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In this post: Confused at how to mix throw pillows and patterns so they look good? Here’s a handy cheat sheet for you!
Like the earrings of an outfit, throw pillows can complete a room’s look. They are also a fun way to play with color and pattern in a relatively inexpensive way! Especially if you know where to shop for them (which I’ll show you in a minute). But sometimes it can be tough to know which patterns and colors go with which, how to mix throw pillows and patterns with style. You know, without creating a chaotic, messy look. Which is definitely NOT what we’re going for, right?
Finally decorate your own home – with confidence!
You’re so much closer to a beautifully-decorated home than you think. You just need a little help to get there!
So I came up with a little formula to make it easy for you…
Here’s how to mix throw pillows and patterns effortlessly:
Pattern + Solid + Whimsical
in any colorway you like
An easy way to choose a combination of pillows is to simply lay pillows on the floor together to see what goes well together. Add or subtract pillows until you get a mix you like. You can do this with toss pillows you already have at home, or even in the aisle at the store.
The Shortcut to Perfectly Coordinated Colors and Patterns:
Simple choose one pattern that has all of the colors you’d like to use in your room, and then select two or more additional patterns that each have just a single color in them. Voila! Instantly coordinated mixing of patterns!
Here are a few examples of our throw pillow combos:
Obviously, I prefer a more neutral look to our pillows, but the PATTERN + SOLID + WHIMSICAL trick still applies.
So where do I buy pillows?
Well, first of all, I use only feather pillow inserts and separate covers. That way I can keep a few plethora of throw pillow covers in a Rubbermaid tote, and just change them out with each season or when I want to freshen things up. AND feather inserts take the beating that throw pillows seem to have to take – and yet they never stay flattened or misshapen because they fluff right back into shape. But I’m sort of cheap and I NEVER buy the super expensive inserts. Instead I buy mostly the $8 IKEA feather inserts. If you don’t have an IKEA nearby, you can also find fairly inexpensive feather inserts here as well. If I fall head over heels with a pillow that has a removable cover over a foam insert, I simply swap out the foam insert for a feather one. 🙂
As for throw pillow covers, I have bought my favorites from a variety of online stores and shops, including….
I’ve also bought toss cushion covers from Ikea, Homesense, Wayfair, Birch Lane and Chapters/Indigo.
Get the FREE Easy Throw Pillow Mixing Formula Cheat Sheet
To help you choose and mix throw pillows and patterns with style, I created this visual cheat sheet printable. Grab it below!
Happy throw pillow and pattern mixing, friend.
