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How to Mix and Match Throw Pillows Like a Pro

Mix patterns, colors, sizes, and more like an interior designer.

Vibrant throw pillows mixed and matched on a leather sofa

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Accessorizing with throw pillows is one of the easiest ways to inject style into your living room, family room, or bedroom. And since there are so many affordable, beautiful pillows available, it's a shame to play it safe with just two or three solid-colored pillows—or worse, to limit yourself to the set that came with your couch.

The first thing to remember is that your pillows don't have to match. In fact, you can achieve a more professional, stylish look if they don't. If you're not comfortable with your ability to choose pillows, the following tips will help you mix and match fresh patterns and/or colors, allowing you to quickly refresh your room with a look that is coordinated without looking like a matched set.

There are a lot of different ways to mix and match throw pillows, and it's true—sometimes it does take a practiced eye. It is possible, though, for a room in which not a single pillow matches another in color, pattern, or style to still look incredibly polished and modern.

If you don't have the time or inclination to experiment or shop that much, the Rule of Three is the perfect formula to guide your choices and simplify the process.

Why Add Throw Pillows?

Throw pillows and interchangeable throw pillow covers give instant design and personal style to a room through color, pattern, texture, and a mix of sizes. But throw pillows also have a purpose—they make furniture more comfortable. Adding pillows to the corners of couches and chairs or on top of beds gives a cozy feel that also provides extra comfort and support.

Refresh Your Basic Throw Pillow With This Simple Trick

How to Mix and Match Throw Pillows?

Choose Three Colors

First, choose a "color story" to follow for your pillow selection. It's best to use three different colors pulled from other sources in the room, such as the wall color, the rug, your bedding, or the curtains. If you choose a variety of pillows in different patterns, the look will still be cohesive if they at least share the same colors.

A few examples of color combinations that always look great together:

  • Dark blue + deep red + pink
  • Deep red + orange + deep green
  • Magenta + violet + mustard yellow
  • Dark green + gold + magenta
  • Sage green + peacock blue + gold
three-color story palette throw pillow scheme on leather sofa

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Choose Three Patterns

You can also mix and match three different patterns, as long as each pattern incorporates at least one of the colors in the three-color story you have chosen. It's often simpler to choose your "lead" pattern first, which is generally the largest pattern and the one that contains all three colors in your color story. Then, the secondary patterns you select can contain just one or two of the colors. 

When following the Rule of Three, choose patterns in three different scales, allowing one pattern to dominate—you don't want your patterns to compete with each other. Your lead pattern should be the largest pattern of the bunch, followed by a medium-sized print, such as a stripe or small houndstooth. The third pattern, then, should be the most subtle, such as a solid color in an interesting texture, a dotted swiss, or one with a faint tone-on-tone pattern, such as a damask stripe.

Here are a few pattern-mixing ideas to try:

  • One floral + one geometric + one solid color
  • One buffalo check + one toile + one ticking stripe
  • One chevron + one dotted + one knit texture
throw pillows in mixed patterns on a leather sofa

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Choose Three Sizes

When it comes to pillow sizes, follow the Rule of Three by choosing three different sizes to create design interest. The size groupings will depend on the size of your furniture, but it's important to know standard pillow sizes to start planning. Standard square pillows come in 16 x 16, 18 x 18, 20 x 20, 22 x 22, and 24 x 24 inches. Round pillows come in sizes similar to squares. Lumbar pillows don’t have consistent sizing like square ones, but you should be able to find sizes that range from 10 to 16 inches high by 18 to 22 inches wide, though 12 x 20 inches is a common lumbar pillow size. Scale pillow sizes to the size of your furniture by mixing smaller sizes for loveseats while using large or oversized pillows for sofas and sectionals.

When choosing pillow combinations, they can vary by 2-inch increments, for example, layer a 22-inch square pillow and a 20-inch square pillow in each corner. In addition to using three different pillow sizes, you can also play with three different shapes—square, round, and rectangular—to create a Rule of Three grouping.

Here are a few pillow-size combination ideas to try:

  • 24-inch pillows + 22-inch pillows + lumbar
  • 22-inch pillows + 20-inch pillows + lumbar
  • 20-inch Pillows + 18-inch round + lumbar
  • 22-inch pillows + 20-inch square and round pillows + lumbar

Choose Three Textures

Pattern and color mixing is important, but texture should not be overlooked. Pick three textures that will include an element of contrast yet complement each other. Play with the juxtaposition of smooth and rough, soft and fuzzy. Think about faux fur, velvet, linen, knit wools, and tasseled accents. If you keep your color and pattern theme in play, you can get creative with touch and feel.

Here's a classic combination to try that includes texture as a feature:

One large pattern + one small pattern + one solid texture

Break the Rules if You Want

Now that you know the Rule of Three, we should also say that all rules are made to be broken—especially in design! If you start mixing and matching your selection of stunning throw pillows following the formula outlined here only to find that four colors work best for you, or that you like two large patterns instead of only one, that's okay. Ultimately, it's only important that you like what you see, so use this Rule of Three only as a jumping-off point for guidance. You'll see stylish results if you follow the formula, but you need not be afraid to experiment until you find the combination that suits you.

Throw pillows in a mix of shapes, colors, and patterns

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Additional Tips

Once you master the Rule of Threes, also consider these other principles used by room designers:

  • Odd numbers look modern: When arranging your throw pillows, keep in mind that for a modern look, odd numbers work best—think again of three, or five. In most design aesthetics, odd numbers always look more artful, and remember that a smaller number of larger pillows looks fresher than a jumble of smaller ones.
  • Even numbers look traditional: For a balanced look that features symmetry, especially on your bed or couch, an even number of similar pillows, such as two or four, looks clean and orderly.
  • Fill matters: When shopping for throw pillows, consider the fill and how it will affect the appearance. A feather-and-down fill, for example, has more "give" and a softer squish. Foam and other synthetic fills are stiffer and generally much more affordable. These pillows will hold their shape better but don't look as luxurious.
FAQ
  • What should your throw pillows match?

    When picking out colors for your throw pillows, draw from other accents in the room such as the wall color, the rug, the curtains, or a piece of artwork to create a cohesive color scheme. Another approach is to match your sofa with accent colors. Throw pillows in accent colors can either contrast or complement the color of the sofa. You can choose colors that pop against your couch to add drama or look for hues in the same color family as your couch, but without matching it exactly, for a monochromatic feel.

  • What is the rule of thumb for throw pillows?

    When arranging pillows on a couch, create layers by adding pillows in the corners, starting with the largest pillow in the back and building forward with smaller pillows in the front; a lumbar pillow can be positioned in the center of the couch or in front of pillows in the corner. For beds, arrange pillows in an inverted triangle. Start at the back with euro pillows as your base positioned against your headboard, then add pillows from largest to smallest to make a triangle shape, with the tips of the triangle pointed toward the end of the bed and the bedside tables. Bed pillows can also serve as your base, or they can be hidden by your euro pillows.

  • How many throw pillows should there be on a sofa?

    The right number of throw pillows to have on a sofa depends on the length, depth, and number of corners. A standard two-corner, three-seat sofa, which can range between 6 to 8 feet long, could have three to six pillows, or one to three pillows per corner. A three-corner sectional could have up to seven pillows, with two in the main corners and three in the middle corner, for example. A shallow couch will feel crowded with too many pillows, but with a deeper couch, more pillows will provide more support and comfort.