An Array of Pillows? Yes? No?

So often throw pillows are thought of as a mix and match way of bringing color and pattern to a room, AND so often, that is exactly what the room needs.  Which is why most people have oodles of extra pillows floating around the house.  Easy to buy, easy to change out, and relatively inexpensive.  However, sometimes a room needs a different direction.  It needs the pillow as an accessory to have a more structured and planned presentation.

For example, take this room from Mia Malcolm, the pillows are displayed in a very structured format, and isn't it perfect?!

Mia Malcolm Design

Would an array of mumbo jumbo pillows work above?  Not as beautifully as the precisely placed gold and white rectangle pillows do.  I love this room.  It is classic yet cozy  -- why is that?  I mean, it is very minimalist and clean.  It's the curves.  Curves have a way of making a room inviting, and this room is a perfect example of that.  There are so many arced angles playing off of each other with the sofa, the cocktail table, the side table, the small glass balls in the table lamp, the soft curves of the glass vases, the round shag rug, and the round marbleized sculpture in the left corner.  Yet with all that, it doesn't feel overwhelmingly "rounded".  Mia did a fabulous job balancing the minimalist style of furnishings with soft, curved lines creating a beautifully, balanced environment.

You ask:  what if my furnishings are more slouchy or traditional and not quite so contemporary?  Use the same principle but make sure the pillows reflect the softness of your furniture.  In the living room below, I used the same concept with four large pillows, but their soft style transitions well to the softness of the sectional style.

Susan E. Brown/Lisa M. Bond Photography

If you like Mia's casual clean California style, check out more of her work by clicking here.

Now that you've got a whole new way to look at pillows and their placement, have fun accessorizing!!

Cheerio!  Susan