How to style the perfect pillow combination for your home

We often get asked for advice on which pillows look best together & how to style throw pillows. To make it easy for our customers, we try really hard to choose fabrics that will coordinate with at least 2 or 3 others in our inventory. But, we totally understand that finding the perfect combination of prints, tones & textures is not easy for everyone.  So, today I'm sharing some of our favorite pillow combos & breaking down how & why we put certain pillows together.

Let's start things off with a little pro decor tip - odd numbered groupings are more visually appealing. This applies to a wide gamut of design elements, and of course it's a rule that can be broken, but a general rule of thumb when decorating is to group things in odd numbers. So when you're deciding how many throw pillows to use on your couch, start with an odd number. If it feels too sparse, add another. If it feels too bulky, spread them around to different pieces of furniture.

**Even numbers can look great too, this rule is definitely more flexible with pillows than with, say, wall art. The odd number rule is just a starting point for anyone that needs help getting started.**

Use an odd number of pillows, got it. So...should I use 3 or 5 or 7 or...?!?

Aside from the "odd number" rule, deciding how many pillows to use is mostly a combination of personal preference & how much your husband is going to complain. ;) But here are our favorite looks:

Smaller accent chair: 1 pillow centered on the back of the chair

Oversized chair: 2 pillows

Average-large sized couch: 2 or 3 on each end

Smaller-sized couch: 1 or 2 on one end, 1 on the other

Sectional: 2 on each end & 3 in the corner. If that sounds like too many, start with 1 on each end instead of 2. You can always add more later!

[gallery ids="4271,4272" type="rectangular"]

Now that we have the amount of pillows figured out, let's get to the fun stuff...putting together the perfect combination of textures, colors, & sizes!

In the same way that you group an odd number to be visually appealing, you also want to choose a variety of prints, textures, & sizes for the same reason. Let's talk about how to style throw pillows, we'll use a 3-pillow combination as an example. I suggest starting with your favorite print, the one you absolutely must have. Use that pillow as the inspiration for the rest of the grouping.

Next, add some texture. Whether it's a subtle corduroy or a something a little more wild like a faux fur, mixing a little texture into your pillow combination will add depth & visual interest.

Lastly, add some leather. Always add leather. People often say "but I have grays in my house, not browns." I promise, this does not matter. Contrary to an old "rule" someone made up a long time ago - browns & blacks/grays actually look really good together. Adding an element like leather will add so much warmth to your space.

Last but not least, we need to decide on size....

I know, I know, this seems like a lot of decisions just for throw pillows, but don't be overwhelmed, this is the easiest step! Basically if you're layering pillows, as in you have more than one, the one in the back should be a bigger size. Think of it like how you would arrange your family in a group picture, the taller people go in the back, plus it's much more visually interesting when everyone is a different height! So, back to our example of 3 pillows - if you're going to arrange 2 in the back & 1 in the front (like the picture above), the back two pillows should be slightly larger than the front one. If you're grouping of 3 is in the corner of a sectional, you might want to put 1 larger pillow in the back & 2 smaller ones in front.

So there you have it, you're now an expert on how to style throw pillows...right? Great :) At the end of the day, all that really matters is that your home is a place you love - a reflection of you & the people that live in it, a cozy space where you feel comfortable & safe. And if that means an even number of pillows in the exact same pattern, size, & color, then that's absolutely perfect.

Comments, thoughts or questions? Contact us at hello@harmonyhousellc.com. We just love hearing from you!