Today I’m mixing and matching pillows. I have a few thoughts on mixing pillows. They are by no means rules – just things I consider when I’m shopping for pillows. To keep things simple, I’ll discuss pillows on sofas but I use the same guidelines for beds, chairs and benches.
1. I like to combine a solid, a large print, a small print and some texture. It’s okay if one pillow meets more than one criteria. For example, an all white furry pillow is a solid color and provides texture.
2. I consider the backdrop the pillows will be resting against. My choice of pillows is different for a slipcovered white sofa versus a rich leather sofa. Very light pillows will get lost on a white sofa while all heavy, dark pillows will weigh down a leather sofa.
3. I try to visualize a pillow arrangement in my head and buy accordingly. Which pillows will be nearest the back of the sofa? Which pillows will be front and center? Remember back in elementary school when the music teacher lined everyone up on the bleachers for a performance…tallest in the back…shortest in the front? So it goes for pillows too. I always make note of the size of a pillow and how it relates to any other pillows I’m considering before I make a purchase.
4. I think of how the room will feel when deciding on a symmetrical or asymmetrical pillow arrangement. Symmetrical pillow arrangements give a polished and posh feel. Asymmetrical arrangements give a looser, laid-back feel.
5. In general, the more pillows the more formal the sofa looks to me. Of course, a larger sofa can handle more pillows than a smaller sofa before it starts feeling too formal. Using fewer pillows lends a more casual, simple vibe.
6. I don’t buy all pillows for one sofa from the same source. The last thing I want my sofa to look like is a catalog replica. My all time favorite resource for unique pillow covers is etsy.
7. I prefer to splurge on one to three really great pillows instead of suffocating a sofa in mediocrity. In the long run, it costs me less. I’m more likely to keep a high quality pillow cover on my sofa for years versus a spontaneous budget pillow.
For fun, I’ve put together three pillow looks for three different sofas.
Sources: sofa//black and white corner stripe pillow cover//Turkish kilim pillow cover//gold and linen pillow cover//perpendicular striped pillow cover//Mongolian lamb pillow cover
Sources: sofa//chevron linen pillow cover//navy velvet pillow cover//ikat bolster cover
To see more pillows I’m currently coveting, see my latest ideabook over on Houzz.
P.S. – HH has a soft spot for brussel sprouts. Click here to see how I’m keeping him fed so he doesn’t keel over during a DIY project.
Happy weekend!
images: polyvore collages created by Dana Miller, linked within
budget decor, inspiration, interior design, mood board