Guest Blogger: How to Jazz up your Interiors with Playful Pillows

 Guest Blog #175, Entry #655, September 12, 2011

Pillows have been around for a very long time

Pillows are thought to have been originally used by wealthy men in Asia and were found sometime later in Ancient Egyptian tombs.  They were greatly prized and highly decorated. Later the handcraft of designing pillows became an art form and textures, textiles and the creativity became varied and complex.

Enhance any area with pillows in your home

Image courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Besides bed pillows there are an interesting assortment of pillows used throughout the home:

• Throw pillows or toss pillows, generally called that because they are tossed on furniture to create a casual and inviting look.
• Novelty pillows which can be used on furniture for comfort but are also humorous to encourage conversation and a laugh or too. These may consist of our favorite cartoon characters or other stuffed objects.
• Accent pillows – a throw pillow created in a fabric to emphasize the area where it is placed.
• Sofa pillow or couch pillows are toss pillows belonging on the sofa or couch.
• Floor pillows – generally 26” X 26” pillows created to add needed casual seating.

Pillow assortments for your home

Image courtesy of Circa Interiors

A pillow promises comfort.

Pillows can be created from a multitude of fabrics and textures and can be stuffed with many different fillings. They can be purchased or created for very little money and can add personality, warmth, color, comfort and charm to the décor. They can be filled with cotton, down, fiber, foam, buckwheat, synthetic fills, viscoelastic foam, latex or feathers. They can be washable or not. They also can be created to be hypo allergenic for those who suffer with allergies.

Pillows can be washable.

If purchasing a pillow which cannot be washed you may want to at least make the cover washable and create an opening of some type. It can be an envelope type where the pillow is tucked within the back or a snap or zipper closure. Pillows can accumulate dust and microbes so it is important to be able to clean them.

Without pillows a couch is just a couch.

It’s funny how a few pillows for less than $10.00 each can make such a difference, but they do.

Ordinary throw pillows can be found at a yard sale for less than a dollar each placed on a click clack futon purchased new for less than $100.

They can be tossed in a washer at the Laundromat. A normal wash machine used at home should not be used to wash pillows in, only an industrial one like the large front loaders at the Laundromat.

Pillows can enhance any couch or bed beautifully

Image courtesy of Home Workshop

A scarf sized piece of sheer fabric tied around the center of the white pillow can take on a quite unique look like this lifting it from ordinary to extraordinary. The sheer scarf like fabric used to tie the pillow could also be used to drape over the curtain rods to truly make an interesting statement.

If you decide to keep it this way a couple of discreetly made stitches under the center knot will hold it in place. If not, remove the scarf and sew lace around the edges like this for a completely different look:

Pillows can do so much for your decor for so little cost.

Pillows and pillow covers can be made easily, quickly, and inexpensively. Fabric stores sell remnants of fabric for a fraction of the original cost and even an old pair of jeans or a shirt can be used to create a new pillow cover. Consider fabrics, colors, textures. Perhaps something sturdy is desired or perhaps comfort is the goal. The above pillow is created from very soft and plush suede like material which begs to be leaned back on. A pillow invites one to sit down and relax.

Marina Chernyak is freelance writer and co-owner of accent tables store located at – AccentTablesBoutique.com

For more decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.