Decorating With Pillows

Fluff Up Your Decor With Pillows

Whether you want a seasonal shake-up or you’re looking for a trendy, vibrant change, it’s easy to do with the right pillows. Go with wild patterns, bright colors or flat-out trendy styles to give your home an updated look. Pillows are an inexpensive way to make an impact on a room, and because they’re not a big commitment like furniture or lighting, you don’t have to be afraid to change them often. In fact, you’ll want to – that’s the point.

More than just couch cushions, have you ever thought of utilizing pillows to display your favorite art instead of filling up your walls? Or transforming your garden patio into a modern extension of your home by adding contemporary textured pillows? The experts at Pillow Decor Ltd.(www.pillowdecor.com) offer the following creative tips for decorating with pillows.

1) PILLOWS AS ART

So many homes now have walls of glass and open plans, so there are fewer walls available for hanging art. Use hand-painted, one-of-a-kind pillows to add original art to your home. You can even try a pillow that features the work of one of your favourite artists. They are easy to decorate with, and don’t leave holes in the wall. Among Pillow Décor’s collection you’ll find hand-painted, one-of-a-kind works of art by up-and-coming designers as well as classic renditions of famous works by artists such as Gustav Klimt, Marco Fabiano and Fabrice De Villeneuve.

2) SEASONAL MAKEOVER

Update the look of your home seasonally with new pillow covers and accessories. It’s the quickest way to give your home a makeover. Most pillow covers have zipper closures, so you can put lighter-colored pillow covers on your existing pillows for a fresh look. Just store your fall and winter pillow covers flat in the linen closet. Choose lighter-weight silks with a slight sheen to capture the light and add sparkle to your room. You can also switch pillows and accessories from room to room for a quick change. Pillow Decor makes it easy by enabling you to buy just the pillow cover, or the pillow cover with your choice of a polyfill insert or feather insert.

3) MIX FABRICS LIKE A PRO

Professional designers combine different fabrics, shapes and sizes for a layered look. You can easily pull this off yourself by mixing florals, stripes, textures and solid-coloured pillows. Traditional themes feature pairs, balance and symmetry, but modern and contemporary decor is known for odd numbers and a more eclectic, collected look. Resist the “matchy-matchy” impulse, and build a collection of different fabrics to add colour and personality to your home. Unify your open-concept décor with fabrics that reflect and tie together the colours in the room. Study magazines to see how the professionals do it.

4) INEXPENSIVE UPDATING

To modernize an outdated room or sofa, pick new pillows in a color you are moving towards. You will be able to test out the new colors in the room, and begin the transformation. You don’t have to redo the whole room at once, just do it piece by piece as budget allows. Reupholster that sturdy reading chair and ottoman. Throw in a cozy chenille. Combine rich textured dupioni silks and modern solid colored metallic pillows for a clean look that is versatile, so that once you decide on the furniture and flooring, your pillows and accessories are already in place. For a final touch, add patterned pillows that incorporate the colors of the sofa fabric.

5) BRING THE OUTDOORS INSIDE

Botanical and floral-print pillows will bring the feel of the outdoors in. However, it certainly doesn’t have to be your traditional floral imagery. Pillow Decor offers a wide variety of contemporary, subtle botanical styles. Combined with textured fabrics, you’ll feel more connected to the Earth even, in the heart of the city. There are many color schemes to choose from, including gold and silver. Add a few coordinating striped pillows for a masculine touch. Use a digital picture from your hike in the woods, have it printed in a poster size, and place it beside a leafy new plant near your Earth-inspired pillows for a great look!

6) TAKE THE INDOORS OUT

Decorative pillows offer an ideal way to help transform your outdoor living space into a comfortable continuation of your home. Whether it’s a kitchen, family room or bedroom that opens up onto a deck or poolside patio, try using throw pillows that pull from the dominant color of the adjacent indoor room. The transitional effect will create harmony and continuity between your indoor and outdoor living spaces. Don’t hesitate to use designs that might typically seem unfitting for the outdoors. Go with pillows that feature bold circles, stripes or colors not standard of nature, such as black and white. The pillows will stand out amongst all the earthy greens and browns and really spice up that outdoor space!

7) KEEP THE PEACE

She wants mauve florals, he wants green and orange geometric pillows. Compromise with pillow covers in each color scheme and theme, and alternate them occasionally. Or try finding some common ground with a coordinating pair that combines the Yin and the Yang. Your room will feel new, and the change will be refreshing. Everybody’s happy!

8) DRESSING UP A CHILD’S ROOM

For the kid whose room is never tidy, solid color pillows will help create a less cluttered look. If texture and pattern is what you are after, you can add wide wale corduroy or striped pillows to a boy’s room, and wavy or florals for the girls. You want soft durable pillows for a child’s room made from microfibre suede – the microfibre fabrics are so tightly woven that they are tougher and more durable than most other fabrics. Spills just bead up and roll off, and they can be wiped clean with a damp cloth. Try 24-by-24-inch box-edge faux-suede pillows, which are practical and fun for floor pillows in a child’s or teen’s room. These pillows are very soft; perfect to sprawl on while reading a book or playing a game. They come in a wide variety of bright cheerful colors, and while the superhero or princess themes will soon be passé, these durable pillows will have staying power.

9) WHAT’S HOT NOW

The hottest new pillows are the versatile rectangular shape, sometimes referred to as “lumbar” pillows. They can be used in so many ways, to add back support to children and petite people, to add color to an armchair, or nestled against each arm of your sofa. Layer them in front of larger, square pillows in the corner of your sectional, or on a window seat or daybed. Add one in front of pillow shams to give your beds a decorative touch. On a low-backed, clean-lined sofa, place one at the back of each seat cushion.