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inspiration2020/08/18

5 Tips to Style Your Cushions with Collective-Stories

by Pernille Brodersen

Collective-Stories was founded with a passion for uniting contemporary design and ethical craftsmanship. Our homeware collection is designed in London and created by skilled artisans around the world. We develop relationships based on transparency and respect, and trade fairly with cooperatives that incorporate Fair Trade principles, set their own prices and offer artisans a safe and flexible work environment.

Our first collection focus on cushions as it is one of the best ways to add a bit of style and personality to your home, whether you use cushions to keep your furniture from looking bare or if you use them to snuggle up on the sofa. They may seem like a small detail, but by adding the right decorative cushions you can make the overall look more cohesive and instantly upgrade your space. With the perfect combination and placement of your cushions, your bed or sofa will look more cosy and welcoming. Don't be afraid of experimenting a bit in order to find your own style. Cushions are one of the most flexible and cost-effective ways to revive your home. To exploit the full potential of these decorative essentials, we've put together a few tips and tricks that will make the styling of your cushions a lot easier.

1. Colour Palette
To us, the colour palette is the most important element to remember when selecting your cushions. When looking for cushions for your bedroom or living room consider which accent colours from your existing decor you would like to bring out. It could be the colours found in the art on your wall, a cool plant pot or even the tone of your coffee table. Make sure the colour you want to bring out from your home decor also compliments your sofa. Then select your cushions in a couple of shades of this colour in different textures and patterns and this will tie the look of your room together.

2. Mix and Match
Similar to fashion, cushions don't need to match. You'll find that by mixing and matching different textures, styles and graphics you will keep the eye engaged and intrigued. We would recommend that you focus on a variety of textures instead of a lot of different colours, as texture can add a lot of visual interest without making the overall look appear messy. Stay clear of being too matchy-matchy and focus on different shades in different materials, such as cotton, velvet, wool and linen. If you use patterned cushions, do break the pattern up with some solid-coloured cushions. If you have your eye on a statement cushion, let that cushion be your starting point for the additional cushions. Don't just settle for the cushions that came with your sofa, get creative and have some fun and look for cushions that will work well with the colour palette you already have in your home.

3. Odd or even numbers
It all comes down to style and preference, so if you are opting for a modern or eclectic interior an odd number of cushions work really well - so think of three or five and even seven if you have a large sectional sofa, but stick to one for a single chair. If a traditional and symmetrical look is more your thing, stick to an even number of cushions to create balance and order. Which ever works for you, do remember that a smaller number of larger pillows look more stylish compared to a clutter of small ones.

4. Different Shapes and Sizes
When selecting cushions for your sofa, armchair or bed consider which size you need. If you choose cushions that are too large for your sofa it will look small and out of proportion, whereas if you add cushions that are too small they will look like an afterthought. You'll get the best look by layering your cushions, and you get the best-layered look by using different sizes of cushions. We all have different sized furniture, so start with the biggest cushion size and work your way down.

5. Fill matters
If you would like to have soft cushions with a heavier weight you should go for feather and down fill. The quality of feather inners are far better than foam and other synthetic fills, which both feel stiffer and will look flat and cheap within weeks. Feather cushions will continue to look fantastic with a bit of occasional plumping and if you are into chopping your cushions, feather fill chop a whole lot better.

Last but not least, don't be afraid of experimenting, have some fun and never underestimate the power of a cushion.