Cushion Styling Guide - Art Hide

Cushion Styling Guide - Art Hide

Recently textured fabrics and materials have taken the design world by storm. This has bought more focused to the highly underrated but highly effective décor accent - throw cushions and bolster. Cushions have the ability to elevate any interior setting. Be it a living room seating agreement, hallway benches, or the bedroom, adding a throw cushions instantly uplifts the design and helps bring out the subtle design features of the space. Here are some cushion arrangement tips to help you harness the real potential of these versatile décor accents:

Start With a Versatile Base

For the base cushions pick a texture that creates an interesting contrast against your sofa. For instance, if your upholstery uses a lighter material, go for a richer fabric to create a playful contrast. You can use a standard 50 x 50 cms cushions to ensure a comfortable plush feeling. As a general rule, an odd number of cushions make for the most natural, inviting arrangement: three for smaller sofas, and five for larger ones. Another way to go about it is by creating a neutral base is by picking a neutral sofa as it allows for the maximum cushions combinations.

See how the plush cowhide cushion paired with a textured pillow creates an intriguing contrast against the clean lines of the linen pillows and the cotton sofa cover.

Play With Fabrics and Textures

For these base cushions, choose a texture that plays against your sofa in an interesting way. You can start with a neutral base which could either be your sofa or the first layer of throw cushions. For the next layer, pick a pair of coloured or patterned cushions of the same size or a size smaller. You can enhance the visual flow of the room by matching the cushions to the rug. Pro Tip - Simply switch out one or two cushions to give your sofa an instant uplift.

This living room setting shows how you can use contrasting elements and fabrics to create a unified look by matching the cushions to the rug.

Pick an Anchor Color

If there is a piece of anchor furniture that brings a bright pop of colour to the setting, you can use cushions to highlight it through-out the room. This makes the overall look more cohesive while subtly highlighting the stronger elements of the room.

This is an ideal example of how you can pair bold and neutral tones to create a beautiful bold coloured theme within the room.

Mix and Match Prints

By mixing and matching styles and prints, you will be able to elevate the level of intrigue in your interior setting. As a finishing touch to your cushion arrangement, throw in one more piece that stands out in terms of size, colour or pattern.

While the colour pallet of the room appears to be neutral, notice how each element is significantly different from the other in terms of patterns and textures. Together, they also enhance and highlight the various textures present in the room.

Special Tip - Add a sheepskin or a cowhide throw to your setting in order to create one more layer of gorgeous texture. For this setting a rich brown colored sheep skin was used to highlight the rug and enhance the cushion mix. While this hide is draped over the sofa for a more relaxed look, you can even fold the throw neatly over the back or arm of the sofa to give it a tailored feel.

Think About Symmetry

Now that you know how to pick and layer your cushions, all you have to do is get creative if your cushion arrangements. Think about how you'd like to display your throw cushions to get the most out of them. As mentioned earlier, keeping the neutral cushions in the back and let the more exciting colors and prints take centre stage.

Notice how the textured cushions are matched to the colours on the rug subtly highlighting the patterns on the rug, thus enhancing the overall appeal of the room.

And there you have it- all the essentials you need to know about when styling your seating or even bedding arrangement with some lovely cushions. Just flex those creativity muscles and don’t shy away from experimenting. And last but not the least; don’t underestimate the power of a throw cushion! Do you have a favorite style cushion arrangement style? Share your interior design ideas with us in the comment section below!
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