Decorative Pillows

Sizing an Insert to the Cover

A cushion that looks limp almost always has an insert the same size as its cover. Fabric needs to be filled to look full, and a matched insert leaves the corners empty. Buy the insert two inches larger than the cover, so an 18 inch cover takes a 20 inch insert. Fill matters as well as size: feather compresses and needs plumping but drapes softly, while polyester holds its shape and resists flattening, which suits a seat that is actually sat on rather than arranged.

What Makes a Cushion Suitable for Outdoors

Outdoor rating is about what happens after the rain rather than during it. A water resistant polyester shell sheds a shower, but the insert underneath is what decides whether the cushion dries or stays damp for a week. Water resistant is not waterproof, and a cushion left out through a full night of rain will hold water in the fill even when the cover looks dry. Sunlight is the second factor and the slower one: printed colours fade in direct sun over a season, so a covered porch keeps a design sharp far longer than open ground.

Arranging in Odd Numbers Rather than Pairs

Two matching cushions at either end of a sofa is the arrangement most people default to and the one that reads as showroom rather than home. Odd numbers look deliberate and even numbers look symmetrical, which is why three or five cushions in mixed sizes settles better than four matching ones. Mixing one large plain with two smaller printed gives the eye somewhere to rest. On a bed the same rule applies at a larger scale, with the largest at the back and the smallest in front.

For the floor beneath, the washable and hand knotted options are grouped in Rugs, and the wider range of furnishings sits in Home & Decor.