How hard is it to add a few pillows to your couch? It’s a simple way to add some cushy comfort as well as a pop of color or texture to any room in your house.
And yet, I’m here to report that the pillow situation in some homes is out of control.
Look closely, and you’ll see that cringeworthy mistakes with throw pillows range far and wide in terms of their size, color, fabric, or sheer number that resides on your sofa or bed.
If you’re worried you’ve become “that crazy pillow person,” allow us to stage an intervention by pointing out some decor signs you’ve got a problem. Or simply consider these guidelines of some danger zones to watch out for and never, ever do.
1. You have too many pillows, period
You may have heard of the rule of three in interior design, which states items arranged in an odd number is more pleasing to the eye. This doesn’t mean, however, that higher odd numbers, like 9 or 17 or 41, are even more appealing.
Yet, when it comes to pillows on beds and couches, some homeowners have gone off the rails. Witness the nine pillows on the bed shown here and the half-dozen on the couch that’s literally preventing people from using it.
“Too many pillows can make a bed feel cluttered and, ultimately, smaller,” says Carolyn Gagnon, a real estate agent with Compass in New York City.
“Adding this many to a bed means you could be deterred from making your bed in the morning—and it’s silly to invest in loads of pillows just to leave them scattered on the floor,” adds Pamela O’Brien, principal designer at Pamela Hope Designs.
2. There are too many pillowy ‘pops of color’
Sure, bright is nice, and pillows are a simple way to add a “pop of color” to a room. Still, you don’t want to go overboard with a full-on rainbow of color, either.
This little girl’s room shown on Instagram above is fun, we’ll admit, but you can bet this pillow lineup lasts for about 90 seconds each day before it’s utterly destroyed.
Also, don’t try this look in the master bedroom, especially if you’re trying to appeal to a potential buyer, warns Gagnon.
To prevent scaring off the public, she suggests “keeping to the hotel model of cool and calming colors to make the bed and room appear larger and unfettered from your personal taste.”
3. The pillows are fuzzy or sequined
Ever lay your cheek on a sequined pillow? It scratches in the worst way! So when you spy that silly silver number on your sister’s guest bed, you know you’re going to fling it as far as you can before you tuck in.
Ditto for fuzzy pillows. They may pop in magazine photos and seem dreamy in a ski chalet, but unless you live in Aspen year-round, just skip the look! The truth: Faux fur is hot and sticky to lean against.
4. They sport tassels, pompoms, and other doodads
Got pets? Or energetic toddlers? Dangling bits of fabric are alluring to be sure, which means your pretty display is definitely doomed.
“I had a beautiful large set of pillows with cute tassels, and it didn’t take long for my cat to discover them and decide they were new toys,” says Kara Harms, a design blogger at Whimsy Soul.
The current location of said tassels?
Says Harms, they’re probably “under a couch or hidden somewhere—only my cat really knows.”
5. The pillows blend in so well, you don’t see them
Why bother adding pillows if they’re the same shade as your upholstery? This is Andra DelMonico‘s biggest complaint.
The lead interior designer at Trendey Home says using accent pillows that are too uniform in color, material, size or shape simply creates a “more is more design that isn’t enhanced.” Instead, strive for a balance between light and dark and vary the fabrics, too, she urges.
6. You shun pillows completely
A naked couch might seem stark and cool, but this look isn’t going to win any awards for luxury. Plus, when there’s nothing on a sectional at all, it’s not only colorless, but also lonely and kind of sad.
“Pillows really do add a designer touch, and they increase a sofa’s comfort, too,” points out O’Brien.
And since not everyone is 6 feet tall and willowy, she continues, adding a few extra pillows to a couch can “fill in the gaps if the seating is too big or create a soft perch if you like to curl up in a corner.”
Most couches look best with three pillows (that rule of three!), which means a pair of matching squares and a colorful accent in the middle.
“For longer sofas, we could place up to five, and because sectionals can be large and deep, even more pillow support is necessary for your back,” she adds. In this case, between five and nine pillows is allowed.
But if you go over this number or any of your pillow choices are made from sequins or sport tassels, go back to the top of this post and read it again. Good luck out there!
The post Have You Become That ‘Crazy Pillow Person’? 6 Tell-Tale Signs Your Cushions Are Out of Control appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.