How to style with pillow combinations - colour schemes and mixing patterns
You would think that something like a pillow cushion or even pillow combinations would seem easy to master, right?
Have you been like me where you make a plan to go out and purchase some pillow combinations to style your couch, you check out the latest styles, you check Pinterest to see what others are doing, you take notes meticulously of what textures, colours, and prints you want, only to your find yourself standing in the retailer aisle, looking at all the OTHER pillows they have and they're not even the ones you were want!
You're feeling frustrated, confused, and defeated because you feel like you have to settle with what they have and you’re so emotionally drained, you don’t even want to go to other retailers to find what you want.
Hands up y’all, I see you… because pillow combo stress syndrome (that’s my nursing diagnosis, peeps) is real.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s felt like this. We all want to feel like we’re born with that innate design gene. If only it could be that simple!
Most of us who are not inclined to design elements and techniques have to really work at it. We need all the information and inspiration to help us get to the point of ‘style master’ and I’m going to show you how.
I’ve wanted to master pillow combinations for some time and had to really think of a way that I could achieve the look I want, but with less stress.
I’ve also had to think of what techniques would make it simple to start with, and help me to build up from there. So if you’re in the same boat as me, stick around as we will work towards the perfect pillow combination formula.
Start off with a neutral pillow FIRST
Oh neutral, oh neutral. Where would we be without you, Oh neutral (You like my Shakespearean reference here don’t you? ha!…not sure if it worked but I did try).
But for real, let’s really look at the power of a neutral here.
It doesn’t even matter what colour your couch may be: white, tan, grey, brown, blue… a neutral tone pillow is THE BASIC jump off point to start your pillow combinations. I like to think of a linen, or cream colour.
Think of when a chef is preparing a meal. What would you say is their base ingredient would be for that meal? Well, this could be a lot of different things but I’m sure if you were to ask a chef preparing an Italian, Indian, or even a Jamaican meal, they would for sure say GARLIC!
Not to compare a pillow to garlic in any way here (although I am), but it does helps to bring a better understanding to the topic.
If a chef would never cook a meal without adding garlic, then why would we style our pillows without a neutral? It just makes sense to!
A neutral pillow has no real colour to it, it can literally can go with anything & everything, and if you are truly stumped about the whole pillow combo thing, sticking to a neutral toned palette will never go out of style.
Add an element of black and/or white
Now, some people would also say that black and white can be considered as a neutral, and you're right. You can choose either it in this situation here.
I looove black and white.
I honestly add these two tones in every part of my home. Why? Well, I find it helps to bring other colours together a lot better when you add either an pillow cover with a mixture of black and white, or just a solid colour of black or white.
There are so many patterns out on the market now that have gorgeous textures and prints. One tip I want to share with you here: if you are choosing between two pillows with patterns, make sure they are contrasting from one another.
I’ll show you in the examples below:
Can you see what i’m talking about here? In the first photo, it’s very hard for you to distinguish whether the pillows are the same patter, or if they’re different.
Although we do know that they are different, but if you were to stand far back from them and squint your eyes, can you really tell the difference? If not, then your pillow combo is a no-go.
It’s best to pair pillows together that have contrasting patterns from one another, like shown in the second photo. Here, you can clearly distinguish between the two pillows.
Add some pattern or movement
You can get as creative as you want here!
Try adding in pillows with tassels, fringe, or pompoms. Not a fan of these? That’s ok, try adding in elements with ticking stripes, floral, or vintage pillows such as kilim fabric. The options are truly endless and can add so much visual interest to your home decor.
Odd pairings work best
In design, we like odd numbers. Styling a shelfie? Odd number groupings. Styling your couch? Odd numbers work just the same here.
I like to pair at least 3 or 5 pillows on a couch. The reality is, not a lot of people like tons of pillows on their couch, and when they or a guest go to sit down, your beautiful pillow you oh-so carefully selected then ends up on the floor! How rude…
Just face it: not everyone is pillow obsessed like we are!
The minimum amount of 3 is good for the type of person who doesn’t like a lot of stuff in their way. This allows for them to still have that style, but also have their couch remain functional. After all, it is a couch for lounging.
The maximum amount of 5 is great for ones (like myself) who love the comfort of a lot of pillows, all while having the style still remain in place (no pillows on the floor here!).
But, now you ask yourself: “how would you style these pillows?”.
I got the secret sauce right here..
Styling three pillows, I would keep three on one side of the couch, while the opposite side would have a lovely draped throw blanket.
For styling five pillows, I would have three on one side and two on the other, with a throw blanket added to create visual balance and symmetry. But, try to add a lumbar pillow in the mix of things to help break up the “squares" and also try varying the sizes of your pillows to add an element of interest. Think of a 24”, 22”, or 20” square. You can go as small as 18” but I wouldn’t go any smaller as the pillow will get lost in the mix. With lumbar pillow sizing, you can get many sizes from 12”x20” up to 15"x32”, for example.
For sure these are guidelines I like to follow, but you can mix it up to your liking! Home styling should be fun and make sense to you for function and purpose.
Check out some examples I’ve put together for you below!
If you give this a try, I’d love to know! Like what you see here? Follow me on Instagram for more inspo and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter where I send out extra tidbits of information, freebies, and more!
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