Breathe New Life into a Room with Throw Cushions
Introducing new fabrics can bring unexpected colour, pattern and texture into a living room to give it a different look and feel.
08/10/2020
I am all in favour of swapping out throw cushions as a way to breathe new life into your living room because it is an easy and inexpensive way of introducing colour, pattern and texture in one go. And that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune on expensive throw cushions, if you are on a tight budget, you can do the same simply by shopping for affordable fabrics and making your covers for cushions. Plus, visiting your local fabric store to see what's on offer is far easier than having to go shop to shop until you find something you love.
To make it easier for you to shop for either new throw pillows or fabric to cover your old throw cushions, we have a few tips to guide you and make the decision simpler:
Not sure how to select the perfect colour for your cushions? Take inspiration from something already in the room, such as a piece of wall art.
If you love muted hues rather than bold colours, choose colours that are close to each other on the colour wheel.
1. Choose the right colours
If you want maximum impact to give your living room a new look, especially one where there is already an abundance of texture and pattern, choose cushions that are the same colour of that complement each other.
In a living room that already has plenty of patterns, opt for plain coloured cushions for the sofa.
2. Keep the arrangement simple
Layering a room is an essential element that interior designers use all the time and for good reason. Building up layers allows you to avoid adding too much and ending up with a room setting that borders on confusion. Less is always best since you only need a few cushions to make a difference and my all-time favourite saying is to KISS - 'keep it simple sister' - to avoid a finished room that is too overpowering and not pleasant on the eye.
3. 1:1:1 is the best formula
Interior designers have a formula that they follow when decorating a room with throw cushions. If you follow this formula it will help narrow down the options and let you focus more on a successful design. Choose one basic print design, one detailed or busy print, and finish this off with one solid colour.
4. Take it from a perspective
Experts say that when placing throw cushions on the sofa, the largest cushion should be placed in the corners with the smaller cushions towards the centre of the sofa seat. This makes sense when you sit on the sofa as it makes it more comfortable to have smaller cushions behind your back while the larger ones stay in the corners.
Choosing complementary colours - such as the blue and red cushions below - brings a bold splash of colour into any room.
5. Keep comfort in mind
The last thing you want to do is overload a sofa with piles of large, decorative cushions, so much so that guests have to start removing them to sit down. If you're not sure, take a seat yourself to see how comfortable you feel.
If a living room with a neutral or muted colour palette, select cushions that reflect warm or cool tones to set the mood.
images: ballard designs