Throw Pillows – The Complete Guide + 100 of My Faves! (parts 1 & 2)

Hi Everyone,

Oh, spring is here, for today that is. After such a wretched, cold, wet weekend, it was doubly sweet. I went for a long walk to Whole Foods which pooped me up but then energized me. It’s always good to remember that there’s usually a reward for the pain.

Oh, and I did take some pics of the monstrosity that is the bell tower’s super ugly scaffolding you can barely make out in the image on Sunday’s post. I added them in, if you’re interested. Thanks to all who left comments!

 

For today, this is part 2 of the throw pillow post with more information, plus another beautiful widget filled with all of the blues and teals I love.

 

Also, I added more pillows to both the green and the pink pillow widgets. Those are in part 1, but near the end if you want to skip ahead, please click the link below. If you’re here for the first time or wish to review, please start from the top.

Part 2 Begins Here

 

Hi Everyone,

Oh my. You always know when I say Oh my it means I got caught in a vortex of some sort. The last three days, it’s been throw pillows. You see, it’s been nearly four years since I last updated my pillow post.

The last time I did it, I made about a dozen mini widgets, which I thought would be easier. They weren’t. Today, there will be three big widgets divided by color.

 

Before we get into the throw pillows, please join me in celebrating my 13th blogiversary. Yes, this blog began on April 7, 2012.

 

However, without all of you, there would be no blog. I am deeply grateful.

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In design school in the late ’80s, I would quip smugly that interior design is so much more than just figuring out the throw pillows.

Years later, I realized that I was wrong.

 

Actually, throw pillows are everything.

 

Alright, that’s an exaggeration, but they add a vital component.

Don’t believe me? Check out the following rooms, put your finger over the pillows, and imagine that room without them.

 

Above and below by me in 2012 and 2013.

 

My old living room in Bronxville, NY.

 

Throw pillows are one of the easiest ways to add a lot of pizazz to your interiors.

 

That is… if you do them right.

Do them wrong, and your room will suffer.

What is the biggest mistake that people make with their throw pillows?

 

There are three mistakes, and all of them are important.

1  – Size. Most people have pillows that are too small. For most sofas, you will want your square pillows to be no smaller than 20″ square. More about that in a sec.

2 – Fill. Never use a solid piece of foam. I prefer 50/50 down and feathers. However, for vegans and those with allergies, I would get the finest down alternative you can find.

3. The fabric that covers the inserts.

 

Ah… This is one of my favorite tricks to make your room look rich on a budget.

 

If money is super tight, and there’s a choice of fabrics, I would go with something plain, easy to maintain, and inexpensive, like a sunbrella-type fabric that looks like sailcloth or cotton duck.

Then, the splurge is with the pillow fabrics. Use the beautiful designer fabrics, for the most part. That is what you will notice, not the 18 yards it took to upholster the sofa.

Yes, I know you got some fantastic pillows at HomeGoods for 29.99. ;] If your budget is that tight, then I respect that. There was a time I couldn’t afford $29.99. However, if you have a bit more, the designer fabrics will take your room up a hefty notch.

 

Here’s what to do and look out for.

 

• Inserts for your throw pillows

 

If you’re doing down/feather and can’t swing the 50/50 down insert, 30/70 is fine, and even a good quality 10/90 is preferable to some crappy foam insert.

 

• You want your pillow filling to be nice and full.

 

In fact, better to be full than too skimpy. Stuffing the insert into the cover should be a bit of a struggle. That means the insert must be smaller than the cover.

 

Here’s the rule:

 

If your pillow is 18″ or larger, the insert should be two inches larger on each side or 20 x 20.

However, if it’s a lumbar pillow and one side is smaller, or a square with sides less than 18″, the increase is only one inch.

So, if your finished size is 14 x 24, the insert should be 15 x 26.

I have even gotten a 24×24 insert into a 20″ pillow and it’s absolutely fine– very luxurious. So better to be too big than too small. Too small, and your pillows will look like a deflated balloon. No flabby pillows, please!

 

Where to get pillow inserts for throw pillows?

 

There are dozens of terrific sources on Etsy.

 

How large should the throw pillows be?

 

For most sofas, if doing four pillows, I do two @20″ and two @22.” Lumbar pillows are usually 12″ – 14″ tall by 24″-26″ wide.

OH! and BTW, very important. If you don’t know this, pillows should be measured unfilled– from seam to seam. 

The pillows will “shrink,”  of course, when filled because they are no longer flat. 

 

My old living room in Bronxville, NY

They weren’t made for these chairs. I’ve had these pillows for 29 years and still love them! They are a little small but acceptable, I think.

 

What else do you need to be concerned about with your throw pillows?

