Throw pillows are one of the simplest accessories you can add to your living room, family room, or bedroom to add some style. It would also be a shame to play it safe with just two or three solid-colored pillows, or worse, to stick to the set that came with your couch, given the abundance of beautiful, reasonably priced pillows that are available.
Your pillows don’t have to match, which is the first thing to keep in mind. If anything, you’ll come off looking more polished and fashionable. If you’re not confident in your ability to select pillows, the following advice will show you how to mix and match modern patterns and/or colors, giving your room a quick refresh with a coordinated but not identical appearance.
Throw pillows can be combined in a variety of ways, and it’s true that sometimes it does take a trained eye. It is possible, though, for a room in which not a single pillow matches another in color, pattern, or style to still look incredibly polished and modern.
The Rule of Three is the ideal formula to help you make decisions and streamline the process if you don’t have the time or desire to experiment or shop that much.
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How To Mix And Match Pillows On A Sofa
If you adore pillows like the rest of us do, it can be difficult to decide which duo, trio, or quartet is best for your sofa. If you keep in mind a few straightforward rules, mixing and matching pillows on a sofa or loveseat doesn’t have to be challenging.
1. Choose A Good Textured Pillow
It is better to use a great texture when adding pillows to a couch, loveseat, or bed. A great foundation for other patterns and colors in your room can be created by using throw pillows with a unique weave and form. Throw pillows are made to complement your furniture’s style, adding even more depth and interest to a room.
This faux white fur pillow was selected as the fun texture pillow for this sofa. It enjoys the light, and the surface is soft to the touch, which makes any time spent relaxing worthwhile.
2. Choose The Right Scale Of Patterns
The pattern on pattern can be quite intimidating at first, but if you stick to choosing different scales of patterns, you’ll discover how simple this rule can make the procedure. The key is to choose patterns in small, medium, and large sizes. The pillows pictured above feature a great faux fur texture, along with a medium-sized geometric pattern and a lumbar pillow with a smaller scaled pattern. Your eye is drawn to the entire combination rather than just one particular pattern or color, which is why this combination works. Each pattern works well with the others rather than competing with them.
Here are a few pattern-mixing ideas to try:
- One floral + one geometric + one solid color
- One buffalo check + one toile + one ticking stripe
- One chevron + one dotted + one knit texture
3. Choose A Variety Of Sizes
Gather pillows in sizes ranging from extra-large to small, whether you decide to stuff your sofa with two or five of them. Now that we’ve discussed how texture and pattern scale can add interest to your bed or sofa, let’s decide on the ideal pillow size for the best appearance.
We selected these sizable 22″ x 22″ cowhide pillows to serve as the sofa’s backup pillows. Next up are these 22″ x 22″ rust-colored fortune pillows. To add some color and interest, we placed a tiny lumbar pillow in the middle. This is a traditional pillow arrangement, but if you feel like you have too many, you can easily remove the center pillow or the cowhide and Fortuny pillows on the right for a more straightforward, modern appearance.
To give the pillows below a more contemporary appearance, we chose an asymmetrical arrangement. Again, we chose a larger 22″ x 22″ backup fur pillow on the end, followed by a 20″ x 20″ orange velvet pillow and a 19″ x 12″ lumbar pillow. A large 28×16-inch lumbar cheetah pillow was positioned on the right to counterbalance the left.
4. Choose A Color You Love
The color of the pillow should be considered more than the scale, pattern, or texture. To give you more pillow options, we advise getting a sofa in a neutral color. It still comes down to buying what speaks to you in the end. Throw pillows can transform a disorganized room into a harmonious and lovely area. To get some inspiration for colors that will work best with your overall design, pick colors from a piece of art or a rug that you already have in the room. Use pillows in a variety of colors or muted, neutral hues. Enjoy the process; you’ll soon come to understand the importance of a pillow.
A few examples of color combinations that always look great together:
- Dark blue + deep red + pink
- Deep red + orange + deep green
- Magenta + violet + mustard yellow
- Dark green + gold + magenta
- Sage green + peacock blue + gold
5. Break The Rules If You Want
Now that you know the Rule of Three, we should also say that all rules are made to be broken—especially in design! It’s okay if you start combining your collection of gorgeous throw pillows using the formula given here only to discover that four colors suit you the best or that you prefer two large patterns to one. Use this Rule of Three only as a starting point for guidance; in the end, the most important thing is that you like what you see. You’ll see stylish results if you follow the formula, but you need not be afraid to experiment until you find the combination that suits you.
What Quantity Of Pillows Should Be Placed On A Couch?
There is no set number of pillows that should be placed on a couch; after all, what makes your sofa comfortable is what matters most. If you’ve recently been looking for living room ideas, you may have noticed the various approaches designers take to this.
However, sticking to three pillows for a smaller sofa and five for a larger one will produce a good-looking finish if you are concerned about aesthetics.
Additional Tips
Once you master the Rule of Threes, also consider these other principles used by room designers:
- Odd numbers look modern: When placing your throw pillows, keep in mind that odd numbers—such as three or five—work best for a contemporary appearance. Odd numbers typically appear more artistic in design aesthetics, and keep in mind that a smaller group of larger pillows looks more contemporary than a scattering of smaller ones.
- Even numbers look traditional: An even number of similar pillows, like two or four, gives your bed or couch a balanced, symmetrical appearance that is neat and organized.
- Fill matters: Consider the fill and how it will affect the appearance when purchasing throw pillows. A feather-and-down fill, for example, has more “give” and a softer squish. Foam and other synthetic fills are generally much more affordable and more rigid. These pillows don’t appear as opulent but will retain their shape better.
- Mix textures, too: While pattern and color blending are crucial, texture should also be considered. Play with the contrast between soft and fuzzy, rough and smooth. Consider knit wools, velvet, linen, faux fur, and tasseled accents. You can be creative with touch and feel if you stick with your color and pattern theme.