Decorating with cushions

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Decorating with cushions is one of the easiest and most effective ways to transform a room.

I like to keep my colour palette fairly neutral, so that I can add visual interest and colour with the addition of just a few accessories.

I’ve given our main living area a relaxed coastal look to see us through our long hot Australian summer.

For a pop of colour, I’ve chosen aqua accessories to harmonize with two art prints we currently have hanging in this room.

Cushions are quick and easy to make and quite suitable for beginner sewers.

The 3 cushions on my sofa took under an hour to make and cost me $25.

I’ll admit, I did peruse a few cushions at our local hobby/decor outlet first and with prices starting around $30, I did what every DIYer does….

I changed tactics, checked out the fabric section and planned to make my own!

There’s a few simple rules to decorating with cushions and I thought today I’d share 4 easy tips that I’ve always used:

1. Select your colour palette

I always start with the colour palette e.g.the colours in this room are neutral, so to add a coastal feel, I added several shades of aqua.

For the cushions, I chose a solid soft aqua coloured fabric that had texture, a tonal pattern that is fairly neutral and a bolder stripe. The stripe fabric incorporates all the colours in my palette, so pulls it all together.

Sometimes I put different fabrics on the back of the cushion, effectively making 2 different looks. That way I can swap them around and change the look every few days!

2. Choose how many cushions

Generally speaking, the amount of cushions depends on the size and amount of seating in the room. A larger 3 seater can take 5 – 6 cushions, 2 seaters 2 – 4 cushions and a single seater is best with just 1 cushion.

Some people like an even number of cushions, which gives a more formal look. I prefer an odd number, which is a little more eclectic.

Another factor I considered was our family seating. My daughter generally sits on the 3 seater lounge and she doesn’t like cushions at the end she prefers to sit on, so I keep the cushions to one end. In this situation, an odd number is more appealing.