Perfect Pillow Combinations: How To Mix and Match Pillows Like A Pro

Looking for the perfect pillow combo? You’re in luck! This curated list of favorite pillow combinations will leave your living room or bedroom looking professionally styled with little effort! Learn how to mix and match pillows like a pro with just a few simple tips and tricks.

And think you can only do this on a high-end budget? Think again! There are so many gorgeous decorative pillows that are very budget-friendly. Not only will you love these perfect pillow pairings, but you’ll also get a list of favorite places to find beautiful throw pillows and throw pillow covers (for any budget!).

Let’s jump in and take a look at some favorite pillow combinations!

Why You’ll Love Pillow Styling (Done Right!)

When designing your living room, your top priorities might be choosing a beautiful living room rug, a comfortable sofa, or getting that perfect paint color right. But don’t forget those last details of the room by adding decorative objects, wall art, lamps, and, of course, throw pillows!

Choosing the right pillows can add such an elevated style detail to your room, and really pull the room together. Adding pillow combinations that work well together is a great way to incorporate accent colors into a room, and tastefully complete your color palette scheme.

Pillow Combo blue and green — SHOP: Blue Pillow, Pattern Pillow

The same goes for the bedroom! Bedroom pillow combinations are a bit different in the sense that they could pull off being all solid (or mostly solid) in color (ex: crisp white bedding and pillows), but bringing in pops of color and pattern, especially in lumbar pillows, larger euro pillows or a bolster pillow / lumbar pillow, can really bring life to your bedroom.

bedroom pillow pairing — SHOP: Blue dotted pillow

White and tan pillow combination — SHOP: Neutral Hand-Embroidered Floral Pillow

However, solid pillows can actually look quite beautiful when grouped together especially when on a patterned sofa. I love the look of this simple pillow grouping (seen below) of green throw pillows cornered on a patterned sofa- the pops of green and pink in this room are so lovely.

green pillows on sofa — SHOP: Similar Green Pillows

At first, it might seem overwhelming to style pillows “the right way” (this is subjective!)- but pillow styling is not that complicated once you learn a few pillow combination tips and tricks.

Pillow Combos: Where To Find Beautiful Pillows

Pretty Throw Pillows | Pillow Combinations

First and foremost, since often times gorgeous pillows come as pillow covers or decorative pillow cover sets, it’s so important to have the best pillow insert! Here are some favorite pillow inserts:

Best Pillow Inserts (for different pillow sizes):

A Favorite one-stop-shop for ALL pillow inserts HERE!
More favorites listed below:
16×26 Down Alternative Mini Lumbar Pillow Insert
14X36 Down Alternative Lumbar Pillow Insert OR (Down Feather Option)
20×20 Down Alternative Decorative Pillow Insert (standard square throw pillow size) OR (Down Feather Option)
Down Alternative Bolster Pillow (a favorite for styling bedroom pillows!)
Down Alternative Euro Pillow Insert (another favorite for bedroom pillow styling!) OR (Down Feather Option)

Favorite Places To Buy Pillows:

Serena and Lily – for that timeless “classic coastal” look
The Inside – gorgeous customizable pillows in some of my favorite prints!
Brooke and Lou– the prettiest pillows with a classic flair
Laura Park Designs – for gorgeous patterned pillows in beautiful pops of color
Caitlin Wi l son– the prettiest pillows often with ruffled edges, lovely stripes, floral prints- perfect for the grandmillennial style home
Cailini Coastal– another favorite for that classic coastal look- especially beautiful light blue pillows
Parachute Home – for comfortable neutrals like this Boucle Pillow Cover or this adorable Cotton Gauze Sham in Sky Blue
Pepper Home – a pretty mix of green, neutral, blue, and pink pillows to choose from
One King’s Lane – for a mix of pretty indoor and outdoor pillows, including this favorite print
Wheaton Whaley Home- For the prettiest designer pillows
Lulu and Georgia- for a wide selection of pillows including this favorite print
McGee and Co– for neutral, muted, or warmer toned plaid pillows or floral pillows
Etsy– there are many sellers on Etsy that sell custom made pillows out of favorite designer fabrics by Schumacher, Lee Jofa, Brunschwig & Fils, etc. (They also have unique finds like beautiful Mallorca pillow covers or an authentic African cream mudcloth pillow cover)
Matouk– For high-quality bedroom pillows (sometimes I’ll use their Euro pillows for living room pillows too!)
(A few favorites for high-quality bedroom pillows: Boll & Branch & Sferra)
TJ Maxx, Homegoods, and Marshalls – for inexpensive pillows (you may need to sift through some really NOT cute pillows, but I promise they have some fantastic pillows mixed in a sea of wacky ones! For example, I just found a fabulous designer pillow next to a giant snoopy pillow 😉 )
Amazon has pretty pillows (the prettiest ones linked HERE!) that are inexpensive and lovely (for both indoor and outdoor). They’ve really upped their pillow game the last few years and I feel like there are great new arrivals all the time.

Whether you’re buying pillows for the living room, bedroom, dining room seating, or outdoor patio chairs- there are so many gorgeous options from the places listed above.

Pillow Pairing Ideas — SHOP: Palm Pillow, Green Reef Pillow, White Pom-Pom Pillow

If you lean toward that preppy, grandmillennial style or that Serena and Lily classic coastal style but want the look for less be sure to also check out my Amazon storefront! (These affordable pillows are SO pretty!)

