Mixing It Up: 12 Pillow Pairings That Work
Photo: Anissa Zajac
When it comes to pairings, some things just work (like peanut butter & jelly, black & white, pencil & paper) But what about pairing up your pillows? How do you know what works? While there’s no pillow equivalent of a perfect sandwich (we wish!), with a few tips, it’s just as easy to create a perfect pillow pairing in your space.
So where to start when pairing your pillows together? Like most things in life, creating a grouping of pillows is all about balance. If you have a pillow with a bold pattern, you want to balance it with a solid or more subtle pattern. The same is true of pillows with a lot of texture or details- they should be paired with more subtle textures and simple shapes to keep things balanced.
For easy pillow pairings, follow these rules:
- Stick to a palette of 2-3 colors
- Pick one pillow that has a larger scale pattern or a lot of texture or detail
- Pair that pillow with one smaller scale patterned or textured pillow, and one solid color pillow.
Follow these rules, and your grouping will be balanced, while still being visually interesting. (Keeping all that in mind, rules can be broken, so you will see some pairings below that use 3 patterns or mix in more colors.)
Ready to put all this talk into action? We’ve taken the guesswork out of wondering “will these look good together?” by compiling 12 pairings that include a large size, medium size and a smaller accent pillow that will work regardless of what room they’re used in. And no matter what your style, we’ve got a pairing (or two) that will work for your space.
Want to see more foolproof pairings? Check out our post Mixing It Up: 15 Bedroom Furniture Pairings That Work
1. PRIMARY COLORS = $175
Red, yellow and blue abstracts pair with a velvet oval for a fun mix.
Patterned Wool Throw Pillow | Clara Indigo Blush Pillow | Oval Throw Pillow with Piping
2. ALL lined up = $122
A pairing of simple black, white and grey patterns creates a unified grouping.
Pinstripe Black Linen Pillow | White Velvet Pillow | Dash Recycled Fabric Pillow
3. COOL AND ECLECTIC = $130
A balance of large and smaller patterns make this teal, blue and burgundy grouping work.
4. black & white = $86
A neutral palette helps keep these stripes and simple embellishments from competing.
Woven Geo Square Throw Pillow | Ivy Fringe Striped Throw Pillow | Vandusen Woven Lumbar Pillow
Design: Stadshem
Design: Brian Paquette
5. EARTHY TONES = $126
This pairing has a simple palette of brown tones, but mixes up pattern and texture for visual interest.
Montana Pillow Cover | Sadza Batik Triangles Pillow | Geema Copper Woven Pillow
6. FARMHOUSE FOREST = $73
Green velvet, plaid and a simple stripe make a handsome grouping.
Plaid Oversize Square Throw Pillow | Baylie Velvet Pillow | Green Throw Pillow with Tassels
7. BLUSHING BOHO = $128
A bold pattern and round tufted pillow in shades of mauve are balanced out by white fringe.
Sami Printed Throw Pillow | Sadie Fringe Throw Pillow | Monroe Velvet Round Pillow
8. SIMPLE SCANDINAVIAN = $62
Blue stripes and white faux fur create a mix of textures, while keeping things very simple.
Mongolian Faux Fur Throw Pillow | Handmade Blue Pillow Cover | Lecenta Cotton Lumbar Pillow
9. Bold variety = $72
Varying styles are unified by a color palette of teal, gold and white.
Cotton Knit Pillow Cover | Velvet Cushion Cover | Velvet Lumbar Cushion Cover
10. WHITE WARMTH = $65
Faux Fur, fringe and chunky knits keep this pairing interesting, while a neutral palette keeps it from being too much.
Woven Chunky Check Square Throw Pillow | Woven Stripe Square Pillow | Round White Snowball Throw Pillow
11. GOLDEN GROUPING = $133
An array of textures and patterns in golden browns makes for a warm and rich pairing.
Reims Pillow | Waffle Effect Throw Pillow | Gold Embroidered Basket Weave Lumbar Pillow
12. PERFECT POP = $74
A unifying motif of circles and bright colors makes this a fun, statement grouping.
Blue & Orange Pillow Cover | Corded Rippled Circles Pillow Cover | Stella Round Velvet Throw Pillow
Thank you! This is so great!!!! My couch needs this TLC!!!
Glad to help! Thank you for reading.