Creating the perfect pillow combination can be tricky.

Do I have too many patterns? Is the sizing right? Do I have too many or too little? Do the colors even go well together? These are all valid questions and ones I’ve heard time and again.

The good news is styling pillows is a formula. I recently added a few new pillows to my living room for fall and thought I’d share my steps to pairing pillows!

NO.1 MIX IT UP

Resist the urge to buy a matching pair of any pillow. I like to pair 1 pattern, 1 stripe, and one solid for a collective look. The patterned pillow is the busiest and the stripe along with the solid help to balance out the movement.

NO.2 VARY THE SIZE

Change the size of your pillows. Most big box stores sell seasonal pillows in a 20 x 20 sized pillow, but I prefer to stagger my sizes. Pillows come in multiple sizes, but the common ones are 24″, 22″, 20″, and lumbar. Try styling a 24″, a 20″, and a lumbar together or a 22″ and a 20″ together. This allows you to see the details of each pillow without covering any up.

NO.3 GROUPINGS

A good rule of thumb is to group pilows in 3’s and 2’s. When you alternate the number in a grouping the display reals less staged. This rule can be applied to a sofa or a sectional. For example when styling a sectional, group 3 pillows in your corner and style 2 pillows on your ends.

NO.4 COLOR PALETTE

Let the pattern pillow set the color palette. When choosing my stripe pillow, I look for the color in the patterned pillow I want to accentuate. This will repeat this color and make it catchy to the viewer. Don’t worry if the color is not exact. The main goal is to stay within the color family. Some of the best pairings are when the stripe is a few shades lighter than a color pulled from the patterned pillow.

When I am choosing my solid pillow, I stay neutral. I most often choose the background color of the patterned pillow or the lightest shade in the pattern. This allows for a calm background and the ability to reuse this pillow in another pairing down the road. I also think about where the pillows are being placed. If I’m placing them on a dark sofa, then I will lean towards a light-colored solid pillow, but if I’m placing them on all-white bedding I can go darker with my solid pillow.

Remember these are just tips that can help. Ultimately just have fun mixing and matching your pillows!

MY FAVORITE FALL PILLOWS

I’ve rounded up my favorite pillows for the fall season. Some are from small shops and others are big box stores. I believe there’s something here for everyone!

Shop a few coordinating combinations for the perfect fall look…

Mix & match any of these throw pillows to add pattern and texture.

PILLOW INSERTS

The type of pillow inserts you use matters. For the designer look (aka the karate chop) you want to be stuffing your pillows with feather-filled inserts. Using feather-filled inserts will allow for the pillows to be fluffed to their original shape and sit up on their own.

A few places I find my feather-filled inserts are:

• HomeGoods – check the pillow setion and unzip the casings to check if the insert is down or synthetic. If the insert is removable, then you’re good to go!
• Home Furnishing Outlet Stores – the PB Outlet stocks pillow inserts and a times carries down ones for much less than retail.
• Amazon – THIS seller sells 2-packs for pretty inexpensive. I’ve been happy with the quality.

I can’t wait to see all your pillow pairings this fall!

To stay in touch until next time, follow along on Instagram.

XO-Kristel