Picking Perfect Throw Pillows

By / Food / January 6th, 2014 / 2

Throw pillows make a statement. They decorate your couch and punctuate your bed, adding style and comfort. It all depends on how you pick them.

Live on the Edge

There are different ways to finish a pillow’s seam. The most common types are:

Knife Edge: the most popular, this straight-laced, no funny business seam occurs when two pieces of fabric sewn together with a simple stitch.

Welt: a string of piping is sewn into the seam; if the piping is made with the same fabric, it is called a “self-welt pillow”.

Flanged: these have an extra width of fabric encircling them called a “flange”.

Embellished: the seam has a fancy trim, such as lacy or a soft fringe.

Pick Your Shape

Not to state the obvious, but pillows are available in many shapes and sizes:

Square: the standard shape with a width of 14”-20”.

Rectangular: aka a lumbar pillows.

Circle: these make great accent pillows to throw a curve into the straight lines of the room.

Odd: make a statement. Look for flowers or any odd shape. Caution: use sparingly.

A Splash of Colour

The same rules apply for pillows as accent colours.

Solid: use these are backdrops and pull the main accent colours from your room onto your furniture.

Patterned: pick a one or two with a pattern to add movement to your couch. Unless your couch is patterned, in which case avoid at all costs.

Graphic: cute or funky pictures on the pillow are visual spice, especially if the image has meaning to you.

Commands: big, bold words on a solid background are amusing additions.

Vary the shapes and ensure colour continuity. For example: three square, two rectangle and one circle. One of each shape will be the same solid colour. Anything goes for the remaining pillows!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A freelance writer and editor, Lisa Hoekstra loves learning and trying new things. She can be found with her nose in a book or multiple tabs open on her browser as she researches the latest and greatest in the world of food, style and everything in between.

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