Are you looking to add a few throw pillows to your living room or perhaps your bedroom? Before you start shopping, here’s a detailed guide about the various types of throw pillows, arranged by material, shape, and size.
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Types of Throw Pillows by Material
1. Cotton
Cotton is a natural favorite for cushions, known for being gentle and cool on the skin.
It’s smooth, crisp, and super breathable, making it easy to care for and machine washable without worry. Plus, it’s incredibly durable and ages beautifully.
With a range of stylish prints and stunning colors, cotton throw pillows can really make a statement. Their laidback, minimalistic look effortlessly complements most interior styles, adding a cozy touch to any room.
2. Burlap
Burlap, crafted from tightly woven and sanitized jute fibers, is an excellent choice for throw pillow covers.
Known for its durability and rustic appeal, burlap offers a unique texture that adds warmth and character to any space.
Available in a wide range of color palettes and geometric patterns, it effortlessly enhances its natural charm while providing a versatile backdrop for various interior design styles.
Whether you prefer a minimalist, bohemian, or farmhouse aesthetic, burlap throw pillow covers can seamlessly blend into your decor, adding a touch of organic elegance and comfort.
3. Velvet
Think of velvet as a woven, tufted fabric with evenly distributed short, dense piles, providing a smooth, soft feel that is comfortable against the skin.
Traditionally made using silk, modern textile technology now allows for the creation of velvet from synthetic fabrics as well.
The word “velvet” itself is synonymous with softness, smoothness, and richness.
4. Satin
Satin is one of the more popular fabrics out there, and for good reason. Unlike cotton and other popular fabrics, it does not absorb moisture.
This allows satin to sit on your skin and hair to protect it from moisture-absorbing materials, harsh weather, heat, snow, winds, and anything else that might stick out.
This is why the use of satin as throw pillow covers quickly caught on as a trend.
5. Silk
Everyone loves silk because it is chic and classy. Silk can effortlessly turn even the most lackluster room into a luxurious space.
You can add this elegant material to your décor with stunning cream, gold, and silver colors, with accented geometric designs, or something simpler for a more Scandinavian look.
If you really want to go for those uber-luxurious designs then silk makes the perfect choice for you.
6. Chenille
If you’ve inherited a fluffy, overused quilt from your grandparents, it’s likely made from chenille. This yarn creates a soft, durable fabric suitable for various uses.
Chenille dates back to the 1780s in France, where it was first woven into a leno and then cut into strips to create the yarn. This captivating fabric quickly spread worldwide, becoming a trendy new material.
7. Faux Fur
Faux fur perfectly stimulates the plush, soft feel of real animal fur without harming the animals. Plus, the lush look it brings to your interior décor is unparalleled.
If you want to add a natural, soft, lush material that feels elegant to the touch, then choose faux fur.
Modern printing technology allows faux fur to be available in various animal prints, decorative designs, and even solid covers if you like.
8. Leather & Suede
Leather and suede fabric are viable substitutes for genuine suede. They mimic its appearance and texture without the disadvantages of fraying and matting.
This animal-friendly material is also easy to clean and not sensitive to water.
Additionally, leather and suede fabric are cost-effective and offer several advantages, such as being breathable, odorless, and more resistant to acid.
9. Polyester
This highly durable fabric is resistant to many chemicals and does not easily stretch or shrink.
One of polyester’s significant advantages is its ability to be blended with other fibers like cotton, enhancing both its durability and aesthetics.
This blending maximizes flexibility, functionality, and comfort, making polyester a versatile choice for many products.
10. Wool
Wool is a more comfortable fabric that creates cozy and soft throw pillows. Factors responsible for good-quality fabric include the sheep’s health, breed type, quality of wool, and processing practices.
Wool itself has a rather complex physical structure that is designed to protect sheep from harsh weather.
Wool remains cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. It doesn’t attract moisture and stays warm when wet, and best of all, it is soft against the skin. All these qualities make wool the ideal contender for throw pillows.
Types of Throw Pillows by Shape
11. Square
The four perfect sides of a square symbolize balance, proportion, and professionalism.
Many secure establishments, such as houses, safes, and vaults, use this shape, so incorporating square throw pillows into your room is a great idea. Squares pair well with almost any other shape.
Whether you’re aiming for Nordic design themes or simply looking to spruce up your decor, a square throw pillow is an excellent choice.
12. Round
The creative use of round shapes can help your room stand out. Circular shapes are universally compatible and impactful, reflecting the natural shapes of celestial bodies like the earth, moon, and sun.
Round shapes, with no beginning or end, symbolize eternity and timelessness. To make your room visually appealing, try incorporating round shapes.
13. Rectangular
Rectangular shapes are used prominently in architecture and civil engineering because they are metaphorically and literally linked with strength.
