Rejuvenate Your Room with Decorative Pillows

Pillows are the punctuation marks in the story that is your room. Though seldom noticed, pillows brighten and soften, accentuate and delineate. Interior decorators have long known that using pillows of different shapes, materials, and colors can subtly transform a room's appearance. Here are some tips and strategies for decorating with pillows.

Colors and Prints
The colors of your decorative pillows should complement and contrast with the dominant tones of a room. Tailor your pillow decorating strategy to your furniture. If your furnishings are monotone, pillows of a solid primary color can enliven a room while retaining the uniformity of shape that monotone furnishings suggest. If there are secondary colors in a room that you wish to accentuate, look for throw pillows that feature those colors in combination with the room's base color.

Printed decorative pillows are ideal for unifying a room and enhancing its visual texture. Geometric, striped, or diagonal prints look crisp and modern, while more ornate or intricate prints would complement a traditional-style home decor or add visual definition to a less expressive furniture piece.

Materials and Textures
Decorators can have a lot of fun with the materials of their throw pillows or decorative pillows. Pillow fabrics convey meaning, so choose materials that fit into the "story" told by your home decor. Velvet, silk, leather, suede, lace, or crochet will all supply different meanings and textures, be it modern, rustic, masculine, or feminine.

If you have a favorite throw pillow that is the right size and shape for your room, try rejuvenating it with a zip-up decorative cover. Another way to add visual texture to existing decorative pillows is by adding nuances such as tassels or buttons.

Shapes and Styles
Consider the shapes of your room's furnishings. Are there rectangular frames holding posters or works of art? Is there a circular mirror above the sofa? Decorative pillows can help your eye transition smoothly from one part of a room to another by providing shapes similar to those found elsewhere in the room.

Pillow shapes are also reflective of particular styles. The most common pillow shape is known as a knife-edged pillow. Throw pillows of this kind feature a single, narrow band of fabric that comes to a point at each corner of the pillow.

Bolster pillows feature a long cylindrical shape that's great for resting your head and also looks intriguing when not in use. Decorative cushions known as boxed pillows are gaining popularity. These throw pillows have a 2-inch wide border, squared corners, and seams at the top and bottom.