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Sectional sofas can sometimes be tricky to style. Based on our experience though, we've found that in most cases, three layers of pillows usually works really well. 

Below is a look at a sectional that we recently helped transform and our tips to help you choose the best options for your own sofa. 

LAYER 1

Start with a first layer of one pillow on each corner.

Fabric: Choose either a solid or a small scale print. For this sofa we went with the Les Touches Orange.

Size: Measure (or find out from the manufacturer) the seating height of your sofa and add 3 to 5 inches to that to get your optimal pillow size*. The seating height of this particular sofa is 16 inches, so the optimal pillow size is 19x19 to 21x21. We opted for the larger 21x21 size for a more luxurious look. 

*Exception: if your sofa has a high back, don't go larger than 24x24.

LAYER 2

For the next layer, add another pillow on each corner.

Fabric: Choose a medium or large scale pattern. For this sofa we went with the two variations of the Hot House Spark - the one with the blue flower for the left and right corners of the sofa and the one with the orange flower for the middle corner. 

Size: Go for pillows that are 1 to 3 inches smaller than the pillows in Layer 1. Here we went with 20x20 pillows (1 inch smaller). 

LAYER 3

To finish it off, add a lumbar on the longest side of the sectional. If both sides are a similar length, place it in the middle corner. 

Fabric: Choose a fabric that pulls out one of the colors in the other pillows and/or coordinates with other accessories in the room. Here we went with the Peacock Velvet, which pulls out some of the blue in the Hot House Spark and also coordinates with a lamp in a nearby side table. 

Size: Opt for a pillow that's 10 to 14 inches tall and a similar width as the other pillows. We went with size 11x19. 

That's it!

I hope you found this helpful. If you'd like styling and sizing recommendations for your specific sofa, we encourage you to sign up for a Mini Design Consult. You can learn more about that here.

FEATURED PILLOWS

  

Photos courtesy of Natalie Steen

Homeowner Tamara Anka used pillows to easily change the look and feel of her living room. Below are the 3 different looks she's created. Which one is your favorite?

LOOK 1: Coastal Chic

pillows shown L to R: Les Touches Blue, Wide Stripe Ocean, Huntington Gardens Blue

SHOP THE LOOK
     
  

LOOK 2: Warm, Rich and Luxe

pillows shown L to R: Midnight Blue Velvet, Channels Blue, Les Touches Tan, Shimmer Beige and Gold

SHOP THE LOOK 

    

LOOK 3: Casual and Light  

pillows shown L to R: Lorna Blue, Chambray Blue Linen, Adeline Blue

SHOP THE LOOK

  

Want some personalized advice on what pillows to get for your sofa? Click here to learn about our Mini Digital Design Consults. 

Stuck trying to figure out what pillows to get for your living room? We've created seven combinations below to inspire you. Perhaps one of them will be exactly what your sofa needs! Scroll down to the bottom for the links to each pillow shown. 

Want some personalized pillow combo recommendations and mock ups of what they'd look like in your space? Click here to learn about our Mini Digital Design Consults. 

I remember seeing the premiere issue of Domino magazine back in 2005 and completely falling in love with the statement making patterned fabric on the sofa - the La Fiorentina Wine and Magenta linen...

It was then that I started my total obsession with beautiful luxury textiles. I dreamed of one day using that fabric in my own home. As I met and chatted with other design-obsessed friends, I learned that they had a similar desire. 

So several years later when I decided to start Arianna Belle, it was only natural that I used the La Fiorentina Wine & Magenta for one of my first few offerings - pillows that would allow you to easily incorporate the covetable fabric into a room's decor without a big commitment. 

Over the years, my team and I have had the pleasure of making these pillows for several customers, including talented designers like Amanda Lee Reid of Mandarina Studio whose gorgeous office is shown above, as well as design bloggers like Elizabeth of The Little Black Door whose colorful living room is shown below. For Elizabeth we did a fun customization with wine piping around the edges and a magenta velvet back.  

We even made some for two national magazines, InStyle and Better Homes and Gardens, who requested them for feature. 

All great things must come to an end though and soon it will be time to retire the La Fiorentina Wine and Magenta pillow. Once it sells out, it will be time to say goodbye. If you've been eyeing it, now's the time to get it before it's gone.

SHOP THE LA FIORENTINA >> 

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Image credits: 1- Young House Love, 2 & 3 - Mandarina Studio, 4 - The Little Black Door

In her recently released book, Dream Design Live, award-winning interior decorator Paloma Contreras gives us an insight into her design process. 

She reveals that when working on a new project, early on, she'll select an anchor fabric to be the impetus for the overall vision of the room.

The anchor fabric is typically a fabric that she is very inspired by and whose colors and pattern serve as a springboard for subsequently selecting complementary fabrics, trims, rugs, window treatments, and other pieces.

Since she typically uses solid fabrics on larger pieces of furniture, the anchor fabric is usually reserved for smaller pieces such as pillows.  Small doses of a fabulous fabric goes a long way towards adding personality and making a statement in the room.

We were so honored that Paloma chose to feature our pillows in her book (pg 77!) and list us in the recommended Resources section. Below are her picks for which of our pillows she'd use as anchors and which other pillows she'd combine them with:

Pillow Combinations That Start With an Anchor Fabric

SHOP ALL OF PALOMA'S PICKS >>

Here's where the magic happens!

Hope you enjoyed this little peek!

Leopard Velvet pillow

For more pillow combo ideas, check out our Pillow Combos We Love Gallery or our How to Mix and Match Pillows Guide. If you'd like to see how any of these, or any of our other pillows, would look like in your space, send us a photo and we'll do a free digital mock-up. Please reference the number of the combo (or name of the pillows) you would like to see. 

If you haven't already be sure to also to get our handy pillow size cheat sheets by clicking below.

Sadly the Bark (brown) colorway of the beloved David Hicks La Fiorentina geometric print has been discontinued. If you've been eyeing this pillow, now's your time to get it! We still have some remaining, but once they're gone, they're gone. Photos below of a chic bedroom designed by one of our customers, Paloma Contreras.

bedroom by Paloma Contreras Design

Shop the La Fiorentina Brown pillow here. Shop other colorways of the La Fiorentina print pillows here. 

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