Design Post | Throw Pillows

dwell

Nov 16

I once thought they were meant mainly for looks. One pillow here, two pillows there. Accents. Something to look at. Something to live with (live around?).

While I’ve not deep-dived into the history of the throw pillow, my imagination can picture colonists who might have stitched up the first few to fill the lumbars of sitters in straight-backed wooden chairs. Or perhaps throw pillows were thrust onto the scene by the opulent Victorians who needed yet another surface to wrap luxurious fabrics around. Or maybe they were the viral result of someone’s idea of an add-on sale to a sofa purchase back in the day, before the word viral was even associated with something going wildfire-popular; an idea that soon became an unwritten rule that you couldn’t have one without at least two, preferably three, of the other.

However they came to be, here they are, in full force. The open-swing of any home-goods shop door, either by the pull of a handle or the click of a mouse, will reveal choice upon choice. You could be a bit overwhelmed by them.

Where to begin?

Can I be bold and say, don’t just have pillows to have them? On the other hand, can I be even more bold and say, have some throw pillows in your life? Because, if you haven’t experienced it, even a single well-chosen throw pillow can make an incredible impact in both the look and comfort of a room.

Pillows with a purpose might be what I’m trying to say. Curated comfort, in other words. Like everything else in your house, throw pillows should contribute to the experience of living well. Not afterthoughts, but considered pieces. Let them tell their part of your story. Let them interpret the color scheme and mood. Let them be the perfect opportunity for textile art, for texture, for subtle layering.

But also?

Let them fill a functional purpose and be comfortable enough to actually use. Because, as it turns out, pillows aren’t just meant for looks. Feather-and-down filled inserts (or a synthetic alternative if allergy is a concern) provide comfort that is superior to poly-filled ones, which quickly feel flat and hard. In a feather-and-down combination, feathers provide structure, while down provides a soft welcome. The lower the feathers and higher the down in the content ratio, the more luxurious and welcoming the pillow.

These three pillows here? In colors and textures that make me weak in the knees? They’ve recently turned our banquette into a magical window seat experience. All four of us have spent more time there since they’ve made it more inviting - teenagers lining them up like seat cushions and sprawling out as if it were a second sofa (with bodies too long for the bench, but they don’t seem to care); my husband tucking one in for lumbar support during those recent chess games; me propping up at one end with a book, feeling like I’ve somehow added another room onto our house.

Throw pillows. Seemingly insignificant, but then again, not at all.