Sofa design Cincinnati

Chris loves Julia published a post today that got me thinking all about throw pillows.  You can read it here.  Below you will find my top tips for achieve a collected and coordinated throw pillow arrangement.

  1. Have “anchor pillows.” I almost always do a more neutral, larger pillow for the corners. I love a linen pillow for this, but any “texture” type pillow will work.  I have also used boucle, velvet, etc.
  2. Have at least a few pillows that are 24” or bigger. Stores typically sell 20”-22” pillows, so going bigger instantly creates a more luxurious, bespoke aesthetic.
  3. Size and shape variation. For example, f your first pillow is 24”, pick either a smaller square or lumbar to pair with it for added interest.
  4. Always buy inserts that are 2” larger than the pillow case.
  5. Buy quality iserts, the inserts that CLJ recommends are also the ones I have been using for over a year now and they are seriously the best. They hold their shape and are so much more comfortable than any others I’ve tried.  The brand is pillowflex and they can be found here on amazon.
  6. I occasionally buy covers from retail stores, but I’ve found that stores on etsy have the best selction and often carry designer fabric not available in retail stores. There are more customizable options as well.
  7. Style pillows in twos and threes, when objects are grouped like this it is more visually appealing to the eye. There is one caveat, for corners of sectionals I typically end up with four pillows.
  8. Use the 80/20 color rule, meaning stick to 3-4 colors/shades, using 1-2 for 80% and 1-3 accent colors for the remaining 20%.
  9. If you’re stuck on a pillow, try adding another texture versus color or pattern.
  10. Mock them up. Whether you use screen shots or just look at them side by side on the phone and computer, make sure it flows.  Quality pillow covers can quickly add up but making sure you love your selections will save you time, energy and money!

Interior designer Cincinnati throw pillows