 

Make sure they put in zippers!  Of course, you’ll want to be able to remove the pillow cover for cleaning purposes.

 

• Pillow corners. I like mine pretty sharp. I am not fond of pleated corners. Sharp corners = upscale, expensive. Pleated corners are not my preference. But, it’s important to specify if it’s important to you.
• Something I learned recently from a terrific comment. A great way to keep your throw pillows dust-free is to put them in the dryer on air dry. The filter will capture the dust.

 

The best places to get cool designer throw pillows

 

Well, it used to be that the only way was to have them made. But that was then, and now, you can get amazing pillows in zillions of places.

One place to get pillows with expensive designer fabric for not-a-lot-of-money is Etsy. Many of these are in the Etsy guide which gets updated every November.

 

But here’s what you need to know about Etsy pillows.

 

Guys, I have to stop writing for now.. I’ve spent too much time collecting the most gorgeous pillows into my curated widgets. So, for today, I will share two widgets; the last one will be in the next post. I will also include more information regarding sources and recent changes, as two of my favorite vendors have moved on to other ventures.

 

I divided up the throw pillows into the following:

 

• Pinks, corals, a bit of red, green, chartreuse, and other colors. However, the dominant color is pink.
• The next widget contains many shades of green, chartreuse, and a bit of yellow, maybe a touch of blue. However, the dominant color is green.
• The final widget is full of gorgeous shades of blue from light to dark, including teal, turquoise, pale gray blue, and celadon. Tonight, I will begin with the pink and green widgets. The rest will either be early Friday morning or early Sunday morning.

 

 

And now for the green widget.

 

 

That’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed all of the beautiful throw pillows! To be continued…

xo,

 

 

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Part 2 Begins Here

 

Monday April 14, 2025

Hi Everyone,

As promised, although a bit later than I said, is part 2 of the pillow post.

Who knew that throw pillows could be so involved?

I adore Etsy pillows because they are a terrific way to get some high-end pillow covers for less than it might cost you to get them made elsewhere. That is, unless you sew yourself. That is probably the least expensive way to get beautiful throw pillows.

 

However, there are some things to understand about Etsy throw pillows before ordering.

 

• There’s usually no welting. I do like this look and have pillows without welting as it gives them a little more modern look. But if you like welting, you’ll need to find out if they’ll do that. If they do, they might also offer other types of trim, such as rope or fringe. These days, I am seeing a lot of beautiful pillows with a small flange with a butterfly corner. There are some examples of this in the widgets.
• The expensive fabric is usually only on one side, and on the back is something plain and far less expensive. However, they will do the expensive fabric on both sides for an upcharge.

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• The pattern may or may not be centered on the pillow. You’ll need to specify if it’s important to you and/or if it’s a pattern that would look bizarre with an off-center pattern.
• Is there a particular part of the pattern you’d like to see or not see? Again, you’ll need to expect an upcharge for that as it might require them to have a great deal of waste to get that portion centered.
• The pillows might not match each other if ordering in pairs. Sometimes, I’ll have them put one part of the pattern on one side and another part on the back. In some situations, I actually prefer that because if there’s a huge repeat.
• Most of the pillows are covers only and do not come with inserts. However, many of the vendors are now carrying pillow inserts of various kinds. Or, as stated earlier, you can find other vendors that sell the inserts alone.

 

Sadly, we lost two of my favorite sources for throw pillows.

 

Hollie Rich of Stuck on Hue is still in the interior design business but has shifted her business to that of a design concierge. In other words, you can purchase products through her that you might not be able to get on your own. It’s a small, personal business and something worth looking into if you don’t wish to hire an interior designer.

 

I’m including some images from her living room from a few years ago because I adore how she styled it. And it conveys so beautifully how, by changing the throw pillows and some other details, the entire room takes on a different look.

 

The room above is Hollie’s incredibly gorgeous living room taken by stylist, designer, and photographer Stacie Flinner.

But, get this. She takes the same sofa and room setting and changes the pillows.

 

 

And yes, that sofa is the Brooke 3-seat sofa from One Kings Lane.

 

The other company that’s in the process of closing its doors is Arianna Bell. The shop is still open but will be closing sometime this summer.

 

Above are some pretty pillows from Arianna Belle.

 

To finish, below is the final widget for throw pillows. It is in all shades of blue, green, and teal.

 

Oh, I could’ve kept going!

Please pin to Pinterest for Reference.

 

If you like this type of post and need more help with rules, tips, proportions in your living, dining rooms, bedrooms, entries, windows, etc. And if you don’t already have it, please consider getting 333 Difficult to Find Rules and Tips You Need to Know

xo,

 

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