The art of cushion styling: transform your sofa

Author: Rhoda Parry

Cushion styling – it’s the interiors’ accessorisation trend that's centre stage right now. What’s the reason for this home-loving obsession, you may ask? Well, this little pad of decorative loveliness has the secret skill to bring a power-punch of comfort, colour, shape and texture to any sofa. The budget-friendly cushion is also your passport to a whole new world of pattern.

“Once you have got the structure, paintwork and furnishings of your home in place, you can have fun with the finishing touches,” says stylist and author Atlanta Bartlett in her latest book, Relaxed Living, Happy Home. “Cushions are one of the easiest items to refresh and can change the whole look of a room.” Renowned for creating sustainable and beautiful interiors, Atlanta adds, "One simple patterned cushion among four plain ones might be enough to bring your sofa to life.”

We let you in on five design-eye tips so you can perfect the art of sofa cushion styling… all with The Pure Edit’s promise of sustainability and style in mind.

Let a room’s colour palette lead

The first step in an interior stylist’s rule book is to take inspiration from the dominant colour in the room. Plump for cushion colours that match or complement and you’ll be sure of an eye-pleasing and cohesive look, regardless of the patterns you choose.

A colour wheel (easily found on the internet) is a fail-safe decorating tool to help with this process as it will clearly show you the hues, tints, tones and shades that will work with your existing colourway.

Another colour wheel trick, is to look to the colours either side of your hero colour for a graduated cushionscape; or to the colour opposite on the wheel for a cushion contrast (as shown here using from left Safara Charcoal Cushion; Cosmos Cinnabar Cushion; Jina Cinnabar Cushion; Aarna Graphite Cushion).

Get in touch with texture and pattern

Cushionscaping has the power to make a sofa feel formal or relaxed and it’s all down to the textile textures you’re drawn to. Run your hands over a fabric type and, amazingly, you’ll be hot-wired to its touch profile.

The Pure Edit’s responsibly sourced cotton, for instance, appears soft with a light brush and a very short nap; our wovens, made with Repreve recycled polyester, are tactile and interesting; and our velvets, also 100% recycled polyester, are lustrous and rich. The minimalists out there will reach for the natural simplicity of cotton; the more adventurous will dive into classy velvets and smart wovens.

Layer up with pattern – from stripes and checks to geometrics and from botanicals to global – and you’ve got an endless kaleidoscope of combinations that are bespoke to you and your sofa! (Shown here from left Namatha Stone Cushion, Nala Ochre Cushion)

Get the the layout and numbers right

Do you want your sofa to have a sink-into movie watching feel or one where conversation and entertaining is the order of the day? Consider your sofa’s purpose, style and position before deciding on your perfect cushion plan.

Stylists swear that odd numbers are more pleasing and interesting to look at, adding rhythm to the seat; while even numbers feel more symmetrical and safe. The fun bit starts when it comes to grouping them.

In our books, there are three core cushion combinations: ‘the row’ where cushions seamlessly line the back of the sofa (as seen above at @ourlittleflintcottage with from left Shani Sage Cushion, Indira Sage Cushion, Folia Sage Cushion); the ‘either end’ where one or three are positioned by the sofa arms (as shown below @life_at_the_mews with Oba Cinnabar Cushion); or the ‘mix’, a semi-random arrangement often with a centre-stage cushion holding its own for balance.

Play with shape and size

Proportion takes a leading role in the art of cushion styling. Get creative and add visual magnitude to your sofa by combining varying dimensions and shapes.

Large and small squares (50cm x 50cm and 43cm x 43cm respectively) are the starting block sofa cushion arrangement – you can’t go wrong with them! Stack large behind and small in front either on an angle or directly in front of each other for scale and volume.

Small (43cm x 30cm) and large (55cm x 38cm) rectangles are excellent central place holders that will draw the eye to the middle and then to the outlying arrangement (as shown above from left in Nubra Ink Cushion, Edo Denim Cushion, Atlas Denim Cushion).

You can also have fun with dimensional tricks, such as karate chop detailing. This involves firmly denting the top edge of the cushion to make it look fulsome. You’ll need a feather filled pad to perfect the effect. Lindsey Parker of @theparkerstyle gets it just right on her deeply inviting window seat (shown below styled with from left Tassa Petite Stone Cushion, Shani Sand Cushion, Kalinda Sky Cushion, Folia Espresso Cushion). Diamonding – where a spare cushion sits on point – is another way to add extra drama.

Finish up with decorative details

Piping is the icing on the cushion cake! Here at The Pure Edit, we like to keep trims subtle and simple for a relaxed living feel. Piping – with either a self or knife edge – is a pleasing decorative touch that adds a tailored line to your cushion shape, concealing the seam and elevating the look to the next level.

Be brave and mix and match trimmings for super-stylish results as shown here in @nicolahuthwaite’s beautiful home using Folia Cinnabar Cushion, Aline Rust Cushion.

From colour and pattern to shape, texture and size, we hope we’ve inspired you to perfect the art of cushion styling so that you can transform the sofa in your home. Why not browse our edited stylish and sustainably-made selection – all in The Pure Edit’s in-house palette. Generously filled with recycled fibre or natural feather pads or available as cushion covers, our collection of prints, plains, and weaves are just what you need to refresh seating areas season by season.