Decorating your home with pillows gives you the freedom to change the décor quick and easy according to your mood, season, or just to experiment with new designs. Living room, family room, or bedroom, every room will shine in a new way with several pillows added.
So why limit ourselves with just two or three solid color pillows, instead of letting our fantasy free in the great variety of patterns, textures and sizes. The good news is that pillows actually don’t have to match perfectly. Often great results are achieved when you experiment. Here are some tips from experts for mixing different patterns and colors, and still have stylish and beautiful result.
First, think about the idea you want to present. Are you fond of more neutral looks, then combine various earth and pastel tones, adding subtle textures or patterns. Or you are looking for something bolder? Then choose brighter colors and extravagant patterns and shapes.
If you start with colors, choose a general color palette, taking into account some basic furniture or wall color or curtains in the room. 3 to 5 colors would be great. In case you would like to add different patterns, the overall vision will still be cohesive if they at least share the same colors.
Here are some examples of color combinations that always look great together:
• Orange, green and purple
• Pale pink, navy blue and sky blue
• Deep red, orange and deep green
• Deep blue, pale peach, pale mint and orange
• Shades of blue and gold
• Magenta, navy blue and mustard
• Different tones of one color
Different patterns can also be mixed and matched. Here the rule is that each pattern should incorporate at least with one of the colors in the chosen palette. Choose your main pattern first, which is generally the largest pattern and the one that contains the colors in your color story. Then, the secondary patterns you select can contain just one or two of the colors. The size of the pattern also matters: choose a scale with different pattern sizes allowing one pattern to dominate. The main pattern should be the largest, and the most subtle – the smallest, like a solid color pillow.
Here are a few pattern mixing ideas for start:
• Geometric, floral and a solid color pillow
• Floral, stripes and a solid color pillow
• Animal print variations
• Dotted, floral and stripped pillow
Mixing textures should not follow strict rules. Play with your imagination and follow your sense for comfort, smooth touch, rough accent texture, softness and fuzzy look. Great number of variations here: faux fur, and velvet, linen, knit wools, playful pom poms and tassels. If you keep your color and pattern theme in mind, you can get creative with touch and feel.
In regard to numbers, odd numbers look modern, white even numbers look traditional. Even numbers give more balanced look, especially on your bed or couch. Sets of similar pillows, such as two or four, give more clean and orderly look.
When buying pillow inserts, you should look for a size bigger than the size of your cover. Inserts have the tendency to deflate easily, especially with extended use, and a larger size keeps them looking fuller longer.
Having this guide in hand, you can easily re-arrange your home, but never forget to follow your inner sense for fashion and comfort.