PILLOWS c/o : Couch: Vapor in Coal {small} // Vapor in Coal {square} // Velvet in Indigo // Blythe in Saffron // Storm in Gray // Charlotte // Row Chairs: 2 Craig Pillows in Ink RUG c/o: Wallace 8×10 in Earth
Most people don’t realize throw pillows can make or break the entire look and feel of their living room. Unfortunately the pillows that came with our sofa don’t count. I’ve learned through blogs and interior designers this is one of the biggest mistakes they see people make. And it’s so simple to change! Given Sean and I were HUGE offenders of this major faux pax, I decided to turn to the experts – Room & Board. They showed me how it’s done and now you can do it too! Just scroll below to get my tried and true tips plus our experience through the entire process. Here’s a little before and after now, but you can see a lot more at the end of this post!
At first, picking out throw pillows sounded simple. They’re just pillows after all! No big deal right?! Boy was that short-lived. As soon as I started the process I felt overwhelmed. Here’s just a sampling of questions that popped in my head… “How many throw pillows do I need?” “What size?” “What colors” “What shapes” “And why are some pillows priced more than others?” “Is there really a difference?” “And what about texture?” “Oh! And how many go where?” See! I told you it gets messy. But luckily it’s easier than you think! Here’s how to do it and where to start.
STEP ONE: Take Inventory // Remember, everyone’s situation is different, so each person will need different things. For example. The size, length, color and shape of your sofa is a major determining factor of your pillow style and count. Our couch is a gray sectional, so we knew we needed a fair amount, along with some print and color. Another question to ask yourself is “what other furniture do I have?” Do you have chairs? A bench? Etc. We have two chairs that were looking a little bare. So we wanted to add some color and softness to brighten them up.
STEP TWO: Copy The Experts // There’s no need to re-invent the wheel. Do as the pros do! No matter where you buy your pillows, I highly recommend gathering your inspiration from a specialty design store like Room & Board. I paid a visit to the Oakbrook Room & Board for not only to see what they did, but take advantage of their expertise. They have a MILLION setups of beautifully designed living rooms, using all different couch shapes and sizes. I simply looked for the displays that included a large sectional and BINGO! After finding one that resembled our situation, I took notes on how they set up their pillows. Easy peasy.
STEP THREE: Examine the Quality // It’s no secret pillows can be an investment. And there is a HUGE difference between price points. For the best looking pillows, that last and keep their shape, this is what is recommended.
- Pillows with Covers: You can change the covers without having to buy new pillows. This allows you to spruce up your living room depending on the season and update them as your style changes over the years. No brainer here.
- Down: Always examine the inside of pillows before your buy them. Beautiful covers don’t always translate to quality. Down is the best because they keep their shape over the years and are by far the most comfortable. Room & Boards’ pillows are the best of the best in both these departments!
STEP FOUR: Mix Colors, Texture, Print & Size // This video is a lifesaver when it comes to mixing prints and colors! I watched it prior to pillow shopping and found it quite valuable. A great place to start is to ask yourself, “what is your living room color scheme?” We have lots of grays and blues, plus a splash of yellow in the oversized art hanging over our couch. So we followed the theme with blues and grays, plus a pop of yellow to tie it all together!
STEP FIVE: Test // It’s highly unlikely you’ll pick the perfect pillows right out of the gate. So you need to allocate time for testing, experimenting, buying and returning! Arrange, style and play at the store first. Once you have your pillows narrowed down, bring them home to test yourself! Sometimes what looks good in the store doesn’t always translate. Room & Board has incredible customer service and they will help you too. I showed them photos of our living room and they guided me in colors, textures and patterns that worked with my living room. They were RIGHT on point! As soon as I tried them at home we knew they were keepers!
STEP SIX: Arrange // Larger pillows should always go on the far outside corners and layer the smaller sizes on top. Also, odd numbers typically look best! We were cognizant of placing simple colors next to patterns, dark next to light and incorporated textures like embroidery, velvet and metallic!
STEP SEVEN: Tie It All Together // I learned this trick from Room & Board! Initially I had every pillow completely different. But to make the pillows more cohesive, they suggested one large pillow and one small pillow in the same print. We placed them on opposite ends too so it didn’t feel match-y match-y. As soon as we did this, it felt SO right!
Chairs // As mentioned we wanted a few pillows so lighten up our dark vintage chairs. Since the cushions are solid, Room & Board recommended a print. We actually cruised the store again to see how they used pillows on their chairs {which are very similar in style to ours}. We stumbled upon these stunning herringbone pillows and loved them!
Some other perks purchasing from Room & Board are their custom pillows! You can get anything custom which is so fun and ensures no one else has the same thing as you. I originally planned to work a few in but ended up loving their prints so much I stayed with what they had! Why mess with a good thing right?
Okay, lets see some before and afters and tell me what you think! Isn’t it crazy how much of a difference they make?
BEFORE & AFTER
You can see here how the pillows brought LIFE to our space. Feels so much more inviting and makes you want to grab a coffee and settle in! Larry agrees. Also, sofa seats tend to get lumps and squashed {as you can see in the before}. So the throw pillows help hide them!
Prints add contrast and depth, especially against a neutral fabric! When company comes, you can even place a pillow or two on the floor to encourage guests to make themselves comfortable. Even if they don’t lay on the floor, you are saying you can and we don’t care!
We love the mix of prints. Sean told me this pillow specifically is his favorite! It’s called ‘Storm’.
These photos turned out great but they look even better in real life! The textures and materials have so much dimension. Game changer guys! Our sofa looked like a giant gray blob with the matching pillows it came with. As soon as we added Room & Board’s accessories, the room totally changes! Also, they are the comfiest things you ever laid your pretty little head on. I catch Larry and Sean snoozing on them all the time!
Last but not least, our rug! I fell in love with it while pillow shopping. Don’t you love when that happens? It’s SO cozy and we get compliments allllll the time. It’s light, with threads of gray so it disguises dirt and marks. If you have dark floors or a dark couch and you’re looking to lighten up your space, it’s PERFECT. It looks great in the summer and fabulous in the winter.
So tell me, are you still using the pillows your couch came with? If you feel like your living room is “missing something” this may be exactly what you need! Stop by your closest Room & Board today!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below! If you live in Chicago or surrounding area, I highly recommend checking out all their locations in downtown Chicago, Skokie and Oakbrook! They also have several properties around the country too.
Photography by Paige Babilla
A huge thank you to Room & Board for collaborating on this post!
