Published: March 4, 2011, By Abbe Fenimore

Accessorizing With Pillows

One of my absolute favorite home accessories…pillows. They are always a popular topic with clients when accessorizing their space.   So let’s talk pillows shall we?  The addition of pillows to any bed, sofa or accent chair can really impact the overall look and feel of a simple  room.  With all of the options of color, texture and scale out there,  selecting the right pillows for your room can be overwhelming and even intimidating to some of us.

My advise is to keep an open mind and purchase pieces that are easy to return if your feeling noncommittal.  But if you know exactly what you want and are looking for a specific color, fabric or size, going the custom route or higher price point piece can be very rewarding.

I wanted to share pictures from our master bedroom and give you a little insight on how I completed the room with them.  I love walking through our room and having the bed made with the pillows in place.  This configuration is simple and the only pop of color and pattern in the room.  Keeping the room basic allows me to change them out when I’m just flat out over them….I still love them a year later by the way.

Our living room is a different story. We have a houndstooth rug and a room full of neutral and solid pieces so I really wanted to bring in a pattern that kept the rustic glam look going. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kelly Wearstler’s fabrics and her Emerald Cut pattern was perfect.  The solid silk pillows bring in a bit of sheen while the lumbar pillows on the accent chairs are graphic and bring in more sheen.

Since pillow preferences vary with men and women, it’s important to find balance in the selections.  Here is an example of a master bedroom that I created for a newlywed couple. He didn’t want to fuss with making the bed with tons of pillows and she was willing to compromise since he gave in on other pieces for the room. The teal bedding brings in a much needed pop of color and creates a bold contrast to the white bedding.  We used an oversized lumbar pillow in the same fabric as the drapes (Clarke & Clarke’s Palio). Not everyone is into matching drapes with pillows but I love to see a cohesive look in the rooms I design.

Their living room  has a simple black and ivory color palette so bringing in coordinating and complimenting color & patterns really made this room super chic. See more details HERE on how I decided what pillows to use in the room…it took quite a few pillow options to get the look just right.

This bachelor pad is a downtown loft and was in serious need of pattern, texture and color to soften the concrete floors and walls. The pillows in the master bedroom create the hip loft feel he was after.

In the main living area, we didn’t want to bring in more pattern on the pillows because the artwork and rug pattern were all we needed.

One of my favorite bedroom projects was a bit of a challenge when it came to accent pillows. The bedding became the focal point so we balanced it out with the dramatic velvet tufted headboard.  The yellow silk shams pulled brought in a luxe feel while the yellow flower pillow completed the look with out pattern overkill.

In the market for new pillows? Here are  a few of my favorite pillows from Shop Ten 25

I’m in love with these American made pillows from Christen Maxwell. Her collection is stunning and all of the pieces were created to coordinate with each other. Mix a few of these key pieces with affordable solids and your boring ole sofa is now instantly fabulous!

Looking for something a little more modern and chic? These Kelly Wearstler Katana patterned pillows are available in two colors and two sizes.  Take a peek at other modern prints by Kelly Wearstler & David Hicks HERE.

Looking for something a bit more unique? These needle point number pillows are fun, colorful and would be perfect for an accent chair or in a kids room.

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