How to Style Pillows on a Sectional

We promised this video to you about two years ago and we’re finally delivering! Here are all our tips and tricks for styling a sectional.

Many of the tips we give for styling a sofa apply to a sectional, but the corner is the thing that stumps us all!

Our first step is to create a color palette. Use your sectional color as the jumping off point, and create a higher end look by allowing colors to gently flow into each other. Use neutral tan and linen colors that naturally flow together, then weave in the bolder hues. Incorporate blues or subtle mauves, not using more than five colors.

Start with the back corner of the sectional and put your biggest pillow there. We always use a 24” inch pillow. Yes, it’s big but you don’t want it to get covered by the layered pillows in the front! Then we’ll place a 22” inch pillow on both ens of the sectional.

Create layers in the corner with shorter pillows, adding more 22” pillows, 20” pillows, and maybe even some lumbars. This corner should have the most!

On the ends we’ll layer a another 22” inch pillow or a 20” inch pillow on top of the existing, and maybe even a lumbar! Usually we use a 12” x 20” or 12” x 24”.

We love an eclectic feel, so all our pillows are different. We like to play with scale, texture and pattern. You’ll see touches of prints, fringe, and other materials.

Our final touch is to add a throw. It gives the space a lived-in feel, and provides an element of comfort.

When determining the size of your rug, make sure the front legs sit on the rug. We don’t want the sectional to feel as if it’s falling off the rug! When you’re deciding the size of the coffee table, you’ll apply the same principle. Let it lay in the box your sectional creates, keeping all legs on the rug.

Styling pillows on a sectional can be tricky. What do you do with that corner? Which sizes should you use to fill it in?

Today, we’re excited to share our step-by-step guide for styling a sectional.

Here’s a few things we’ve learned over the years:

Step No 1: Create a Color Palette

Our first step is to create a color palette. Start by use your sectional color as the jumping off point, and create a higher end look by allowing colors to gently flow into each other.

We like using neutral tan and linen colors that naturally flow, and then weave in the bolder hues. Incorporate blues or subtle mauves. As a general rule of thumb, we try to avoid using more than five colors.

Step No. 2: Use your biggest pillow first

Start with the back corner of the sectional and put your biggest pillow there. We always use a 24” inch pillow. It may seem big, but you don’t want it to get covered by the layered pillows in the front!

Step No. 3: Layer in the next size

After we have our 24′ inch pillows, we use a 22′ inch on both ends of the sectional to start filling in the look. We apply this same rule to that stubborn middle, too!

Step No. 4: Add in your smaller pillows

Create layers in the corner with shorter pillows, adding more 22” pillows, 20” pillows, and maybe even some lumbars. This corner should have the most!

On the ends we’ll layer another 22” inch pillow or a 20” inch pillow on top of the existing, and maybe even a lumbar! Usually we use a 12” x 20” or 12” x 24”.

 

Step No. 5: Add a throw.

Our final touch is to add a throw. It gives the space a lived-in feel, and provides an element of comfort.

Watch our video below to see our tips in action!