Adding throw pillows to a room is one of our favorite ways to spruce up a space. There are so many colors, patterns, materials, and designs to choose from, you're sure to find something you love that elevates your style. Whether you’re looking to add volume and design to your bed or give your living room sofa and accent chairs an extra touch of curated comfort, find our top seven tips to keep in mind when decorating with throw pillows below.

1. Start With Choosing Pillow Types

Whether you’re adding pillows to beds, sofas, or chairs, there are key throw pillow sizes to know so you can properly arrange your pillows. A standard throw pillow ranges from 22" – 24" and is a great size to build around. A lumbar pillow is a long, rectangular pillow used to support your lower back. Lumbar pillows are often placed solo in the front of a pillow arrangement. A floor pillow is wide, flat, and square-shaped. Floor pillows can be used as decoration or makeshift seating. A Euro pillow is usually 26" x 26" and placed on the outer edges of a sofa or propped up behind smaller pillows on a bed.

Pro Tip:

For helpful pillow size information, read more in our guide How to Choose Throw Pillows for a Couch.

2. Determine an Anchor Color

Make decorating with throw pillows easier by starting with an anchor color. This is a color already in your space that you either want to highlight or further build on. If you have a statement sofa color like blue, green, or orange, find pillow prints that don’t outshine that color, but pick up on it and make it crisper. If you have a more neutral theme that you want to keep clean, like this beige living room, choose muted pillow colors that add depth to your palette but don’t take over. We love how these sage, sand, and soft mustard pillows add color to the room but still blend perfectly with the sofa and accent chairs.

3. Play With Your Print Choice

Throw pillow fabrics are a perfect way to add prints and patterns to your space. Have fun experimenting with different patterns and textures to bring your aesthetic to life. Southwestern-inspired designs are great for building on a farmhouse aesthetic Ikat throws are ideal for modern homes. Plaid pillows elevate a traditional room. You can also choose a specific pattern for your whole room, like stripes and play with different sizes. Peep the room above to be inspired by a variety of both thin and thick stripes.

4. Vary Pillow Sizes

There’s a reason it’s important to have varying pillow sizes – using different sizes adds visual interest and creates an organic look. Place large or oversized pillows toward the ends of your sofa to create a supportive backdrop. As you move inward, your pillow size should get smaller. Toss medium throw pillows on next to the large pillows and center a small pillow in the middle. On sectional sofas with more than one pillow pile, make sure there is space in between groupings to create comfortable sitting areas.

5. Don’t Neglect Your Accent Chairs

While they may not call for a bunch of pillows grouped together, accent chairs are another great place to add pillow decorations for decor and comfort. Pick your pattern as a foil to the sofa: If your sofa has more neutral and solid-colored pillows, then consider taking the accent chair pillow design up a notch for a pop of color and pattern. Conversely, if your sofa has a few statement pillows already, you can use your accent chairs for more muted and understated pillows, to go with your color palette.

Pro Tip:

Learn more about accent chairs with our guide on How to Style an Accent Chair for Your Living Room.

6. Use Pillow Covers

Don’t buy new throw pillows every time you want to switch up your style. Take note of your pillow sizes and buy pillow covers. Whenever you’re itching for a new color scheme or pattern, simply switch out your covers. We love changing up our designs every season to fit the mood and weather. During summer and spring cover your pillows in lighter pops of color and materials like cotton, polyester and linen so you don’t overheat. Come fall and winter look for deeper tones and cozier or heavier materials like velvet, jute, boucle, and leather to prep for the chillier temps.

7. Play With Texture

Not only do different patterns look great together, but so do different textures. One of our favorite accent pillow ideas is grouping different textures together for added contrast. Mix pillows with tassels and thick wool knitting with a more understated jute pillow, or give your pillow lineup a little faux fur to pop against simple linen pillows. Pair smooth or flat designs with pillows that have a fluffy or raised design.

8. Outfit Your Outdoor Patio

Throw pillows can also be used outside to outfit your patio furniture. If you don’t want to deal with remembering to bring your throw pillows inside whenever there’s inclement weather, make sure you choose throw pillows made of weather-proof material, like sunbrella, which is UV and fade resistant, and protects from water or mildew damage. Synthetic throw pillows are also UV resistant, making them another great option for outdoor setups.

9. Add Volume to Your Bed

Create a voluminous throw pillow arrangement on your bed for added style and decor. Layer different colors, patterns, and sizes up against your headboard to get the most height out of your pillow design. Pick out two to three Euro pillows, two standard pillows, and a lumbar pillow to place around your functional pillows for your own personalized arrangement. If you don’t have a headboard, create a flatter arrangement that will still look complete without being propped up. Open-frame headboards also work better with a simpler arrangement that won’t cover the detail of the frame.

Ready to decorate?