How to Combine Pillows by Colour, Pattern and Size

Home PlannerApp Team · June 1, 2022

Mix and match throw pillows: three patterns, neutral or gradient colours, patterns with solids, and a pillow set for every bed from king size to single.

The sofa is in place and the throw pillows are next. In the shop every pillow looks good on its own, but at home the four you chose look random together. Here is how to combine pillows around a sofa or on a bed, by colour, pattern and size.

Do throw pillows have to match?

No. A set works when the pillows share one thing, not when they are the same. The shared thing can be a colour, a group of colours, or a pattern family. Try one of these:

• 3 patterns in one colour.
• 3 neutral colours, solid or patterned.
• 3 gradient colours, from light to dark.
• Patterns with solid colours.

Three is enough for most sofas. With three pillows you can have one that leads, one that supports it, and one that calms the set down.

Six sets that work, and why

The image below shows six sets of three pillows. Each one follows one of the rules above.

Six sets of three: in each one, find the thing the pillows share before you look at what makes them different.

• Shades of neutral, solid. Grey, taupe and sand with no pattern. Why it works: nothing competes, so the sofa fabric and the room stay in front. The trade-off: on a neutral sofa the set can disappear. Choose pillows with a visible texture, such as a knit or a linen weave.
• Shades of neutral, pattern. A pale pink knit, a black-and-white mandala and a fine stripe. Why it works: the colours stay quiet, so the patterns can be busy.
• Gradient colours, solid. Three pinks, from deep to pale. Why it works: the eye follows the steps of the colour. The trade-off: it is a strong colour statement, so the room around it should stay calm.
• One colour, geometric and pattern. Three blues: a geometric print, a large picture print and a thin stripe. Why it works: one colour lets three different patterns sit together.
• Gradient colours and a contrast pattern. Lilac and pink solids with a lime-green print in the middle. Why it works: the solids hold the set together, so one loud print can stand in the centre.
• Contrast colours, solid, geometric and pattern. Yellow, a blue-and-white stripe and a small mint print. Why it works: the sizes of the patterns differ, so the strong colours do not fight.

How to mix pillow patterns?

Vary the scale, keep one colour: a geometric print, a stripe and a large motif, all blue. The large motif leads, the geometric print supports it, and the stripe is the quiet one.

The mistake to avoid: two patterns of the same size side by side. Two medium prints next to each other look busy, even in one colour. Keep one large, one medium and one small or plain.

Which throw pillow combinations work for a bed?

A bigger bed takes more pillows. The cover chart scales one neutral-and-geometric mix from king size to single:

• King size: neutral pillows at the back, two geometric pillows in front of them, and one solid accent in the middle.
• Queen size: two geometric pillows and the solid accent in front.
• Double bed: neutral pillows at the back and one geometric pillow in front.
• Single bed: two geometric pillows and a neutral bolster in front.

The idea stays the same on every size: one blue geometric print, with neutral or solid pillows around it. Only the number and the order change.

Before you buy: check how many pillows you will move every evening. A king-size set looks good in a photo, but every pillow has to go somewhere at night.

Try your set in Home Planner

Measure your space, draw a 2D/3D floor plan and furnish it with world-famous brands. Get realistic images, or start from a ready-made layout for a bedroom, bathroom or living room. Try your pillows on your own plan first, next to the real colour of your sofa and walls.