Style Guide: Cushion Arrangements

by Voyage Maison February 23, 2021

There really is nothing better than sinking into the sofa after a long days work. But, of course, no sofa is complete without a cosy stack of cushions. At Voyage, our cushions are filled with a plush duck feather inner, providing comfort like no other. But it's not just what's on the inside that counts. Our cushion designs are hand-drawn and painted by our team of textile designers and printed in-house; florals, botanicals, animal prints, landscapes and geometrics, we have it all.

We know our extensive range may be a little overwhelming, so we've put together an inspiration guide on how to dress a sofa with cushions for your home. Whether you're looking to create a classic country feel or a contemporary couture look, use these interior design styling tips and ideas to create the ultimate cosy spot.

Colour

If you find colour intimidating then cushions are about to become your new best friend. They are a great tool for introducing accents of colour to a neutral room.

Switching your cushions up throughout the year will keep a room feeling brand new! You could decide to use a set of brighter summer cushions and then cooler colours for the winter months. Don't be afraid to be playful and go with your gut, colour is very personal and your home should be a reflection of your personality. You may prefer soft pastels, warm earth shades or rich jewel tones.

An easy way to introduce colour to a home is to choose a colour palette based on a favourite piece in that room. This could be a vase or rug for example. By selecting 2-3 key colours, you can use this as your base to start eh arrangement. And it will ensure the room matches!

If you love vibrant colours and clashing patterns then introduce a wide palette, pick colours from multiple objects in the room. Look at the smaller details; the silver handles on your cabinet, the blue accents in your landscape painting, the olive-toned fringe of your lampshade.

Another technique is to look at the fabrics in the room, the sofa, curtains or carpet. Woven fabrics are often made up multiple colours, which gives them a textured look, pull out these tones to begin planning that perfect cushion arrangement.

Top Tip: Experiment with your colour palette before you buy. Go to a DIY shop and pick up paint swatch cards. Have a play at home, making combinations of shades you like together.

Colour for a Classic Country Home

A neutral base with muted earth tones and small highlights of pastels work best when trying to achieve a classic country look. The colours should be gentle on the eye and blend with the scenery outside your window.

Colour for a Vibrant Country Home

A pastel base that's grounded in sophisticated jewel tones with pops of candy-colour work best for a vibrant country home. Each colour should sing individually but be part of a complimentary colour palette.

Colour for a Contemporary Home

A dark base makes colours POP. Pair with rich pinks, purples, oranges, blues and greens for a sumptuous, jungle inspired colour palette.

Pattern

Country Home

A country home is characterised by its use of pattern; soft prints in neutral colours, printed on natural fabrics creating a feeling of being close to nature. Our most popular country patterns are watercolour florals and traditional British wildlife.

Add a range of plain or textured cushions to your couch, like our Zircon velvet or Nessa linen cushions. This will create a beautiful arrangement and add subtle touches of colours to compliment the country patterns.

Top Tip: Add a Voyage floor cushion in a matching print by the side of the sofa for a bed fit for a canine king or queen.

Mr Stag Medium Floor Cushion

Contemporary Home

Clashing patterns may not be to everyone's taste, but here at Voyage we LOVE the maximalist look. If you're a novice to the world of clashing, then cushions are the perfect place to start. They're easy to style and if you aren't feeling it, they are easy to swap out.

Top Tip: Keep to a colour scheme and multiple patterns will look fantastic. Always tie the designs together with solid pieces, such as a plain velvet cushion!

Think about scale when choosing patterned cushions. Picking cushions that have small scale designs, like our Azima, and mixing with a larger pattern will allow neither prints to overwhelm the space. We are particularly loving the Meera and Malavika cushions with their warm summer focus.

Size and Shape

A fun way of approaching an arrangement is to have a variety of size and shape of cushions. We have a large selection of square and rectangular cushion sizes, and our mini arthouse cushions are perfect for layering.

Top Tip: Add curved forms will help break up the straight lines of your furniture, softening the room's appearance. Adding bolster and circular cushions to your sofa will help achieve this.

How to Arrange Cushions on a Sofa

Always place your largest cushions at the back of the sofa and in the corners, and then the smaller cushions at the front. You may want to buy your cushions in pairs and create a symmetrical arrangement for a formal feel. If you want a cottagecore feel, a variety of individual cushions that are paired together either by size, colour or pattern is best.

Corner sofas are great for creating cushion arrangements because they stop us slipping into that predictable symmetrical arrangement. They encourage you to experiment with the angling of your cushions and the size of the groupings you create. Build a deep stack of cushions in the corner contrasted with a grouping of three at the opposite end.

When creating stacks of cushions, we suggest 2-3 cushions layered in front of each other. Any more than that and you're not going to be able to sit down. Either have each cushion central to the one behind it or overlap them to create an expansive arrangement.

Top Tip: Rearrange your cushions regularly to give each one a moment in the spotlight. It'll help you to feel your home is constantly evolving, keeping things exciting.

Quantity

The quantity of cushions you choose really is dependent on the size of the sofa and the size of your cushions, but as a general guide we'd go for between 3-5 cushions for a 2 seater sofa, for a 3 seater we'd go for between 5-7, and then larger sofas, including corner sofas, we'd use between 7-9 cushions.

