How to Style a Sofa

Whether your sofa is new, or you just want to refresh the design of your current sofa, adding pillows and a throw can raise the style level and help your sofa tie in other elements in the room. Pillows are a great opportunity to have some fun in your room. You can switch them out a lot easier than replacing an expensive chair or sofa, you can even change them out seasonally (if you are someone that is as passionate about pillows as we are). 

They come in all shapes and sizes, so we have a few tips on how to select the perfect ones for your sofa. Remember, there really aren’t any hard and fast rules so feel free to have fun. The only common mistakes we see are when people use too many or too few pillows. 

Pillow Selection Tips:

1. Consider the room’s color palette: Choose pillows that will compliment the sofa and the room. They are a great way to tie in an accent color with the room.

2. For a small sofa: Don’t make the pillows too large, or the proportions of the sofa will be thrown off.

 

3. For a big sofa: Select larger pillows, or multiple sizes of pillows, to add interest. In our store, we have created a layered look on a colored chair, using two sizes of pillows.

 

4. For comfort: Add a lumbar pillow, especially for a deep sofa.

5. For a leather sofa: Consider heavier fabrics.

 

6. For a linen sofa: Consider lighter weight fabrics.

7. On a solid color sofa: There are no hard and fast rules regarding prints, solids, and matching pillows for solid color sofas. Just try to coordinate the pillows so that they “live” together and compliment each other. Remember, too many pillows can make guests feel uncomfortable about finding a place to sit on the sofa.

8. On a printed sofa: Use solid pillows to keep it from being too busy. If you use printed pillow just make sure that the patterns coordinate and don’t compete with each other. 

9. Selecting pillow filling: We prefer 95% down and 5% poly fill. They hold their shape, but they are still soft and easy to shape.

10. Creating a cohesive color palette: In our store, we layered a printed pillow with a solid pillow, and across the back of the sofa there is a throw that adds a pop of color and additional texture.

The design presents such a cohesive color palette that you barely notice the sofa itself is very neutral.

11. Think outside the box:  Don’t just look for solid and standard print pillows.  Look for pillows that punch up your style, such as those that are visually interesting and add texture into the mix.

  

Think of UpMarket as your sofa styling headquarters. We have a pillow obsession, and we are happy to share it with you. Let us help you style your sofa with our many pillow options we have in store, and if you can’t find what you are looking for, then we can create a custom look just for you! Give us a call today and let us help you elevate your space. 

upmarketsa.com | 210.698.7774