How to Style Cushions Like an Interior Designer

Once reserved for the wealthy and the royals, we all now enjoy a love affair with cosy, comfortable cushions! One of the quickest and most effective ways to refresh your rooms, these everyday luxuries will make your sofa or bed appear more cosy and inviting. However, we know that it can be tricky to achieve that ‘interior designer look’ so we’ve pulled together our insider tips for finding that stylish cushion arrangement to perfectly suit your home...

1) Start at the Base

Building a foundation of two or three cushions to sit against your sofa or headboard will help to tie your cushion arrangement into the rest of your interior scheme. Look for plain fabrics or patterned designs that feature the same dominant colour as your furniture, or choose to create some bespoke cushions using the same fabric you have used on your upholstery to link them directly. 

2) Build up the Layers

Adding contrast and colour, and most importantly scale to your cushion arrangement will help to elevate it into being a stylish and dynamic display. Mixing a variety of patterns and different materials will introduce texture and combining fabrics with complementary piping or decorative fringing will create breaks within the collection.

Next, choose a single feature cushion to act as a central focus within your design. A pop of colour or striking motif will draw your eyes towards it, helping to add a sense of balance to either side for your layers. For a more understated look, take inspiration from other fabrics in the room such as curtains or upholstery, however if you are looking something to really catch the eye, opt for a contrasting pop of colour or a larger scale to make sure it stands out.

3) How Many Is Too Many?

As interiors come in all shapes and sizes, there is no hard and fast rule to calculating the perfect amount of cushions to feature in your home, however as a guide, we would suggest between 3-6 cushions for a 3 seater sofa or 4-7 if you are looking for a fuller finished look. When selecting your cushions, you must also take into account the depth of your sofa seat to ensure that you leave enough space for a comfortable recline. If in doubt, test it with cushions pads before you decide on your final covers.

The width and height of your headboard are also important factors when it comes to considering how many cushions to feature on your bed, but as a guide, in addition to your sleeping pillows we would suggest 2 feature cushions for a fuss-free, symmetrical look, or 3, 5 or 7 for a relaxed, scatter arrangement. Odd numbers are key to building into layers and reserve your extra one for a statement feature cushion.

4) Mix Shapes and Styles

Variety is really important when designing your cushions as it breaks up the uniformity which can often feel too ‘safe’ and uninspiring. A selection of cushions with character and uniqueness will always feel more stylish and there are some exciting ways to achieve this.

Trimmings are a great way to make your home accessories stand out and can be a really simple way of customising cushions to make them unique to you and your home. Designs can be selected to complement or contrast your cushion fabrics and will help to add texture and shape to your pieces.

We would also encourage you to stray from the square to include a variety of shaped cushions in your arrangement. Our made to measure cushions can be designed to whatever style and shape you desire, including bolsters, lumbar cushions and rounds. When styled together they will add variation of height and will allow for certain fabrics to get more exposure than others which can be planned into your design.

5) Have Fun and Experiment

Like with so many things in life, the key to achieving that ‘interior designer’ look comes with practice and experimentation. Starting with a table top scheme will really help you to visualise how different colours and patterns will look when layered on top of one another. We would recommend taking advantage of our large returnable fabric sample service so that you can have fun with trying different layouts in your home.

Our expert team are always here to offer advice on fabric types, finding complementary designs or guiding you around our Sussex Showroom. Plus we offer our ‘At Home Interior Design Service’ for those looking for more in depth guidance to designing the interiors of your dreams.