Top Tip: Odd number arrangements feel more relaxed and are visually pleasing on the eye, whilst even number arrangements feel more organised and formal.

Mix and Match Fabric

A great way of approaching interior design is to mix and match your fabrics to create a depth of texture. It creates a sophisticated, well-thought outlook when in reality it's super simple.

At Voyage, we have a variety of fabric cushion covers; cotton, linen, satin, wool and velvet. With our signature Voyage watercolour style, our cushions will perfectly complement each other even if they vary drastically in style.

But if you'd prefer to keep it simple, choose your favourite collection and select all your cushions from this. Love florals? Our top picks would be our Hydrangra and Hedgerow cushion for a cottage feel, our Roseum if you love a touch of luxury or our Dusky Blooms for that vibrant feel.

Top Tip: Try a tonal arrangement. Choose a colour and create an arrangement of cushions each in different fabric for a super sophisticated look. Natural textiles such as leather, sheepskin and suede are great additions too.

It's what's on the inside that counts

Many cushions are filled with synthetic pads which go lumpy over time, but all Voyage cushions are filled with a heavy duck feather inner. This gives our cushions that sink into feeling and will provide long-lasting softness and support.

Top Tip: We recommend plumping your cushions daily to keep them feeling as fresh as the day they arrived.

How to style a Classic Country Sofa

A country home is all about comfort and bringing the outdoors in. Subtle patterns and neutral tones are key, and our Cornelius sofas are exactly that. They're a balance of a printed outside and a soft warm grey fabric on the inner.

Top Tip: Position the Cornelius sofa in a room where the back is exposed. You wouldn't want to hide that stunning print would you?

For a classic country home, we would choose the Cornelius 3 Seater in Highland Cattle. Our mood board shows different ways you could style it, with our key colours to use in a room.

Classic Country cushion arrangement

Nessa 50x50 Cushion in Sepia and Linen

Zircon 43x43 Chiffon Velvet Cushion

Come by 25x35 Arthouse Cushion

Thornbury Blush 50x50 Cushion

Bruce The Highland Cow 40x60 Cushion

Heilan Herd Sage 136x200 Velvet Lined Throw

Cirsiun 135x200 Thistle Print Fringed Linen Mix Throw

How to style a Vibrant Country Home

Sometimes neutrals just don't hit the spot and if a more vibrant take on country is what you're looking for, look no further. Go for bolder patterns with vibrant tones and mix with bold paint colours on your walls.

Don't be afraid to mix and match your prints within your colour scheme. Choosing a cushion with trims will give an extra dimension of texture, and give a sofa that WOW factor! We pair the Cornelius 3 Seater in Cirsiun Damson with colourful thistle prints and bold soft furnishings in our mood board.

Top Tip: Going for floral theme? How about tying the look together with a dried flower bouquet displayed in one of our handblown glass vases. Dried flowers so on trend right now and for good reason. They're long lasting (1-3 years), they don't cause hay fever because there's no pollen, and the textures are gorgeous.

Vibrant country moodboard

Nessa 50x50 Ocean Cushion

Zircon 43x43 Velvet Cushion in Pea Green, Pine and Damson

Attractive Expressive Thistle 50x50 Cushion

Buttermere 40x60 Cushion

Sea Thistle Teal 136x200 Velvet Lined Throw

How to style a Contemporary Home

A contemporary home should feel luxurious, mixing opulent fabrics and colours together. Our mood board shows contrasting greens and purples, with touches of red, blue and orange to give it that extra pop. Choosing a small selection of contrasting shades will make each piece stand out. Give your room an extra Voyage touch by using a velvet chaise lounge or chair as your base.

Top Tip: Natural light is key in a contemporary home. Use mirrors to increase the amount of natural light that is being cast into the room. Hang opposite or next to a window for maximum effect.

Contemporary cushion design for sofas

Nessa 50x50 Navy Cushion

Zircon 43x43 Velvet Cushion in Indigo, Damson, Meadow

Azima Grenadine 40x60 Cushion

Malavika Linen 50x50 Cushion

Hydrangea Arthouse 25x35 Cushion

Laamora Summer 136x200 Linen Throw

In the bedroom

There is nothing more classically glamorous than a chaise lounge in a bedroom. Go for an extravagant look with our Damson velvet or create a soft country feel with our Oryx herringbone fabric. Drape a throw over the arm and add a selection of cushions in matching colours to your bedding to create that cohesive look.

Top Tip: Add a layer of cushions in front of your pillows and a throw on the bed to tie it all together.

Finishing Touches

Give a room those finishing touches with one of our patterned throws. These beautiful pieces come velvet backed to give that extra touch of luxury. If you love to coordinate, choose a throw which matches the prints from your cushion arrangement.

We love to mix patterns, look for ones that are from the same collection to give it that finished, styled touch. Draw together the cushions on a chair, and add a finishing touch with a framed prints. Bringing together multiple prints with the same style will connect a larger space.

Top Tip: Many of our beautiful cushions and throws have stunning statement trims, use this extra detail to add texture into a room.

Thank you for reading our blog, we hope you've been inspired to create and update the cushion arrangements in your home. Don't forget to share and tag #voyagemaison #voyageoutlet in your creations on social media. We can't wait to see what you've been up to!