Cushions add comfort and style to a space
Besides adding colour and warmth to a room, sofa cushions can also be practical, writes Deb Tapp.
Never under-estimate the power of cushions – they are an inexpensive way to change the entire ambience of a room.
That’s according to Inhabit Designstore owner Helen McKenzie, who says if she walked into a room without cushions, it would feel unfinished.
‘‘Cushions are an essential part of a space. They add warmth, they add texture, they add colour, they add style.’’
But it’s important to remember, cushions are also about comfort, not just looks, McKenzie says.
‘‘They have a task to do as well as looking great, they need to be practical – they can be great for popping behind you on the sofa if you have a sore back, you can tuck a cushion behind your head if you want to scrunch down on your sofa, for a shorter person needing to sit comfortably on a deeper sofa cushions [behind the back usually] are invaluable in supplying comfort and postural support.
‘‘Cushions are also great for adding comfort for those of us who like to sit with our feet tucked up on our sofas and the many of us who like to lie down on our sofas.’’
Whatever the case, McKenzie says there is a process to finding the right cushions:
■ Firstly, choose your colour palette based on the colours that already exist in the room the cushions are destined for. That way they will pull together a room to create a stylish and harmonious look.
■ Once you’ve chosen your colour palette, select a feature cushion.
■ Then choose other cushions that complement the feature cushion in various sizes, shapes, colours, textures and patterns.
■ Decide on how many cushions you require, three to five is usual but anything goes – it largely depends on the size of the sofa/ bed/chair they are to be arranged on.
■ Place the cushions from biggest to smallest, back to front, and mix them up until you find an arrangement you love.
As McKenzie says, there is no hard and fast rule around the number of cushions to place on a sofa, for example.
‘‘I’ve seen a sofa with so many cushions on it, you had nowhere to sit, but this woman did a marvellous job of arranging them.
‘‘She bought 11 grey cushions of different textures, different sizes, different styles and different shades – I didn’t think it was a good idea at the time but when she showed me the photos it looked amazing.’’
Some people don’t want a sofa full of cushions and instead prefer three at each end or two at one end and one at the other end.
‘‘You can have any number of cushions, it’s a matter of thinking about what you want to achieve with cushions. If you’re trying to inject some colour and warmth into a room then more is better.’’
McKenzie’s own grey sofas have three cushions each on them, but she’s about to swap out a cooler-coloured one for a warmer tone.
She says often during winter it’s good to inject some warmer tones, so ‘‘I’ll probably go for a yellowy-yolky colour or a softer, muddy orange’’.
‘‘There are lots of those warmer tones around at the moment, and just by adding some texture and layering it up with cushions and throws it can create a great look as it starts getting colder.’’
McKenzie has also helped one woman who prefers a more formal look to select a blue floral cushion and a few more in another shade of blue and a soft cream.
When it comes to occasional chairs and smaller sofas, they don’t necessarily need cushions, McKenzie says, but just adding one can be good for comfort or to add a splash of colour.
‘‘If you think people who sit in that chair might need a little cushion behind their back, then add one. Remember it’s not all about the look, it’s also about the comfort.’’
Thought must also go into chairs featuring stunning fabric though, McKenzie says.
If you’ve got a chair in a lovely fabric, she says, ‘‘it’s really important you don’t distract from that gorgeous fabric. You want to complement it instead’’.
If McKenzie were to choose a cushion for a floral chair, it would be plain and simple so as to not distract the eye from the fabric.
In the bedroom, cushions can add a touch of sophistication.
‘‘People often, when they get a new duvet or they’ve just painted a bedroom, have all these tone on tones and it’s all very sophisticated but they just want to make it look that little bit more special.’’
Again, anything goes with the number of cushions.
McKenzie’s bed features two lots of pillows, then one large cushion in front of that and two different sized ones in front of that.
‘‘It really depends what people’s comfort levels are. Some say they’d be throwing cushions on the floor all the time if they had too many on their bed, others just love layering it up.’’
Whether it’s in the bedroom or living areas, these days McKenzie says people seem to enjoy being creative with their cushions.
‘‘In days gone by people had one or two cushions that were very much toned in with their sofas, whereas now accessorising with cushions is fun and creative, like the woman with the 11 grey cushions, she was creative in a way I would never have thought of!’’
Even those who might feel ‘‘accessory-challenged’’ will know what they like or don’t like, and they will also know when their arrangement doesn’t work.
‘‘You can go over the top with cushions and have too many on display, or the colours/textures/ styles don’t feel like they bring the room together – you will know when it doesn’t feel right.’’
Done well, McKenzie says cushions will add not only comfort, but style to a space.
‘‘Cushions really are an inexpensive way to accessorise a room and a great way to bring in colour, texture and warmth.’’