How To Choose Throw Pillows

I recently stopped by Target and sourced some throw pillows for our living room and it had me thinking about how I select throw pillows for my own home and for others. Below are some of my guiding principles, as well as some combination recommendations that I am loving right now!

guiding principles

1. Work with odd numbers. This is a general design rule that I believe applies to pillows too. People are naturally drawn to uneven compositions, so when choosing your pillow quantities think in odds, like three, five, seven, etc.

2. Choose one solid print, one busy/large print, and one simple/small print. Be mindful of other patterns and prints that you have going on in your room. If you happen to have a heavily patterned sofa or bedding, try to use a more subtle pattern print in as your "busy print," or try to keep neutrals consistent across all pillow patterns.

3. Be sure to keep a color scheme consistent across all prints. This helps tie the pillows together, and to the rest of the decor in your room.

4. Vary your pillows in size and in shape! This helps to create visual interest across your "pillow landscape" As a basis I usually try to start with a 20" or 18" square pillow, a rectangular pillow, then some other unique shape, like a round pillow.

And that's it! There really is not much to it. Also, I am a firm believer that everything doesn't necessarily need to follow design principles. If you truly love something, use your gut as your guiding principle, because that is really all that matters! See below for some of my favorite throw pillow combos from Amazon, Etsy and Target.

global navy

planty!

bold boho

b&w farmhouse

Some of the pillows above can be purchased as just the case. If you go that route, I have two simple tips when it comes to pillow inserts:

1. Choose inserts that are 2" larger than the case - this helps to give them a fuller look!

2. Not all inserts are created equal; in the end it comes down to comfort. I personally love down pillows, so I generally am more drawn to inserts that are fully or partially down filled. If you are going for a more budget friendly option, then choosing a polyester fill is the direction you will want to go in.

*Please note that some of these links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission from your purchase at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Dwelling Roots Design in this way!