. But, the process of shopping for decorative pillows—settling on a color scheme, choosing appropriate sizes, and finding items that pair well together—can be overwhelming. This simple guide will walk you through choosing the best pillows for your space.

Throw pillows look best if they don’t all match, but instead coordinate. Evaluate the existing colors within the room—curtains, furniture fabrics, and rugs. Determine which, if any, accent color you’d like to bring into the space. Decorative pillows are a great way to bring in a pop of color and are inexpensive to change out when you wish to update the look of your space. 

If your accent colors are well represented within other elements in the room, or if you wish to achieve a softer, more subtle look, you may choose a completely neutral color scheme for your decorative pillows. Neutrals are the most versatile. If you’re bringing in an accent color, it’s important to also incorporate a neutral to avoid over saturating the space with color. You can often find the best coordinating neutral within the patterned fabrics you wish to use.

Once you’ve chosen your accent color, if any, and determined the best neutral for your space, you’ll have a cohesive color palette that is sure to work with the existing furniture and fabrics in the room.

Don’t be afraid to mix patterns and textures, it’s a great way to add visual interest to your pillow arrangements. 

Mixing textures is especially important for an all neutral color palette as a way to create a varying look without a variety of color. Throw blankets can add even more texture when paired with a pillow arrangement.

When combining patterns, stick to the color scheme and vary the scale of print from pillow to pillow—one large simple print, one solid, and one small print is the basic formula for successfully pairing pillow patterns.

Generally speaking, more pillows equals a more cozy space, but you don’t want so many throw pillows that they overtake your seating options. Scale the size and number of pillows with the furniture you’re accenting. 

Vary the size of throw pillows. Pillows should get smaller as you work your way from the outside in within a piece of furniture—larger pillows on the outside, smaller as you work your way to center.

Use symmetrical pillow arrangements if you’re working with bold colors and patterns to make the space look less busy. Asymmetrical arrangements work best with solid or neutral pillows.

Keep in mind sticking with standard size pillows will make it easier and more affordable to shop inserts and swap out covers as desired.

For a full and plump look choose an insert 2” larger than the size of the pillow cover. For example,if you purchase a pillow cover that's 18x18, purchase a pillow insert measuring 20x20.

You’ll also need to choose the insert material...

Polyester is the most affordable insert option. It gives a solid, full shape to the pillow, but is not easily re-shaped. If you like the look of a karate-chopped pillow (and who doesn’t?) this material isn’t for you. Polyester tends to flatten with time and it can be difficult to remold the material and regain that initial nice, full shape.

Down inserts will cost a little more money, but they will look full for years to come. Down pillows might flatten and lose shape when laid on or leaned against, but they can easily be reshaped. Keep in mind, some people are allergic to down feathers, and you will likely have a feather escape or poke through the fabric from time to time. To prevent these issues you can purchase an allergy control cover to place on the pillow before putting on the decorative cover.

Down alternative gives you the best of both worlds. It’s more affordable than down, more malleable and luxurious feeling than polyester, and comes without the risk of allergy or loose feathers.

Your home should be as beautiful and unique as you are. When you shop with Colin and Finn, you are getting quality, handcrafted, one-of-a-kind, artisan décor.

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Want to see more from Laura? to check out more from The Spruced Home.