Using Pillows to Jazz up Your Furniture

Throw pillows can add a personal, stylish touch to your home décor and jazz up your furniture with color, texture, and patterns. If you haven’t considered incorporating throw pillows into your home space, it may be something you want to think about. When done right they can have a tremendous impact.

Are Throw Pillows Necessary?

From a utilitarian standpoint, throw pillows aren’t really “necessary,” per se. However, if you want to add a little stylish touch to your furniture or give a plain, blah sofa or chair a bit of personality, throw pillows will definitely do the trick.

You can use them as an accent, blending them with the colors of the furniture, or you can use them to add a pop of color. What’s more, even minimalist décor can benefit from a few well-placed throw pillows. It doesn’t have to be cluttered or crowded, just a nice pillow to two that ties your décor together or unites two seemingly opposing shades.

How to Style Your Couch with Pillows

There are so many different ways to decorate with pillows. Try using pillows that are all one color that is contrasting but complementary to your furniture. For instance, a mustard pillow looks very sharp on a red, burgundy, or charcoal sofa.

Mixing patterns is also very eye-catching. Two or three different patterns can liven up a room while bringing subtle sophistication and showing off your personal style. You can also match the sofa so that everything goes together and blends well.

Should Throw Pillows on Couches Match?

In a word, no. Throw pillows don’t have to match, whether they are all on your couch or on your couch and chair. As long at they are all coordinated and work well with the room’s color scheme, you are good to go.

Pick one color that is in the room and mix solids and patterns. The color can be art on the wall, a lamp, or a vase on the mantle – it doesn’t have to be a color from the couch. The key is to choose a color and build your décor around it, including your throw pillows. You can even use your pillows to tie a sightly mismatched couch to the room’s décor but stick with two or three colors. More than three and it gets too busy and confuses the eye.

How Many Pillows Should You Put on a Couch?

Most designers say that having an odd number of pillows on your sofa is the most inviting, attractive, and natural arrangement. A rule of thumb is to use three pillows on a loveseat or smaller sofa and five pillows for larger couches. This provides the best aesthetic and keeps your space from being too cluttered.

On a chair, one or two pillows are usually sufficient. You don’t want to have so many pillows on your furniture that you can’t sit down. It should be natural and relaxed. Think understated elegance, not cluttered and chaotic.

Do Accent Chairs Need Pillows?

There is not hard, fast rule that demands throw pillows for accent chairs, but there is nothing wrong with using them – and you just might find that they work in your space. Think about it. They can improve the comfort of the chair, making it nicer to sit on. They improve the overall design of the room by adding color, textures, and patterns.

Throw pillows also allow for more personal touches like using patterned pillows for seasonal décor, including inspirational phrases or personal photos, or you can show off your personality with unique patterns and shapes. So, if you like it, give it a try and see how they work in your room.

Play with different pillow sizes, shapes, and colors. Place them on different parts of your furniture and see what feels good in your space.

Let Valley Drapery & Upholstery help you style your room, including the finishing touches like throw pillows. Contact us today and make an appointment with one of our skilled, talented designers. We’ll help you make your house a home that is uniquely yours.