Your sofa is one of the main pieces in your living space, so inevitably it draws the eye. It’s a great opportunity to set the tone for the style and feel of your space, and cushions are a wonderful way to achieve that goal. Let’s delve into how to use them effectively.
1. How many?
Recently there’s been a trend with beds to style them with so many cushions that often it starts to look like no human beings can fit in the bed! Resist the temptation to go the same way with your sofa. While it’s a great styling element, it’s also a place where people want to sit down, and the last thing you want is to have to remove piles of cushions from the sofa and have them heaped around the room whenever someone comes to visit.
A very general rule of thumb is to use 1 more cushion than there are places to sit down. Which means a 2-person sofa would have 3 cushions. This is generally used for styling standard sized cushions, so if you have smaller ones you could add one or two more to the mix.
2. What size?
Take a good look at the sofa itself. The average cushion size is 50cm x 50cm. But does your sofa have a high back or arms? Or are they much lower than average? In those cases you might want to go for bigger or smaller cushions, to match the sofa dimensions.
The size of cushion also relates to the look you’re going for. If you want something warm and welcoming, inviting people to sink down into the sofa’s depths, then large and squishy-looking is the answer. Modern and sleek demands sharp edges and crisp shapes.
3. Mixing it up
Although cushions are mostly square, recently there’s been an explosion in the shapes and sizes available, which is a great opportunity to do something a little more exciting then just using square cushions. Play with a mix of shapes, perhaps a large square or two with a circle in front.
And then take a leap beyond shape into textures and patterns. This is the point at which choosing cushions becomes really fun. Beware though – it’s very easy to get carried away at this stage. Unless your desired result is an eclectic mix of eye-catching colours and prints, aim to find a colour in common and use that as a theme for your cushion choices. A very popular style is to have one single-colour cushion at the back, with one or two smaller or shaped cushions in print fabric containing that same colour. Or try have cushions all in the same colour, made from different materials, mixing chunky and smooth.
That’s a few ideas to get you started thinking about cushions for creating a sensational sofa. And the best part is that if you want to change the look of your sofa, all you have to do is replace the cushions. Which is a lot cheaper than replacing the sofa!