How To Group Throw Pillows (Plus, the Right Sizes for Every Room!)
It’s pillow month here at Liz Powell Design! Today we’re going to get into the best ways to group throw pillows, and what sizes you should use for just about every space you can think of. Let’s dive right in.
Throw pillows are an excellent way to add visual interest and extra support to just about any room in your house! But it can be challenging to know the “right” way to layer throw pillows. Let me say right off the bat, that I totally believe all design rules are meant to be broken. What I’m going to share with you are my favorite tips and how I personally style pillows. But if you give these tips a shot and find that you want a different look, go for it!
Whenever I need to layer throw pillows I like to start with the largest and firmest pillow in the back. From there I’ll usually layer pillows in decreasing increments of about 2”, mixing up the softness and texture as I go. Since I’m usually working in a color scheme of two or three colors, it’s easy for me to switch up pillow positions as I work.
Okay, so how many pillows do you need? As a general design rule, our eyes like groups of three. However, sometimes I might find that a space only requires two pillows. Look at the outdoor sofa below as an example. I chose to layer two pillows on each side of the couch because three would have been too visually overwhelming – and probably would have fallen off the couch!
How to Group Pillows
Now that you know how to layer pillows, let’s get into the size and number of pillows to use across your house!
Pillows on a Chair or Bench
We generally pick a single pillow for chairs and benches. I think both lumbar and square pillows look great on chairs and benches. Depending on the size of the seat your pillow should be about 20-24”.
Pillows on a Sofa or Sections
There are a few combainations we love when it comes to couch pillows. As always, look around your house for pillows you already have that might fit the space. Remember you can always recover a pillow that’s the right size but wrong color!
Two pillow look | Start with a 22x22” or 24x24” pillow. Add a second pillow in front that is 20x20” or 22x22”.
Three pillow look | Follow the same instructions for our two pillow look. Finish with a 16x20” lumbar pillow.
Pillows on a Bed
If you’re looking to add some throw pillows to a bed, there are a number of combinations you can try! We’ll break it down by bed size and number of pillows.
Note: These combinations do not include your sleeping pillows. We usually lay sleeping pillows flat on the bed and then layer our throw pillows in front in these combinations.
Queen Size Bed
Two pillow sizes | Start with two 20x30” pillows. Add one 14x32” pillow in front.
Three pillow sizes | Start with two 26x26” pillows. Add two 20x30” pillows. Finish with a 14x28” pillow..
King Size Bed
Two pillow sizes | Start with three 26x26” pillows. Add one 16x46” pillow in front.
Three pillow sizes | Start with three 26x26” pillows. Add two pillows, either 20x30” or 24x24”. Finish with either a 14x36” pillow or a 20x20” pillow.
And there you have it, our favorite ways to decorate with pillows! We hope this guide has been helpful and we can’t wait to see all of your beautiful pillow scenes!
|With love, Liz
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