How to Style Couch Pillows

Pillow styling is both an art and a science. Luckily, we’ve gathered up some of our favorite tips and tricks on how to style pillows on your couch or sofa.

Finding your perfect match

The only thing harder than finding the perfect couch pillow is finding the best couch pillows to pair them with. Like many things in life, it takes a little bit of luck, a little bit of creativity, and few tricks to create the greatest pillow pairings imaginable. Today, we’re going to be focused on a few qualities to consider when helping your living room pillows make some new friends.

Create balance with shapes and sizes

As a general rule, you don’t want your living room pillows to be the same shape or size. The best parties are made from a considered combination of different types. Bring together a few squares, a few rounder pieces, and or go long with a lumbar pillow.

Complement your space with colors

One of the most important tips on how to style pillows is to keep a consistent, cohesive color palette. Don’t get us wrong: we love a bold statement color, but that color should serve to accent the space (and couch pillows) around it. If done right, the right combination of colors can create a throughline for your space that create the perfect finishing touch.

REMEMBER THE 60-30-10 RULE

60% reflect the dominant color of your space

30% are a secondary color that add depth

10% are an accent color that can harmonize

Add variety with touchable textures

Sure, plush is great, but have you ever tried smooth, velvety, chunky, furry, or leathery? Variety is the spice of life and the secret ingredient to the best pillow styling. Start by thinking of the way you want your couch pillows to feel as a unit, giving each its moment to shine. Ultimately, it’s these little differences that add up to a beautifully layered home.

Create playful moments with patterns

Let’s start with the obvious. There is a limit to the amount of patterns in a space (and in a set of couch pillows). When mixing patterns, you want to keep your pillow pairings in the same color family for a more cohesive look. Placing a solid pillow beneath patterned couch pillows can help serve as a buffer and allow each a little more room to breathe. We’d also recommend pairing large-scale patterns with smaller, more intricate ones. All this will help prevent any headaches from visual overload.

Most importantly, stick to your style

Fun fact: you don’t need a new couch to get new couch pillows. After all, you already have great taste and there are couch pillows for every aesthetic out there. Add a bohemian feel the intricate designs of one of our kilim pillows or make a textural statement with our minimal wool pillows. Our biggest (and most important tip) is to choose living room pillows that complement the style (and furniture) that you already have. Whether it’s modern, traditional, boho, or eclectic, you’re sure to find something that suits your space.

Quick bonus

Couch pillows tend to look better in odd numbers, mostly groups of five or three. No one has been able to explain why just yet, but we can definitely vouch for the look.

Explore our full collection of couch pillows.

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