Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Pillows - Which Design is Right for You?

Pillows are a wonderful accessory for fine tuning a style in a room and adding comfort and luxury. Neutral upholstery and bedding can be punched up with color and pattern with pillows. They only take a yard or so of fabric and can easily be changed out when styles change or you tire of the look.


The pillows above in my Showhouse bedroom on the ivory bedding make a graphic, colorful statement in the space. I chose a simple knife edge design to keep the focus on the patterns and variation of size and color, rather than the detail of the pillow construction.

Large scale graphic patterns provide a big visual impact and are very popular now. These large designs look great with minimal fuss or trimming. Pillows below are from Ryan Studio.












Solid colors look great with special details. Trim, edging, special added details like buttons all work well with solid color pillows.


I love applied tape trim on pillows.


The tape trim here gives a dimensional quality and pattern to this pillow.


Sometimes a pillow just needs a contrasting edge to make it stand out on the background. I love this flat pipe. The smaller and neater the better.


Tape trim and a flat pipe....nice statement pillow.


I love mini-flanges too. Trim and neat, this mini-flange uses some pleats at the corners to dress it up a bit.





More applied tape trim with a small piping to bring some contrast and interest. Carol at Sofas and Sage has a great tutorial on how to mitre tape trim on pillows.


Monograms are a classic touch, especially in a bedroom.



I'm definitely going bigger with pillows now, 22" square minimum, 24" and 26" sometimes. I always do down unless someone is allergic. They just sit so well on upholstery. I love custom sized pillows too. This large rectangular pillow above was 24" x 46". By contrast, the small velvet pillow is 9" x 14".

If you have pillows like these below, tapestries with tassles, it's time to update. Don't worry, things all come back around so don't toss them out. Just delete a few and throw in some simple textural linen pillows for a cleaner, 2011 look. (BTW, these two are not from Ryan Studio.)
These above are a little heavy and ornate for how we are decorating today.



I love these custom patterned linen pillows that Donna Jarnigan used in our Showouse on the sofa in the game room. The long linear shape accentuates the high back of the sofa and provides just the right amount of contrast.




These raw silk pillows on the guest room bed, done by Pamela Hoffer, benefit from some detail with the edging and buttons. Love these.

Lastly, I sometimes like statement pillows. That one unique pillow that really stands out, a little piece of art. Sukan Handmade Design pillows on Etsy has some beautiful handmade pillows that would be perfect on a bed or upholstered chair.

What is it about owls right now? They are such a popular motif. Love them!

Love this hand stitched design.

These would be so cute in a child's room!


If you're thinking of updating your decor just a little bit, pillows are the perfect place to start!


Need some advice on pillows for your home? Contact Aston Design Studio for a consult today!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE PILLOWS!!!!! and these are some really nice ones too...and anything linen and/or Greek Key is divine...
maureen

Carol@6WilsonBlog.com said...

These pillow are all divine! I am a nut for pillow, and I must say, having been a lover of trims and such on pillows, I am now scaling back and going cleaner and less fuss, but that doesn't mean less dramatic. Thanks for linking to me, I appreciate it. Your work is fantastic, Carla!

Dumbwit Tellher said...

There's always a lot of pillows to choose from but all of these Carla are very unique. I love them all. Each one would make a great statement in varied settings. Thank you I love seeing new products.

Have a great Thursday Carla!

quintessence said...

Wonderful suggestions. I am loving those bold graphic designs - and the ones with the tape are such a wonderful way of creating a special look!!

Kellie Collis said...

The pillows are gorgeous! Adoring those owls! Have a delightful day, Kellie xx

Tammy@InStitches said...

I'm really loving the pillows with tape trim in the fretwork patterns right now !

designchic said...

I love pillows. They can transform a space for a relatively inexpensive price...adore the ones with the tape trim!!

Unknown said...

I am sooo into throw pillows, and Ryan studios makes some of the best! I even have that Ikat one, third down. Great post.

My Galveston Cottage said...

Such a pretty room. I do like the mix of new, modern and vintage! Check out the post I did on you! Thank you. It was a treat getting to see and tour the ASID house. Nice! -s

Rebecca said...

Hi! I just found your blog. Definitely yours is a keeper. I will enjoy reading it to the end as time permits.
Currently I am doing the sofa pillows for our living area so very much enjoyed your current post. They are part of the jewelry in a room. Bling!!

Mona Thompson Providence Ltd. said...

I love pillows and like you am gravitating to the less fussy these days, although I think antique textiles will always have their place.

Jen of MadeByGirl said...

im lost! love them all.. but i kinda like the hand stitched design. looks different and unique! :)
www.madebygirl.com
madebygirl.blogspot.com

The Shiny Pebble said...

Hi Carla! It was so nice to meet you today at the design house. Your room was so fresh and fun. I felt revitalized after visiting with you. It is such a joy to meet a fellow blogger, even though technically I'm no longer a blogger. You must put a link to Suzan's blog in the body of this post so that your readers can see more amazing pictures of your design. Have an awesome weekend!
Catherine

Karen said...

What a treat for the eyes to see this variety of pillows, my favorite accessory. The long linear pillows were my favorite.

Linda @ theLENNOXX said...

Gorgeous pillows, as my sofa re-upholstery is nearing completion, this post was exactly what I needed!

Happy Easter my Friend!

xo Linda

Pillow Cases said...

Nice blog! We might try to work a reference to this one into a blog post about where to buy Pillow Cases next week.

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