Colin and Justin: Toss it like you mean it

Small in stature, but enormous in decorative potential, the humble toss pillow might just be the hardest-working accessory in your home.

This observed, we’re sure there are those who consider cushions an unnecessary extravagance, an indulgence better relegated to the linen cupboard, alongside embroidered antimacassars and fussy wee doilies. To these commentators, however, we say this: have you actually looked at your sofa lately?

Recommended Videos

Yes indeed, a sofa without cushions is like a cocktail without garnish. Perfectly functional, certainly, but where’s the theatre, the personality, or the invitation to settle down and abandon yourself to the pleasures of a beautifully appointed living room?

In our books, toss pillows are relatively inexpensive, wonderfully versatile and imbued with the ability to change a room’s entire disposition in moments. In the same way a scarf can enliven a hitherto basic outfit, so too can a cushion turn tricks, with moderated spend.

But first things first: quantity matters. Add too few pillows and your sofa runs the risk of looking underdressed. Too many, though, and guests may find themselves relocating a small mountain of upholstery before attempting to sit down. Balance, as ever, is everything.

On a standard three-seater, we suggest three to five cushions, depending on scale and style. Start with larger squares at either end, then introduce smaller companions, perhaps finishing with a lumbar cushion, for visual punctuation.

And resist the urge to arrange everything with military precision, because a little asymmetry feels relaxed, confident and infinitely more sophisticated than a regimented parade of identical upholstery.

Importantly, size matters, but so too does shape. One common misdemeanour is choosing cushions that are simply too small.

Tiny pillows, marooned either end of an enormous chesterfield, rarely flatter the furniture upon which they sit, so think proportion: generous seating demands generous accessories – 22” squares provide a handsome foundation, whilst smaller 18-inch cushions create attractive layering. The objective, as we see it, is considered informality, rather than showroom perfection.

And don’t, whatever you do, forget that a spot of touchy feely magic goes a long way: if colour establishes a room’s mood, texture gives it soul.

Imagine a sofa or bed dressed entirely in matching cotton cushions: pleasant enough, perhaps, but hardly thrilling. Now introduce slubby linen, chunky wool, a little velvet or perhaps tactile bouclé and, suddenly, the composition takes on depth, warmth and visual interest.

Composing our schemes, we enjoy combining rougher, natural fibres with eminently more luxurious variants. Consider washed linen alongside velvet, or heavyweight ticking paired with soft wool. The marriage of rough and smooth, as we see it, is always a winner.

Pattern, too, is another important consideration, and the secret lies in varying scale whilst maintaining common ground. A large botanical print, for example, can sit comfortably alongside a narrow stripe or a discreet geometric motif, as long as they share complementary colours, but it’s best to avoid patterns that share scale, as these tend to compete rather than converse.

Next up, the great cushion controversy: to chop or not to chop? That familiar karate punch, delivered decisively to a pillow’s upper edge, has divided decorating enthusiasts for years.

We’re partial to a gentle indentation, particularly on plumply filled feather cushions, where it creates a relaxed silhouette, but beware the aggressive chop: a sofa populated by sharply cleaved cushions can resemble a gathering of upholstered fortune cookies.

Our advice? Chop selectively, never compulsively. Some cushions benefit from a little shaping; others, especially structured designs, look infinitely when better left alone.

It’s important, too, to consider that which lies beneath. In our studio, a beautiful cushion with miserable filling is little more than a decorative disappointment waiting to happen.

We favour feather-and-down inserts for their softness and relaxed appearance, although quality synthetic alternatives offer excellent support and easier maintenance.

Perhaps the greatest joy of a toss pillow, however, is its capacity for reinvention. Spring welcomes fresh linens and cheerful colour, summer invites breezy cottons and coastal stripes, autumn calls for rust, moss and tactile weaves, whilst winter practically demands velvet, wool and deeper, cocooning tones.

We hope you’ll take the foregoing counsel as cause to plump, layer, mix and experiment, because sometimes the difference between a room that looks merely finished, and one that feels genuinely inviting, is a thoughtfully chosen roster of cushions.

Small details, certainly, but as any self respecting creative will attest, it’s often the smallest touches that make the biggest impression…

Watch ‘Small Town Escapes with Colin and Justin’ on HGTV. Discover the ‘Colin+Justin Home Collection’ at Homesense and Winners. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

1. 

   Sunshine Girls
2. 

   Sunshine Girls
3. 

   Toronto Maple Leafs
4. 

   Toronto & GTA
5. 

   Toronto & GTA