The holidays are upon us and you may be searching for that perfect gift to send a loved one. Or you may be looking at redecorating to give yourself and your home a boost after this long and trying year.
I love to give gifts that can be used year round. I often look for little luxuries and comforts that people don’t tend to buy for themselves, such as nice blankets, throws and pillows.
Even the most comfortable sofas and sectionals can use a splash of color, texture and a smattering of squishy throw pillows, whether you need them to prop yourself up on movie night or simply to keep the furniture from looking naked. I also like to use pillows on the bed to make it more inviting and cozy, as well as for adding color in my home office. Pillows can make a huge impact and provide some needed change to your decor without costing too much.
One of my favorite stores to purchase decorative items and home decor from is Cottage & Bungalow. I recently received two pillows from them to add to my home office and bedroom (pictured above). Before the pandemic my office and bedroom were very beige and boring. In light of everything that has happened this year with the pandemic, I decided to rethink my home decor. Why did everything have to be so boring and predictable? I decided to add color everywhere I could. Why not give my home a boost and have fun with it? Changing comforters, pillows and throw rugs are an easy way to achieve this and that is exactly what I did. Above I added an Indian blanket to my bed and lots of colorful pillows – the pinks ones are from Cottage & Bungalow.
Cottage & Bungalow offers high quality pillows in a variety of colors, textures and materials. I have a thing for pink right now, so I chose their Prom pillow and their Peya pillow to add some extra color to my bedroom and home office (below).
I absolutely love these pillows. They are both down filled and that makes them very squishy (a must for me). I love to be able to hug pillows and feel like they morph around my head or torso when leaning up against them. The quality of products from Cottage & Bungalow is superior to some other popular online storefronts so I know that they will last for years.
Below are some close up shots of the pillows so you can see the high quality fabrics and materials.
If you are looking for some great gifts I highly recommend checking out Cottage & Bungalow. They will not disappoint!
Here are some tips for decorating with pillows if you are looking to change your decor.
- Arranging your pillows by style is one way to ensure your space will look effortlessly chic. An easy way to start is by picking an odd number of pillows, with a unifying aspect, like a color or theme. If mixing patterns is not your thing, consider mixing textures of a same hue instead.
- One simple print, one busy print, and one solid print. This is a basic formula that’ll help you narrow down your options. Another way to think about it is — one small print, one big print, one solid. Your busy/large print should be on your largest pillows or the pillow that is front and center, as this print will usually set the tone for not just your pillow arrangement but the rest of your room. Plaids and stripes work well as small/simple prints.
- If your room already has a lot of patterns, like a patterned sofa, dramatic curtains, or a vibrant rug, take your pillow fabrics down a notch. Or if you really like color but don’t want to use a vibrant hue on large pieces (like your sofa or club chairs) just use solid pillows in very vibrant hues.
- If you like color but want a group of pillows that aren’t too loud, choose colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, or analogous colors. These are colors that have a lot in common but are different, which makes for a color palette that is quieter and more polished.
- It is entirely possible for rooms to be too harmonized. When everything matches and nothing pops, the room has a tendency to become boring and disengaging. While the solution may be more challenging, it can sometimes simply call for a little controlled contrast. One easy way to accomplish this is through the use of pillows, mixing shapes, colors, patterns and textures.
Whether you chose to buy pillows for yourself to change things up, or as a gift this holiday season, don’t be afraid to be a bit adventurous and bold. Pillows can make a room cozy and comfortable but can also add a personal and unique touch.
