Solid, neutral-colored sofas or sectionals like the Marci sectional from Sam Moore can be easily refreshed with the use of color, pattern and texture in pillows. Photo: Sam Moore Furniture
When you’re looking for a quick way to update a living space without spending a lot of time or money, it’s hard to beat the impact of new pillows. This design strategy is particularly useful with a solid neutral-colored sofa because you can change the look entirely with the use of color, pattern and texture. If your sofa is upholstered in a bright or patterned fabric, try new accent pillows in solid colors or small patterns that complement your main fabric.
A fresh new look can be as easy as adding new accent pillows.
Here’s a BEFORE look at my Sam Moore sectional and the red and gray pillows I used throughout the winter:
My sectional as it looked through the winter months.
Here’s the AFTER look with brightly colored pillows in a variety of shapes and sizes. Photo: Trisha McBride Ferguson.
Step 1: find your Inspiration Fabric
This owl fabric (still on the roll at the store) caught my eye and became the inspiration of my sofa refresh.
In addition to the fun, retro-looking owl motif, I love how this fabric pairs fresh, bright shades of orange and green with a gray background similar to my sofa color.
Of the coordinating fabrics I chose, the orange one with a white pattern is actually an indoor-outdoor fabric. While it’s not as soft as a traditional upholstery fabric, I loved both its color and pattern, and it compensates with extra durability and stain-resistance.
The green and white woven circle fabric, above, is actually reversible, so I got two looks from one.
Sew, Shop or Order
The good news is that you can update pillows on your sofa, sectional or chairs in a number of ways. If you sew, it’s fairly simple to make or recover accent pillows. If not, you can commission some from a seamstress or order from a decorator or store. One of my favorite sources for pillows is homeware.com.
Homeware offers an amazing selection of accent pillows in a selection of colors, patterns, textures and sizes.
Making Quick Pillow Covers
For an interesting visual, try varying the pattern size of the fabrics you use, as well as the size and shape of your pillows. Also take texture into consideration; I let the season of the year influence my fabric choices by reserving thick, velvety and furry materials for cooler months.
An Idea Worth Repeating
If my Sam Moore sectional looks familiar, you may have seen the previous post where I updated the pillows and ottoman for a “winter wow.”
Here’s what my sofa looked like last summer before I switched over to the red, gray and white fabrics for a winter wow. Photo: Trisha McBride Ferguson.
Sectionals Designed to Showcase Pillows
By design, sectionals typically have a larger expanse of upholstered area than standalone sofas. This means they offer lots of room for accent pillows and can be dressed up, dressed down and refreshed throughout the year.
The striking primary colors and bold graphic pattern of these accent pillows give the Margo sectional from Sam Moore unmistakable personality.
For an updated transitional look, try combining pillows with bold stripes with some featuring a subtle pattern — all in the tones of your main upholstery fabric, as seen here in the Ricky sectional from Sam Moore.
If you’ve got a basic beige sofa, look to your accent pillows to give your space style. Refreshing the look of your room is truly as easy as updating them throughout the year.
Rich red pillows, both solid and patterned, transform this sofa from basic to beautiful. Photo: Sam Moore.
If you update your accent pillows, snap a photo and share it here or on our Facebook page. We’d love to see it!
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