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We're getting small tastes of spring weather here in the northeast, and it has us thinking about cleaning out and brightening up after the long winter. One quick and fun way to add some more color is with a throw pillow update.
Design by Britt Design Studio // Photo by Raquel Langworthy
Of course there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to using pillows, but there are tricks to mixing patterns successfully, and certain ways to give your pillow arrangement more oomph. Here are a few of my favorites...
Nail down a color palette. Stick with the palette of your room and choose two-three colors in varying shades for your pillow fabric -- more than that can feel busy. Take note of the color of the sofa where the pillows will be: If it is dark, consider a pattern with a light background color, and vice versa.
Go big. I like to start with at least 20- or 22-inches square pillows to anchor a grouping on a sofa, and then get smaller as they move toward the center.
Design by Britt Design Studio // Photo by Raquel Langworthy
Vary pattern and scale. When mixing patterns, look for something small, medium, and large. For example, a large-scale floral, a medium stripe, and then a tiny block-print would feel interesting, but also balanced. I like to mix geometric patterns, stripes, florals, and textural solid fabrics together, and keeping a cohesive color palette is the way to make them all play nicely together.
Consider balance. A symmetrical grouping (think two pairs of identical pillows on each end of a sofa) will feel more formal than using three or four different fabrics scattered about. To soften a formal look, consider adding a small 12x20 accent pillow to one side, and to bring some symmetry to a casual sofa, anchor each end with large matching pillows.
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Design by Britt Design Studio // Photo by Raquel Langworthy
Trending: Terra Cotta Tones
Admittedly, I do not use very much red, but I do love a rust right now. Shades of blush to burgundy have been making their way back into the design spotlight, and I can see why. Red is opposite blue and green on the color wheel, which means the colors compliment each other and pair well together. While I'm still not reaching for primary red, these shades of rust and terra cotta play so well with the currently-trending dusty shades of blue and green that we all love.
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Design by Kate Marker Interiors | Photo by Margaret Rajic
Trending: Block Prints
Block printing is a traditional method for adding pattern to fabric that involves individual, hard-carved stamps that are painted with color and then applied to fabric. It is often associated with floral or paisley motifs, but it can take many forms. It has a graphic quality, but is softer than geometrics, and feels more modern than conventional florals. It pairs easily with stripes, textural solids, and other prints scaled either larger or smaller.
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