It’s not surprising that most homes are beginning to utilize more rectangular shapes in their room because the shape conveys trustworthiness, authoritativeness, reliability, longevity, and most of all, durability.
14. Star-shaped throw pillow
Bring the starry night sky into your room with a star-shaped pillow that mimics distant stars. This symmetrical shape symbolizes balance and is ideal for young children (under 3 years old), fostering creativity and imagination.
Due to their pointy, rugged shapes, stars are more about aesthetics than functionality.
Types of Throw Pillow by Pattern
15. Solid
Adding a splash of color with solid throw pillows can transform any room. Colors have a powerful impact on our emotions, from boosting creativity and calming moods to even sparking energy.
You can choose from a wide range of versatile colors like red, gray, white, black, or orange to match your style and mood.
Green symbolizes wealth and masculinity, while yellow brings a cheerful vibe. Solid throw pillows are an affordable and effective way to add vibrant pops of color to your space.
16. Striped
A striped pattern is an efficient way to add versatility by utilizing different contrast ratios.
Typical color options include tonal variations of a single color, such as dark red with bright red stripes, or the popular variant that combines two different neutrals like gray and white.
A trendy choice is using gray with white, which can easily enhance a room’s visual appearance.
17. Floral
Floral throw pillow designs infuse a room with natural beauty and elegance. Featuring motifs inspired by flowers and plants, these pillows can vary from delicate and intricate to bold and dramatic.
Floral patterns are perfect for adding a touch of femininity and charm, making them ideal for romantic, vintage, or bohemian decor styles.
Whether you prefer a muted, pastel palette or vibrant, eye-catching hues, floral throw pillows can breathe life and freshness into any living space.
18. Plaid
Plaid throw pillow designs bring a timeless and classic look to any space. The intersecting horizontal and vertical lines in varying colors create a versatile pattern that can range from bold and vibrant to subtle and understated.
Perfect for adding a touch of tradition to your home decor, plaid pillows are ideal for rustic, farmhouse, or even contemporary settings.
Their structured design can balance softer elements in a room, providing a cozy and inviting atmosphere.
19. Geometric
Geometric throw pillow designs offer a modern and sophisticated touch to your home decor.
With patterns featuring shapes like triangles, squares, circles, and hexagons, these pillows create visual interest and a sense of order.
Ideal for contemporary, minimalist, or mid-century modern interiors, geometric pillows can add a dynamic element to your decor.
The clean lines and structured patterns can help tie together different elements in a room, providing a cohesive and stylish look.
20. Paisley
By far one of the most historically significant design options on this list is paisley, it’s use dates back as far as the time of the Ancient Babylonians and continued to remain popular in the modern era.
Besides, it was easy for weavers to design the tadpole or tear drop shaped motif. The rich swirling abstract is popular in fashion shows and of course, interior rooms.
21. Picture Prints
Picture print throw pillow designs bring a unique and personalized element to your decor. These pillows feature detailed images, such as landscapes, animals, or abstract art, allowing you to express your individuality and style.
Perfect for eclectic, artistic, or themed interiors, picture print pillows can serve as focal points or conversation starters in a room.
With endless possibilities for customization, these pillows can reflect your interests and passions, making your living space truly one-of-a-kind!
22. Checkered
You can use checkerboard patterns in a variety of different ways, and the easiest of these, of course, is via throw pillow covers.
Checkered art can instantly jazz up your room’s look by bringing in two different color combinations, and the most significant of these is black and white.
If you want something that doesn’t look boring, a checkered design won’t do you wrong.
23. Patchwork
Patchwork shapes are not easy to replicate because of the intricate needlework that goes into piecing together all the patterns and designs.
Yet when everything comes together, the design looks just spot on. Patchwork patterns can add a completely new layer of look into your room.
24. Pillows with Sayings
If you want to go the extra mile in terms of personalization, perhaps pillows with words on them will do the job.
This design is relatively easy to pull off while leaving room for other elaborate design patterns.
Best of all, some manufacturers allow you to customize the words to your specifications. There’s tons of room for creativity here
Even more types of Throw Pillows
25. Sequin Throw Pillow
Sequin patterns are designed to make attractive products, plus it can be highly versatile, allowing you to become as creative as possible.
The shimmering pattern will definitely make your guests go ‘wow’, prompting a discussion about throw pillows.
26. Rhinestones and other blingy items
Want to make your room look super luxurious? It doesn’t hurt to feature pompous designs every now and then.
Even throw pillows can make use of bling items like rhinestones for that extra oomph.
27. Oversized throw pillow
Sometimes, just sometimes, it doesn’t hurt to go overboard in terms of size and color. Besides, a little change from the norm never hurt anybody. An oversized throw pillow should create a more cozy home.
All this pillows are looking so cute,so I want to learn
Elaborate and informative piece. Thanks