5 ways to mix and match cushions on a sofa
I love to mix and match cushions in my home - combining patterns, sizes, colours and textures creates a look that’s uniquely yours and tells us a story. It’s something I had in mind from the start of designing my own range of luxury cushions that are all different to each other but work together, as I love the relaxed and inviting feel this kind of aesthetic has. However, It’s often difficult to know where to start with the huge selection of cushion options out there and it can be tricky to create a cohesive look, so here are some pointers to help get you started mixing and matching the cushions in your home.
Emma Alviti’s range of mix and match cushions
Combine different sizes of patterns in your cushions
Combining different patterned cushions is often a bit tricky to get right without the patterns fighting each other, but if you select a main feature print and some coordinating, smaller prints it’s much easier to perfect. Try combining the Landscape and Leaves Burnt Orange / Pink Cushion with the Abstract Landscape Natural / Black Cushion for a nice variety of scale. Having said that, I’m all for mixing feature patterns, so if you have the confidence to go for it, a selection of statement prints is a really bold feature which can add lots of personality to your soft furnishings. The key is to make sure the colours complement each other so that the patterns have a linking quality to them. Another way to make this work is to combine a more illustrative cushion design and an abstract cushion design, for example, the Wild Garlic Olive Green Cushion (illustrative) and Brushstrokes Burnt Orange Cushion (abstract) work beautifully together.
The Burnt Orange and Olive Green Cushion Set is a great way to combine feature print cushions
2. Vary the scale and shape of your cushions
Layering different sizes and shapes of cushions is a great way to mix and match cushions on a sofa. My own luxury cushion range features a large square option and a rectangular (lumbar cushion) option which complement each other beautifully. Try layering the Houseplants Green Cushion and Mountainscape Natural Cushion together for a variety of shapes. Some smaller scatter cushions, bolster cushions or circular cushions added in can also add to this beautiful layering of soft furnishings.
The Houseplant Natural / Green Cushion and the Mountainscape Natural Linen Cushion are a great way of combining a large, square shape and lumbar shape, with their linking forest green colour.
3. Contrast textures within your sofa cushions
The luxury cushions in my range all use a beautiful natural linen base, I’ve often combined these in my own home with some other textures to create contrast and tactility. This Merchant and Mills quilted fabric is one of my favourites to create cushions from as it’s so tactile and comfortable too. The texture of the quilted fabric compliments the natural linen cushions and adds a subtle geometric to the mix too. A seamstress can make bespoke cushions to your specifications from fabric meterage, which can be a great way to save money as well as achieve a unique result. Try adding woven or boucle cushions for more textural interest and depth.
4. Combine accent colours with neutrals
Getting a colour palette right is half the battle with any interior styling dilemma. Combining one key colour along with 2-3 accent colours and a neutral helps to create a cohesive colour palette. If you struggle with colours, choose a piece of art you love or your favourite rug and pick out the key colours from it to use as inspiration. The patterned cushions in my own range all link through the natural linen fabric base, with tones of earthy oranges, subtle pinks, olive greens and blacks to add interest. The Still Life Vase Pink / Terracotta / Olive Green Cushion is a great one to use as inspiration for your colour palette with its layered blocks of colour.
The Still Life Vase Pink / Terracotta / Olive Green Cushion is a great place to draw colour inspiration from for the rest of your sofa cushion arrangement.
5. Display cushions in odd numbers
When mixing and matching your cushions, always aim for odd numbers. The rule of three states that things arranged in odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye, so try three, five or seven cushions on your sofa. Of course, you could choose to go for a symmetrical look with one large cushion and one small cushion paired on each side of the sofa, but adding a fifth, rectangular cushion in the middle will help pull this look together.
How should I start my cushion arrangement?
Finding one feature or statement cushion you love is a great place to start. You can then base colours or complementing patterns off this starting point, but this feature print will be where your eye is initially drawn to, so make it one you love!
How many cushions should you put on a sofa?
The amount of cushions on a sofa or bed is a subject that seems to really divide people, so the answer is personal and really down to you. The most important factor is that the amount is comfortable for you and helps you relax in your home. For aesthetic purposes only, a good guide is three cushions for a small sofa and five for a large sofa, again, sticking to odd numbers creates a more informal and pleasing look.
Should my sofa cushions match?
I really encourage mixing and matching in my own range of luxury cushions, creating a relaxed, warm and inviting feel to my soft furnishings. Creating your own unique selection of scatter cushions is a great way to reflect your personality into your home and avoids replicating a generic home aesthetic you might have seen elsewhere. Selecting one main colour, two to three accent colours and a neutral will ensure your cushions tie together and create a cohesive look without looking too ‘matchy matchy’.
The four best cushion arrangements for your sofa
Symmetrical but not Mirror the arrangment of the cushions on each side of the sofa, but vary the patterns and colours of the cushions used.
Mirrored For a more formal look, arrange a large and smaller cushion each side of the sofa reflecting the designs, with a connecting rectangular, lumbar cushion in the middle.
Assymetrical A trio of cushions one side of the sofa and a pair the other side.
Throw them all on! A mix of shapes, textures, sizes and colours, without symmetry, thrown on for a relaxed, informal feel. Link them through a refined colour palette.
Four sofa cushion arrangement options using a neutral sofa and Emma Alviti’s patterned cushion range alongside some plain scatter cushions.
Cushions are a great way to play with colour, pattern and texture in your home without committing to a more time consuming or costly decorating project, so the key here is to have fun, express yourself and create an environment you love to be in. If you’re looking to start your own collection of mix and match cushions, a statement patterned cushion is a great starting point and I’d love you to have a browse of my own hand-painted, luxury cushion and homeware range here.