Make the Bed: Pillows

Pillows are the go-to decorative accessory when homeowners want a quick, affordable and eye-catching update for their master or guest bedroom. But rather than buy a pillow or two in the latest “it” color and deem the job done, consumers are discovering that new pillows are mere players in a larger home decorating plan.

If you want to update your master or guest bedroom, start by choosing one or two colors, advises Nikki Chu, an interior designer and the creative director for luxury pillow manufacturer Villa Home Collection. “You need to commit to this color in the rug, pillows, candles or a vase, and curtains. This is how you’ll give your room that designer look--by committing to the pop color(s).”

Once you’ve established the color(s), Chu recommends the following pillow mix: the shams and pillows, of course, as well as two 22-inch-square pillows, three 18-inch- square pillows and one lumbar pillow.

“The 22-inch pillows should be solids or geometrics (which can function as solids), and in the pop colors,” Chu says. “These pop colors should be repeated in the curtains and rug. The 18-inch pillows should be all pattern. One should be a stripe, one a floral and one another pattern, but all must also include one of the favorite colors.”

“The lumbar pillow is the fun pillow,” she continues. “I have fur pillows on my bed…you have to get glamorous, so the bed doesn’t look one-dimensional or flat.” Other “fun” options include embroidered, appliqué and beaded pillows.

“All of this assumes you’re starting with a neutral backdrop,” Chu explains. “And let’s be clear, seven or eight out of 10 homeowners have beige or brown furniture, and most is in a darker shade. This is why, in the mass market, greens, oranges and golds reign. These earth colors resemble comfort…think of the sunset colors.”