Luxury Decorative Pillows

Luxury decorative pillows are the most underrated element in a well-designed room. Small in size, large in effect: the right pillows give a sofa, bed or armchair a completely different character, and they are the one change you can make in an afternoon without touching a wall or a floor.

Choosing decorative pillows that actually work together

Odd numbers read better than even ones on a long sofa — three or five, not four. Vary the size rather than the pattern: a 20 in square, an 18 in square and a 16 × 24 in lumbar in related tones will always look more deliberate than three matching squares. And leave one plain. A room needs somewhere for the eye to rest.

Down inserts hold a dent when you lean into them, which is what makes a sofa look lived in; synthetic fill stays plump and suits a formal room better. Buy the insert one size up from the cover — a 20 in insert in an 18 in cover is what gives that filled, upholstered corner.

Sizes in inches

These pillows follow European sizing, which converts cleanly: 20 × 20 in (50 × 50 cm) is the standard sofa size, 18 × 18 in (45 × 45 cm) suits a smaller seat or a bed, and 16 × 24 in (40 × 60 cm) is the lumbar shape that supports your lower back in a reading chair. A number of designs are made to order in other dimensions.

Most covers here are cut from the same fabrics the mills weave for upholstery and drapery, which is why they wear differently from a mass-market pillow: heavier cloth, matched pattern across the seam, and a hidden zipper so the cover comes off for cleaning.

The mills behind these pillows

Casamance supplies the largest share of this collection, in velvets and textured weaves. Dedar brings the Italian end — silk blends, sharp color. Mind the Gap works the print side, Pierre Frey draws on its archive documents, and House of Hackney keeps to the maximalist register.

To carry a fabric onto the wall as well, linen wallpaper and floral wallpaper pick up the same weaves and drawings.

Ordering decorative pillows from the US

Color on a screen is a rough guide at best, especially for velvet, which shifts tone with the direction of the pile. Order fabric samples if you are matching to an existing sofa.

Duties and taxes are included in the price shown, so nothing is collected on delivery. Orders ship insured from the Netherlands; covers made to order at the mill show their lead time on the product page.