Throw pillows can take your sofa from boring to bold. They add a pop of colour, texture, and personality to your seating area. When artfully arranged, throw pillows make it look like you hired a professional interior designer to arrange. Follow these tips to style your sofa with throw pillows like a pro.
Assess Your Sofa’s Size and Shape
Before shopping for throw pillows, take note of the size, shape, and style of your sofa. Measure its length and depth. Is your sofa set a classic rectangular shape? Is it an L-shaped modular sectional? Curved settees and oval sofas have their own unique decor considerations. The number and size of your throw pillows will be determined by your sofa’s proportions.
Choose Materials and Textures
Don’t limit yourself to basic rectangular pillows in matching fabrics. Mix up shapes and textures for lots of visual interest. Velvet and faux fur fabrics add luxury. Textured linen or nubby knits give off a relaxed vibe. If your sofa fabric is smooth, pick throw pillows with more texture. Or if your sofa is super-textured, solid pillows can help balance it out.
Build Your Colour Palette
Figure out the colour scheme you want before shopping. Neutrals like whites, taupes and light greys allow for endless flexibility when switching up decorative accents. Earth tones like soft white, terracotta, fresh green, and medium chocolate offer a soothing, natural look. Don’t shy away from incorporating bold patterns, but ensure they complement the overall aesthetic.
Incorporate Prints and Patterns
Mixing patterns can be intimidating, but when done thoughtfully, it can make a space feel cohesive and unique. Choose patterns featuring your sofa colour for cohesion. Florals and geometrics look fresh, while paisleys, ikats and suzani prints add global flair. Play up your throw pillows’ patterns by adding patterned chairs, ottomans and area rugs to nearby seating areas.
Mind Proportion and Placement
Bigger is not always better when it comes to throwing pillows. Oversized pillows look sloppy and dominate the smaller sofas and chairs. Instead, choose standard print throw pillow sizes, which range from 18 to 24 inches for sofas and 14 to 20-inch pillows for accent occasional chairs. Proper placement also matters – symmetry brings order. Arrange same-size throw pillows in balanced groupings rather than randomly scattering pillows
Pull the Whole Room Together
Tie your throw pillow colours into artwork hung above your sofa to inject colour into your surroundings. Coordinate other accessories, like ceramic vases, table lamps or a shelf filled with books, to maintain a cohesive colour scheme. Incorporating an area rug overlapping the sofa that contains one or more throw pillow colours visually knits the arrangement into a polished designer look.
Refresh for the Seasons
Don’t let your room get stale. Swap out throw pillows seasonally to perk up your space. Freshen up for spring with floral and leaf prints or garden colour palettes featuring lime green, Robin’s egg blue, and buttercup yellow. In the summer, opt for nautical stripes and deep coral colours to give off Hampton-style vibes. Fall is the perfect time for plaid, paisley and rich shades of ruby, amber and garnet, while winter calls for fur throw in icy blue and silver accents.
Concluding Thoughts
Following these designer tips will transform an average sofa into a showstopper. Properly chosen and arranged throw pillows pull together all the decorative details in your seating area for a magazine-worthy look you’ll love lounging in.
