7 Elements to choosing the right Decorative Pillow
1. FILL: Cotton or Feather.
I tend to lean more towards feather/down filled for the overall look and feel they give to a room. However, they can make a “feathery” mess with younger kids who tend to build forts and get into pillow fights.
They also lose their shape much faster with regular use than cotton filled and need a lot more looking after. Of course, showing your kids how to re-fluff them is a really good chore for teaching how to care for the things they use. Vacuuming up the feathers is fun for kids as well. Although convincing them not to pull the feathers out…that is frustrating!
If you don’t want that much responsibility on yourself or your little’s I suggest going with a cotton fill which keeps its shape during use much better, doesn’t create a mess when used in pillow fights, and isn’t quite as heavy if it falls on you during a living room fort-attack. #justsayin’
2. Size: Match your location.
This element is important to the feel of your space. Choose larger pillows for that inviting farmhouse look or smaller pillows for a more intimate formal look. However, the size of your furniture or room plays a big role. DON’T hide your small couch under large pillows. Having to move things to have a seat isn’t inviting or cozy. Unless you plan to just look at the couch instead of sitting on it! #sizematters
3. Shape: Traditional or Non-traditional.
The shape of a pillow can add a lot of character to your room. If you want a more traditional feel, stay with traditional shapes like squares, rectangles, and rounds. For a more eclectic feel choose pillows that have uncommon shapes like flowers or animals for example.
One warning…unless you want your living room to look like a pre-teenagers bedroom keep the colors in shaped pillows to a minimum. Make sure to limit them to one or two of the same style or design, mix them with traditional pillows, and keep all the pillows in the space in the same color scheme.
However, the point of the design is to express yourself and there are so many fun shapes out there to express yourself with. The above is a guideline and your home is your expression zone! #expressyourself
4. Design: Pattern & Texture.
Pattern: Having a pillow with a pattern, a picture, or a quote can be a great way to express your personality, opinions, and beliefs. Make sure you stick to one thought or opinion in one or two pillows. Filling a room with pillow quotes or rainbow peace signs can be interesting but also very, very overwhelming. 
And, since your reading this article, I’m guessing you’d rather have your room look like the cover photo of a home design magazine and not the pop-up pillow Ad off the internet. That is unless you’re trying to sell pillows! #youdoyou
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Texture: Pillow texture is like a neutral and can be added anywhere. It gives depth and visual interest to an otherwise flat or color-saturated element like a couch. However, be wise when mixing textures and patterns. Although this can be a great way to add interest it can also overwhelm the eye. When choosing texture make sure it’s soft enough to be placed against the skin.
Decorating is not just about looking. Your home is meant to be lived in after all. The best types of decor invite their onlooker into the experience and then delivers what it promises. #invitethemin
5. Location: Throughout your space.
You can use pillows in many places around your home. Oversized floor pillows can give extra seating and when stacked in a corner will add a casual feel to the room.
Couch pillows should be limited to the outer corners of your seating and stacked no deeper than three depending on the size and depth of your couch. However, adding one or two feature pillows in the middle of the couch will draw the eye and add visual interest. Keep these center pillows smaller than the corner pillows to draw the eye in and center the look.
Chair pillows should be limited to no more than two depending on size, I like to keep mine to one, and placed in a way that gives the person the ability to sit comfortably without feeling like they are sitting or leaning awkwardly. You don’t want your guest feeling like they need to move the pillows before having a seat or need to readjust once seated.
Bed pillows should add depth and texture to your linens without making you feel overwhelmed or like your moving a mountain every time you want to sleep. However, each individuals style is different so if you like laying on a bed or sitting on a couch full of so many decorative pillows you can’t see your furniture that is certainly a personal choice. #toeachtheirown
7. Color: Choose a scheme.
Pillows are a great way to play with color and change the look of a room with little to no cost! Pick ONE color scheme that blends with your room and the add an accent color in small amounts.
Be careful of hidden undertones that can throw off your entire look. Check your hues in different lights. What looks great under artificial light might look terrible in natural light when the sun comes up.
Also, if you start playing around with too many colors it can start to look like a color wheel got sick and threw up the last remaining swatches from the past two seasons. No one wants that, especially not your guests. I like to stick with two to three colors.
#colorwheelsmatter
Additional tips:
- Size, shape, and design can be mixed well as long as they are in the same color scheme or of a complimenting color that plays up your color scheme.
- Patterns can also be mixed, again, as long as they are in the same color scheme or a complimenting accent color! When mixing patterns pick on solid, one large pattern, and one small pattern.
So now you have all the elements you need to choose the right pillow for your space…so what are you going to do with all this new information? – – – GET TO DESIGNING!! *please ask permission from a spouse so that we do not get any hate mail, thank you! 😛
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Every Corner Co. 
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