Last updated on December 13th, 2021
Throw pillows are that one element of home décor that can transform the look of a space in an instant, with little investment of time or money.
But with the myriad choices of colors, fabrics, fills, and patterns available, how does one arrive at the ones that will work best in their space? Here are a few tips to help you choose a throw pillow that’s a perfect fit for your home!
Shapes
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Throw pillows come in different sizes and shapes: square, round, cylinder-shaped bolsters, and oblong lumbar throw pillows. You can use different shapes and sizes on a large piece of furniture for a stylish and elegant look.
While opting for square pillows of standard sizes can help you change the look of your interiors often, round pillows help balance out the straight lines of all the square and rectangular pillows around them.
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If your throw pillows also add functional value, it helps to know that bolsters help keep your arms and back propped up and are more commonly used on beds while rectangular lumbar throw pillows offer back support while beautifully offsetting square pillows around them.
You will also need to consider scale when choosing throw pillows for your furniture, with bigger cushions more suited for larger pieces of furniture and smaller ones fitting the more delicate-looking pieces.
Fabrics
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Fabrics define the look and feel of a throw pillow and they come in almost every conceivable fabric, but the most popular varieties happen to be made of: durable and easy to maintain cotton – for a casual look, velvet to give your space a warm and cozy winter vibe, fur (faux and otherwise) which can be tough to maintain but give a luxurious look to your furniture, linen to lend a breezy summer vibe to a space and wool for an alpine vibe and used more commonly during winter months.
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You may want to choose the easily washable fabrics if you have a family with pets or kids, and reserve luxurious silks and velvets for the master bedroom. Also, on lighter-hued sofas you may want to ensure that the throw pillows you use are color-fast
The Filling
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There are three primary materials used as fillers inside throw pillows, either alone or in combination with one another. Polyester is the least expensive filling and is more commonly used with ornamental pillows. Down, which is much softer and long-lasting but way more expensive, makes pillows a lot more comfortable.
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Last but not the least, foam which is more commonly used for bolsters and round throw pillows, helps the pillows retain their shape better than the other two materials.
Placement
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A throw pillow, by design, is a decorative element that catches the eye in a setting. So, it’s a good idea to choose a color that’s your favorite from the colors in the room, to help tie everything together. If the setting happens to be mostly neutral, it may be a good idea to create contrast with either the color or the texture of the throw pillows that you use.
While it’s a good idea to mix prints, stick to one common color scheme used throughout the room, pulling colors from the furniture and textiles already present in the room.
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When mixing prints, another thing to keep in mind would be scale – if your living room happens to have very large and very small prints in two elements, choose throw pillows with a print that falls somewhere in the middle.
Also, while using different prints and colors, it’s a good idea to give the eye a place to rest with solids and neutral-hued pillows.
Have fun decorating your beautiful home, peeps!
