Hiring a designer means each space will have both intention and functionality. With this month’s accent, we wanted to give you some of our thoughts on how we use pillows and why we select the ones we do. Pillows serve both an aesthetic and functional purpose and our job is to find that middle ground. We like to use pillows to tie in the colors and feel of the rest of the space to finish out the entirety of the project. These are a few categories to keep in mind when selecting pillows!
Size Matters
Nothings worse than having a bunch of small pillows. For one, they’re uncomfortable to lounge with and tend to just be thrown on the floor, unused and unneeded. Secondly, it can make the scale of a couch, seat, or wherever you have these pillows look smaller and less intentional.
We have sleeping pillows and we have decorative pillows. Sleeping pillows are typically 20” tall and then become wider, as the bed becomes wider.
Decorative pillows come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and when working with an interior designer, we have some creativity here to figure out what works best for the space. Some popular pillows are Euro Pillows, Boudoir Pillows, and Lumbar Pillows.
Fill Matters
When shopping for throw pillows, consider the fill and how it will affect the appearance. A feather-and-down fill, for example, has more "give" and a softer squish. Foam and other synthetic fills are stiffer and generally more affordable. These pillows will hold their shape better but don't look as luxurious.
Feather
Feather pillows come from the wing and back feathers of the bird, the ‘top’. Whereas down is the underside of the bird. Feathered pillows are heavier, which gives the pillow more structure. These hold shape well and are a great option for a less expensive down pillow.
Down
Down pillows are the softest pillow, they have less structure and more ‘fluff’. They have the longest lifespan of most of the fills and are comfortable.
Polyester
Polyester pillows are good in that they are affordable. However, they have a short lifespan and don’t have the best feel to them. As they’re made from chemicals they tend to clump over time as the filling clumps and the pillow becomes lumpy. Not giving you a promising lifespan for your price.
Texture Matters
Textures are important in design, it creates depth, luxury or just a little fun! And it’s totally okay to mix textures, finding the right juxtaposition of smooth and rough, soft and fuzzy. Even a splash of something exciting like a faux fur, velvet, or a tassled accent can finish off a space. Keeping your color and pattern theme in play, you can get creative with touch and feel.
Here are some of our favorite pillow selections, if you want to shop around!
“We hope you learned something that you can use when searching for your next pillow purchase! ”