Okay I admit it. I am a cushion addict. I believe they are one of the most essential ingredients of a home. They add beauty, comfort and style and are also the most affordable way to transform a sofa, a bed, a chair, and simultaneously give a room some va-va-voom. Never underestimate how a new set of cushions can revolutionise! Cushions are the easiest and most inexpensive way of refreshing a room for any season.
I like to play with shapes and sizes, with textures (try linen and velvets; stripes and blocks of colour) and I approach these arrangements like an artist approaches their easel, grateful for my knowledge of fabrics, textures and styles of cushions.
When using cushions to style a sofa, I use:
- two cushions to create a pared down and minimal look;
- three cushions to create an eclectic and more modern style;
- four cushions provides the opportunity to add depth and balance to your arrangement.
Cushions don’t always have to be perfectly arranged – don’t be afraid to toss your cushions about a bit. They don’t have to be perfectly plumped and standing to attention, especially when they are gracing a low profile sofa .
TIPS
- The general rule is to design rooms with one neutral colour or one or two accents so pick a hue that you like and choose a colour palette.
- Add interest by choosing cushions that have different textures, such as a wool-knit cushion teamed with a smooth cotton cushion, or a fur cushion paired with a plain linen cushion.
- You can also introduce subtle contrast by choosing the one shade and then mixing solid colour cushions with ones that sport a smart pattern.
- Choose hard inserts for more support, a feather and down soft cushion for more of a design/styling element.
- Sometimes I chop cushions but I never stand them on their edges.
- Start with a bigger cushion, usually 50x 50cm or 60x 60cm then go down to a 40 x 40cm then add a smaller ‘personality’ cushion to add some fun to the arrangement.
- I swap my cushions seasonally so once I have a set of cushion inserts, I only buy the covers, which takes up much less space when storing,
