Designer Tips for Styling Your Sofa Throw Pillows

It’s no secret we have a passion for throw pillows. In fact, it was the lack of trendy and affordable pillow covers and home decor textiles that inspired us to start Woven Nook! 

Throw pillows are a fun way to add some personality and style to your home, and they are super easy to change up whenever you feel your decor needs a refresh. 

While we love the versatility decorative pillows offer for any home or aesthetic, sometimes too many options can be paralyzing. So to help you achieve the perfect pillow arrangement in your living room, here are our tips for styling sofa pillows.

Choosing the right sizes

Picking appropriately-sized pillows is key for nailing that designer look. If you go too large, it can actually make your couch look smaller, and too small will just look kind of sad.

Generally you want to build a strong base with 22 or 24-inch pillows in the back, then sprinkle in some smaller 20”, 18”, 16” or lumbar pillows.

Get quality inserts

It’s easy to get caught up in the pillow covers and let the inserts become an afterthought. But even the most stylish cover will look “meh” on a thin, saggy, or lumpy insert.

Look for something soft and plump that will hold its shape for the long-run, like our premium faux down inserts. Foam and other synthetic fillers typically run on the less expensive side, but they tend to look stiff or go flat.

How many pillows?

To an extent, the number of pillows you have depends on your personal preference (and of course, how big your couch is). But there are some general rules and guidelines that can help you out.

We recommend sticking with an odd number of pillows for a more relaxed and modern look. But if your heart cries out of symmetry, you can certainly go for a more traditional even number.

For an average-sized sofa, 5 pillows is usually a safe bet, with 3 for a smaller couch, and 7 for a sectional. When in doubt, start with fewer pillows and add more if it feels right. 

Pick a palette 

Presumably you’ve already got a color palette going in your living room or throughout your home that will largely influence your decisions here. However, throw pillows are a great place to play a little with color, or change things up with the seasons. 

Stick with either three colors or a pop or color in a single palette, like navys or neutrals. Try to incorporate one pattern that includes all your colors to help create cohesion. But not every pillow needs to have every color.

Our advice is to start with one patterned pillow cover that you love, and build the rest around that.

Mix it up

As always, mix up your textures and patterns. Variety adds interest and depth, while being too matchy-matchy can feel sterile.

It is important to remember here to balance out your patterns. Keep all patterns simple and clean, or combine bolder, busier patterns with solids.

Also keep in mind that some patterns look better on square or lumbar pillows. And if patterns aren’t your thing, no sweat. Stick with solids and just play up the textures.