Raise your hand if you’ve ever been frustrated trying to find the right combination of pillows for your sofa…
how many pillows?
what size pillows?
what color pillows?
too much pattern or not enough pattern?
do these colors even go together?
but wait… how many pillows are too many pillows?
Yep, I’ve been there too.
I hesitate calling what I’m about to share a “formula” because I truly believe there are no right or wrong ways to decorate your home. It’s all about what YOU love. But if you’ve ever gotten stuck or frustrated, here is one of my favorite easy tricks to make styling your sofa a breeze…
try this:
Two + One + Two
In other words:
two pillows in one corner
one blanket/lumbar pillow in the center
two pillows in the other corner
… it’s that simple!
Here’s a fun little photo series to show you how to layer everything:
TIP 1:
Not sure what combination of pillows to use together? Here’s my go-to:
one solid – I usually make this a slightly larger pillow that goes in the back in each corner to act as a “base”
one pattern or accent color – Then I layer either a pillow with a pattern or a bolder color in front in a slightly smaller size – either a smaller square or a lumbar
TIP 2:
Look for a pretty textured fabric for one of the pillows to make everything feel extra cozy.
TIP 3:
For the “one” in the middle, I usually like to add a pretty throw blanket draped on the sofa partially underneath one of the corner pillows (so it will be off to one side, not dead in the center). But you could also set a long lumbar pillow in the center, which looks really nice on longer sofas.
I used this trick at The Armstrong House as well…
One solid pillow in back, a textured pillow in front, and a blanket draped underneath. I didn’t add a pop of color or a pattern because I wanted to keep the room really calm and soothing, but the texture on the white pillow in front is exactly what this simple look needed.
What do you think of this tip? I’d love to know if this was helpful to you! Like I mentioned before, there is no right or wrong way to decorate your home, but I wanted to give you a simple guideline to follow in case you ever struggle with this. Let me know if you’d like to see more posts like this! Thanks so much for stopping by today, friend.
More Decorating Tips:
The Easiest Way to Keep Your Home Tidy
Shelf Styling 101
6 Ways to Display & Store Cozy Blankets
Beautiful Books for Styling Your Home
– SOURCES –
sectional sofa | medallion rug | handwoven rug
coffee table | olive blanket | fuzzy pillow
stripe pillow | lumbar pillow | fringe pillow
side table | tassel blanket | wood tray | curtains
sources from the Armstrong House
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The funny thing is I could have used this post about a month ago!! My den needed an after Christmas pick me up and I wanted to change out my pillows, I didn’t know what colors to pull from my rug which has red, beige and blues in it. I had used red previously but it was too much color. This time I went with the blue, bought online from the same shop trying to make sure the blues were close and decided on 4 different patterns using the blue and cream. I think it works! HA! But I guess like you said it’s what you like! I love the guidance though and definitely would benefit from these kinds of posts! I also think pillows can be pretty expensive, the ones I liked that had red in it as well were too much….a huge budget would work well for me 😉 Thanks for posting 🙂
The pillow advice is helpful and your room looks so inviting. I’ve been looking for a round coffee table and had something similar to yours in mind. Would you mind sharing where you purchased it?
Of course! Here is the one I have, and I absolutely love it. Very affordable too!
I love it! Simple formulas are easy to remember and easy to execute! Your things are always so pretty!
Thank you!
Thank you!!
We have an L shaped sofa like yours… what goes on the other end? Two? I’ve always done two, three, two – Left (one big, one small), Middle (two big, one medium), and Right (one big, one small). Am I doing it wrong or do you have a better suggestion? Thanks!
I think that’s perfect! I wanted to start with the simplest “formula” for a regular couch because I know it’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re unsure where to start! I definitely think a sectional could use an additional pillow in the middle, just like you suggested. Maybe I’ll tackle a sectional pillow “formula” next, and someone else suggested one for beds too!
Love it! Where did you get y our floor lamp? I love that also!
This is where I got the gray floor lamp from!
Yay I really like this idea. I keep trying to put blanket/throw on end and it never looks right. Thank you!