Throw pillows can enhance the style of any room. They are affordable, eye-catching, come in various designs, and are the perfect addition to your bedroom, living room, or family room. Mixing and matching cushions isn’t hard, but it can be overwhelming, especially if you’re trying to create a specific effect.
If you want to shop cushions UK, you should pay attention to these valuable mixing and matching rules.
Choose Your Colour Story
Nowadays, you can find cushions featuring virtually any colour and pattern you can imagine. It would be a shame to choose only the colours that match your furniture perfectly. If you want to mix and match your cushions like a pro, the first step you need to take is to select your colour story.
We recommend choosing three colours that go well with the room’s décor. You can find inspiration in the furniture, the colour of the walls, curtains, rugs, or any detail you want to emphasise. Many people find that choosing two colours that look good together is much easier than selecting three.
Here are a few colour combinations you can use:
- White, cream, brown
- Gold, black, brown
- Lime, yellow, green
- Deep green, deep blue, gold
- Red, white, black
- Mustard yellow, violet, cream
- Deep red, white, orange
Choose Your Patterns
The next step is selecting the patterns you think would look good with your room’s décor. Don’t be afraid to mix different patterns. As long as the cushions feature at least one colour from the palette you selected in the previous step, they’ll look great together.
If you’re not sure where to start, here’s what you can do: choose a lead pattern. This pattern should be the largest and contain all the colours from your palette. Then, select secondary patterns that incorporate at least one of the colours.
Here are several suggestions for mixing patterns:
- Solid colour, floral, geometric
- Toile, stripes, buffalo check
- Dotted, solid colour, chevron
Choose Your Pattern Sizes
When choosing and combining patterns, it’s vital not to go overboard. Having different designs compete with each other is distracting and can create the opposite effect than intended.
This is why you should always have a lead or primary pattern, which should be the largest one. Then, you should select a medium-sized pattern like a smaller houndstooth or effective stripes. The third pattern should be subtle. Think solid colours, damask stripes, or a Dotted Swiss.
Additional Tips
Here are a few additional tips that can make mixing and matching cushions much easier.
Pay Attention to the Material
Cotton and linen are the common cushion materials you’ll find in stores. But these aren’t your only choices. You can find cushions made of silk, faux fur, velvet, wool, etc. The options are almost endless, and the variety of textures can add a unique appeal to your living space. Don’t be afraid to mix the materials as you please.
Numbers Matter
Another important aspect to consider is the number of pillows you’re using. Many agree that odd numbers look more modern and artful. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a clean, symmetrical look, it’s best to select an even number of pillows.
Choose Your Fill
Feather-filled cushions look luxurious and soft, but they can be expensive. Plus, they can lose their shape over the years. There are also foam-filled cushions which are more affordable and retain their shape. However, they can look stiff.
Listen to Your Heart
The rules for mixing and matching cushions should only serve as a general guide. The most important aspect to remember when purchasing cushions is that you like them. After all, you’re paying for them, and you’ll need to look at them every day in your home. Therefore, you should ensure the cushions match your preferences. Don’t give up on the cushions you love just because the colours don’t fit perfectly or the patterns are too similar.
Make Your Room Shine
When you want to shop cushions UK, you can rely on numerous rules for combining colours, patterns, sizes, and materials. However, you shouldn’t forget that rules are made to be broken. Finding what you like is far more important than complying with the latest trends. The rules we discussed should guide you in the right direction, but it’s perfectly fine if you go with another idea.