One Sofa, Three Looks
Simply switching up pillows and throw blankets can make a couch look like a new piece of furniture.
Photography by Lisa Romerein
If you asked me what I’ve learned after eight years of interviewing designers, I’d tell you what they’ve all told me: Buy a neutral sofa so you can switch out pillows every time you want a new color scheme. That sounds awesome, but I’m a visual person, so I asked L.A. designer Amber Lewis to school me. She put together three different looks by just switching out pillows and throws.
Look 1: All Blue, All the Time
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Mixing patterns is a breeze if they all share the same color—indigo for example, in the photo above. If you stick with one color, you can pretty much do whatever you want. Since Amber’s a pro, she also mixed in a yellow one (blue’s complement) for more interest.
Look 2: One Big Statement
Sometimes one amazing pillow is all you need—no other patterns need apply. This larger lumbar pillow is awesome enough to stand on its own, so Amber paired it with two white pillows that practically disappear. The throw—in the same warm color family as the pillow—draped over the back and seat is a great way to break up all white.
Look 3: Go All Out
At first, this looks random (and so pink!), but break it down and you realize how structured it is: Matching pillow pairs on both sides of the sofa, with one brighter guy in the middle. The symmetry holds it together, but so do the shared blue and pink colors.
Love these pillows? Amber always has an amazing collection in her shop, including several similar to these.
