Coming in all shapes and sizes, it can feel overwhelming when it comes to knowing
where to start when styling cushions around your house. We are not normally ones to follow the rules, however, we’ve put together some helpful tips for styling cushions in your home.
1. On the bed
Are you going for plain or pattern, bold or neutral? If your aim is to create a tranquil atmosphere in your bedroom, we believe it is best to choose fabrics in plain colours or smaller-scale, muted prints. Within these parameters you can explore texture, prints, colour and style for cushions, creating depth and dimension with a unique colour palette.
How to arrange cushions on the bed?
We organise our cushions from the largest at the back to the smallest at the front.
Headboards should always be high enough to bank up cushions in front with the headboard still visible behind. You can choose two or three cushion sizes to layer and create height with the larger ones at the back. Why not add a lumbar or bolster cushion upholstered in your favourite fabric for a bold statement?
2. In the bedroom
Create contrast in the bedroom not just with a new colour, but with one that offers a different hue. When
decorating your bedroom with neutral colours, you can introduce a vibrant bedspread and some
tasselled cushions on the bed or an accent chair as they are so adaptable and will instantly create a strong look. Cushions don’t always have to be practical, they’re a ready-made excuse to introduce a wider variety of patterns, colours and textures, even if they are removed from the bed each day. Add an end-of-the-bed
ottoman box so you can place extra cushions inside when you’re ready to crawl into bed. Take a look at our Ottoman Box in Killi Red/Beige on Natural.
3. Living room
Add colour and pattern to a scheme with bright bold accessories and don’t be afraid to think big, the bigger the better! Colourful accessories and daring statement pieces, such as extra-large or embroidered square cushions or multi-coloured tassels will make your room look grander and more playful. Our Red Embroidered Square Cushions with White Pom-poms are popular additions to
living rooms. We love to introduce cushions on the sofa or armchairs that complement rather than match the upholstery of the living room and bring in different textures for depth. For formal living rooms, cushions all one size reinforce an elegant and sophisticated look. Whereas, round or rectangle cushions sitting amongst squares have a more relaxed feel.
4. Sofas
We see sofas as the blank canvas for our cushion collection. It’s the ideal opportunity to showcase fabrics in strong colours that would maybe look intimidating elsewhere, but stunning on a sofa. As much as we’d love to fit as many cushions on our sofas as possible, comfort still needs to take top priority. When selecting your cushions, think about introducing juxtaposing tones and daring patterns that flow with the seasons. Our new Buriam Lime and Ticking Stripe Rose cushions introduce a sense of fun while working well in a formal setting. If colour and patterns aren’t to your liking, you can instead play with the size and shape of your cushions and vary the tone to give your sofa the lift it deserves.
How many cushions do you need for a sofa?
This depends on your individual style and preference. If you prefer a more traditional style, an even amount of cushions will give you a more symmetrical look. For a more contemporary and eclectic style, go for an odd number. We usually start with two or three in the corners and go from there, always keeping comfort at the forefront.
5. Bay windows
Bay windows are perfect to convert into an inviting feature window seat. They are one of the best spaces in the house to intentionally overcrowd with cushions and will create an extra cosy and welcoming scene. For something more put-together, you can design a seat cushion upholstered in your preferred fabric and build on it with a variety of accent cushions to create depth and dimension with contrasting colours and prints. Not to be overlooked, the bay window can be an impactful focal point for a room. Our Zanzibar Performance Cushions lend themselves to a window seat due to their long shape.
6. Playrooms
It’s always a good idea to have a number of floor cushions scattered about your Playroom, especially when you get roped into a two-hour-long play session on the floor and you need something supportive to rest on. To enhance a sense of playfulness, there’s no need to match patterns and colours here—it’s the perfect excuse to explore unexpected combinations, like abstracts and florals, or geometrics patterns and stripes. You can even repurpose these pieces in the children’s bedrooms without looking out of place.
7. Kitchen and dining rooms
In the kitchen and dining room, why not inject some personality into your dining chairs by upholstering the seat padding with a fabric that makes a statement and stands out amongst the rest of the furniture? You can choose a durable and washable fabric that’s suitable for both indoors and outdoors when the sun is shining and you want to take your dinner alfresco.
8. Easy-to-clean and performance fabrics
It might be tempting to choose chemically coated fabrics for your kitchen, but it can be a better option to look for fabrics that are already built with practical properties. Our range of performance fabrics and cushions have been crafted from 100% Trevira CS, a fabric that is woven from flame-retardant fibres. It looks and feels just like regular fabrics, but is oil and water-repellent, making it easier to wipe clean, has light fastness, and can withstand higher levels of abrasion. These properties make this range perfect for outdoor living as well as high-contact areas within your home, such as the kitchen or playroom.
9. Positioning the cushions
When placing cushions either on the bed, sofa, window seat or outdoors, we prefer to stand them upright, rather than slouched against an object behind them. We always opt for a 100% feather-down inner as it keeps the cushion looking plump, crisp and luxurious for longer and gives you the freedom to style them as you wish, knowing they’ll hold their shape. Don’t worry if you have surplus cushions, they can still be an aesthetic feature in their own right. They can be neatly stored away in an ottoman or scattered on a rug for floor sitters and extra guests.
