Adding a pop of color or texture is easy with throw pillows. To keep things from getting too out of hand, consider this simple pillow set formula: use one simple print, one solid, and one busy print. The busiest print should either be the largest pillow, or the pillows that are front and center, with the solid and simple print balancing it out.  One of the most simple—yet complex—ways to breathe new life into a room can happen by choosing a new set of pillows. With a mix of fresh patterns, colors, and textures, your entire living room or bedroom can look like a completely new space. Yet how do you choose from the thousands of great pillows available to create an arrangement that doesn’t just look good but also looks like it should be on a cover of a magazine? Although creativity is encouraged, there are some true and tested design principles regarding pillow arrangements. Keep these principles in mind, and in no time at all, you’ll have mastered the art of decorating with throw pillows.  

Tips for Throw Pillow Selection and Creating Arrangements: 

Consider the size of your couch or seating arrangement. 

The most common pillow size you’ll see on a standard couch is 18x18 inches. This size nestles right in, without looking too big or small. If you’re looking to create more dimension, add pillows that are a size up and down from your base pillow size. Here’s another side tip for decorating with throw pillows: Don’t forget to add a pillow or two on other seating you have in the room. Adding matching pillows throughout the space will bring the entire room together. 

When arranging pillows, keep it symmetrical with pillow sizes decreasing as you move toward the center of the couch or bed. 

The art of decorating with throw pillows can quickly get out of hand. To keep seating or bed from getting overrun with pillows—although that does sound like a comfy design “disaster”—we recommend adding a bit of symmetry and order to the arranging of your pillows. We’ve found it looks increasingly visually pleasing to decrease the size of your pillows from the outside in.  This also hits on a more practical note, as it is much easier to move aside a 14x20 throw pillow from the center of your couch rather than an oversized square throw. 

Don’t be afraid to mix textures, colors, and patterns. 

Adding a pop of color or texture is easy with throw pillows. To keep things from getting too out of hand, consider this simple pillow set formula: use one simple print, one solid, and one busy print. The busiest print should either be the largest pillow, or the pillows that are front and center, with the solid and simple print balancing it out.  

 

For more design tips and inspiration, take a look at our blog. There, you’ll find additional tips and tricks on decorating with throw pillows as well as a mixture of other lifestyle and home décor ideas.