A Guide To Perfect Pillow Pairing

Pillow Combo Ideas — SHOP: Blue Floral Embroidered Pillow

Things To Keep In mind before choosing pillow combinations:

Sectional sofas or larger modular sofas don’t need pillows across the full length of the couch! Think of the ends of the sofa, as well as the “L” shape where the sectional meets as the perfect place to add in a pillow grouping.

(And, let’s be honest, if you have young kids, these pillows will quickly end up being floor pillows! – So don’t overdo the pillow count here.)

If switching pillow color pairings for the holidays, consider the vibe of your holiday décor or tree décor. Do you lean into traditional reds and greens? Consider adding in traditional red and green plaid pillows together with some solid rich velvet green pillows!

Or, if you still love that classic coastal look during the holidays and gravitate toward blue and white Christmas decor, then look for a blue and white Christmas toile style pillow to pair with a rich blue velvet pillow. Even switching up textures to a thicker velvet or a textured bouclé, can add some “warmth” and coziness to your pillow pairings.

If adding pillows to a nursery rocker, playroom sofa, kids bedroom loveseat, or kids’ beds, consider having the color palette or theme complement the kids décor / paint color / wallpaper in this particular space.

For example, a boys bedroom with a dark blue RL style equestrian theme might feature pillows that have rich velvety tones of dark blue or forest green, a tartan plaid or tan plaid, and another pillow with a fun equestrian horse pattern on it! This is a favorite from one of my projects seen below:

boy bedroom pillow combinations — SHOP: Navy Pillow, Tan Plaid, Equestrian

In addition, another example would be if a girls bedroom featured soft blues, light greens and pinks in her decor, adding a quilted soft blue pillow paired with a green and white striped pillow, paired with a fun pink patterned print (like florals or sweet animals) would look darling!

Similarly, a pretty blue and white striped euro pillow, a green floral pillow, and a sweet pink and white embroidered bow pillow like seen in one of my recent projects below:

girl bedroom Pillow Combination — **SHOP: Scallop Pink Bow Pillow**, (Blue and Green pillows linked further down the post!)

While some high-end pillows can be very expensive, sometimes you can get a great discount if you wait until a Black Friday sale or, for example, the Serena and Lily tent sale (love their pillows so much!)

Pairing Solid and Patterned Pillows

One of the easiest ways to pair pillows together is to pair a patterned pillow with a solid!

Pillow Pairing Solid and Pattern — Shop These Pillows! (From Left to Right): Pillow ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR

Living room sofas would look a tad bland if they were filled with only solid pillows. (We need to spice up our home decor a bit here!). However, solid pillows can be the perfect backdrop to pair with a fun patterned pillow. Patterned vintage pillows or preppy grandmillennial style pillows (personal favorite) can be the perfect accent piece that pops against a solid pillow.

Pairing Patterned and Striped Pillows

One of the easiest ways to pair pillows together is by mixing a stripe pillow with a pattern pillow! A beautiful thin ticking stripe pillow gives a bit more detail and visual interest than a solid pillow, while still being so versatile. A thicker stripe pillow can look classic and fun all in one.

Pairing Pillows Together — SHOP: Top Green, Pink Stripe, Bottom Left Green Stripe, Bottom Left Blue, Blue Stripe, Green Floral

Pairing Striped and Patterned Pillows — SHOP: Green Reef Pillow, Indoor-Outdoor Blue Striped Pillow

Pairing Solid and Striped Pillows

Pairing solid and striped pillows together is another very easy way to mix and match pillows. Stripes are classic, solids are simple, and the 2 pair beautifully together in an effortless way.

Solid and Striped Pillow Combinations — SHOP: Coastal Blue Stripe, White Pom Pom, Sage Pillow, Green Embroidery Stripe , Blue Stripe Matelassé, Green Velvet Bo l ster

Green and white pillow combination — SHOP: White Outdoor Pillow, Green Striped Outdoor Pillow

Pattern On Pattern Pillow Pairing

Pattern on pattern pillow styling is so fun! It adds so much character to a space when done right. The easiest way to mix pattern on pattern is by choosing a large scale pattern to mix with a small scale pattern.

Perfect Pillow Combinations — SHOP: Links further down the post!

For example, a larger scale floral print pairs beautifully with a pillow that features a more delicate pattern or smaller scale print.

Pink throw pillows | Pillow Combinations

Another easy way to do pattern on pattern pillow pairing is to use a geometric print OR a pattern that consistently repeats, such as a trellis pattern, buffalo check, or dots!

Pairing “Border Pillows” With Solid or Patterned Pillows

For lack of a better term, a “border pillow”, as I like to call it, is typically a solid pillow with a “border” along the edges in a different color. Border pillows can also be found on patterned pillows as well. A solid border pillow pairs beautifully with a patterned pillow, especially when the border color is similar to the color of the pillow it is paired with.

Border Pillow Combinations — SHOP: Blue w/Tan Fringe, Tan Fringe, Sky Framed , Leaf Lattice, Ruffled Border Pillows, Green Patterned,

For example, a border pillow could be a large green pillow with a cream fringe on the edges. Or it could be a solid white pillow with a printed blue embroidery stitch that displays near the edges of the pillow.

The border color is then the perfect color to tie into the patterned pillow!

Green and white pillows together — SHOP: White Pillow With Green Border, Green Reef Pillow (Outdoor-friendly!)

For example, the image above shows a stunning green patterned pillow (which also happens to be a border pillow), paired with a crisp white solid pillow that has its border color the same beautiful green as the patterned pillow- a perfect pairing!

Blue scalloped edge pillow — SHOP: Blue Scalloped Edge Sham

In the example above, the gorgeous blue scalloped edging on the white shams and euro pillows creates the perfect pairing with the blue pillows between them- lovely!