Curating Cushions

Art is powerful.  It changes space and can transport the observer to another place or time.

As a result of its impact, many people are intimidated by purchasing and displaying art in their home.  If you are not sure of your aesthetic or you do not feel ready to make the financial commitment to purchase a piece of artwork, the good news is you can still add character and interest to your home by way of accessories such as a collection of complementary cushions.

Like art, a room can be transformed by adding a perfectly curated selection of cushions.  When chosen correctly, the process of mixing cushions of various patterns, colours, textures and sizes can enhance and harmonise a once uninspired, mismatched or bland room.  Let’s be honest, we don’t want to have that home that is vanilla; we want our design efforts to reflect who we are, be admired and be appreciated.  Selecting and styling the right assortment of cushions for your current space to have an impact can be intimidating and challenging.

The good news is our obsession is designing cushions that can be mixed and matched.  Therefore, we thought we would pull together a mini-guide to help you transform your home into a fresh, aspirational space and that is a reflection of your personal aesthetic.

IT’S AS EASY AS 1,2,3, AND 4!
1. Create an empty canvas.
2. Conceive a colour palette.
3. Identify styling arrangement.
4. Curate a selection of cushions.

CREATE AN EMPTY CANVAS
It doesn’t matter if your starting point is your bedroom, living room, family room, playroom, study or dressing room…you have to start with an empty canvas.  Remove all existing cushions and any other accessories in the room that you no longer want to keep.  Rooms can often be an explosion of colours, patterns, and styles, from walls to window treatments, furniture, and vases.  Therefore, we need to review and curate our belongings before we add any more to the mix to create an aspirational space.

CONCEIVE A COLOUR PALETTE
Spend some time just being in the room where you are decorating, observing, and recording your surroundings.  Determine the use of colour that currently exists in the room.  Observe the room’s mood, how does it makes you feel and do you want it to change? Look at the style of furniture, the formality of the room, and the room’s purpose. From your evaluation, build a palette of 2-3 colours to complement and enhance your room.  Please, please, please do not be tempted to select a colour palette that directly matches your room’s primary component, such as your sofa or bedding.  Instead, select a contrasting palette that is a combination of complementary colours and textures.

IDENTIFY STYLING ARRANGEMENT
Styling is not a science; there isn’t a rule book to say how you must style cushions.   However, you can adopt techniques pending the context of the room and its general style and purpose.  When identifying your styling approach, the key points for consideration are the arrangement, size, and texture of cushions.

Let’s talk about sofa styling.  In a formal setting, you may want to follow an asymmetrical approach,  starting from the sofa’s two endpoints and working your way into the middle.  There are no rules to say the cushions have to be different sizes, shapes or textures, but it’s often a great way to mix up the patterns, create some depth and add interest to your home.

 

If you are looking to embrace and enhance a more casual space, throw symmetry out the window and create clusters of cushions to one end of your sofa, couch or lounge.  You may not want to or be able to play with texture in more casual spaces; velvets and silks don’t mix so well with kids and dogs.  Remember, playing with odd numbers of cushions, such as 3 and 5, is more impactful, and we find this configuration more visually pleasing.

So, what about beds?  

Again, if a rule book has been written, we haven’t heard about it.  It partially depends on the size of your bed, formality and use of bed linen.  You need to figure out do you like to have the symmetrical look of two larger cushions at the back, two smaller complementary coloured cushions in front and a statement cushion in between.  Alternatively, you may not want a statement cushion, and you would rather opt for a complimentary pair of cushions on either side of the bed.

If you want a more relaxed, playful and fun vibe to your bedroom, create a haphazard collection of complementary cushions that don’t fall into any particular order at all.

Be brave, and don’t forget to play around with these styling approaches so you can figure out the style that reflects you and your home.

CURATE A SELECTION OF CUSHIONS
You have made your choice of colours, decided on quantity, thought about sizing and identified your preferred textures.  It is now time to do your research and find your cushions.  Some stores offer sets of cushions that have already been curated for you, and this can be a wonderful option if you aren’t 100% confident in mixing patterns, colours and textures.  When purchasing your cushions, we recommend looking for cushions made from quality materials and have a certified feather-based inner for a plush, and indulgent end look and feel.

Let us know if this guide has been of use and if you have any further questions.   We love to share your images with other cushion and interior enthusiasts on social media, so don’t forget to head over to our Instagram Page, follow us and post your picture with #evieandskye.

Have a great day!