Question: How does one sit on a couch that is already occupied… with pillows? All of those decorator accessories so artfully placed leave barely enough room for your bottom. Should you squeeze in between them? Or should you sit against them and pretend you’re comfortable? Maybe put one in your lap to rest your coffee cup on? Flinging them aside is my first impulse, but my rude self resists. Mother taught me better. Sure they’re very cute, but the comfort of your home, and the people who live there, are more important than matching everything to everything. There, I’ve said it. My viewpoint won’t be popular but, truth is, I just don’t get it. Besides, this is the pillow that really counts. Ahh, landing on this at the end of the day is heaven.
Age has honed my efficiency skills. At the end of so many homemaking years, I finally realized that my own and my family’s comfort are far more important than the rules dictated by the home fashion industry. Rooms that feel inviting are important because they draw you in immediately. And setting this atmosphere up does involve certain colors in certain places, but it often means some de-cluttering, too. Chaos to your eyes is not inviting, definitely not calming.
Bed pillows especially don’t make sense. Why would you have extra stuff on your bed when you have to take it all off to get in at night. Life is stressful enough without this. Put ‘n take. Put ’n take.
If you’ve stayed in B&B’s, you know how pillow crazy those owners are. How do they expect us to get in a bed that has eight pillows, arranged just so? Maybe we’re supposed to snuggle up to them as we sleep. Since there’s never space provided, we always end up tossing them on the floor in the corner, hoping that it’s clean enough for the delicate white lacey ones. I just don’t get it.
I’ve long suspected that most living rooms, and the pillows that match, are there in case someone rings the bell. Many homes reflect this urge, but remembering who’s the most important here — visitors or the people you love — will help you make different decisions. Realizing that most of my guests actually preferred more of a lived-in feeling woke me up years ago, and I’ve been striving to unmatch stuff ever since. Really, when are matching pillows NOT in the way? I know, not a popular notion.
This viewpoint goes for many other decisions in our homes (saving the “good dishes” for example), so it helps to re-evaluate once in a while to make sure things are STILL serving us and the people we live with.
Confession: Reading an article called Foolproof Decorating last night is what fueled my pillow peeve today: “Rule #8 Throw-pillow math: two 20-inch square pillows in a matching bold pattern, one on each end of the sofa; two 16-inch pillows in a coordinating solid color, overlapping the square pillows; one lumbar with a subtle pattern (like a pinstripe) in the middle.”
Really? There’s a bona fide formula?
