Where to buy throw pillows and top picks
If you’re wondering where to buy throw pillows for your home, you’ve come to the right place. Because not only do I like to shop for throw pillows, I’ve written extensively about buying throw pillows in my work as an interior design writer (it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it).
If you ask my husband, I am a throw pillow cliché. I am the person who has so many throw pillows that you have to move them off the sofa to sit down. So many throw pillow covers, that my throw pillows are basically like those little nesting dolls. Each time you remove a throw pillow cover, you’ll find another one underneath. I can’t help myself though. Throw pillows are one of the easiest and most budget-friendly ways to try out home decor trends, switch out home decor for the seasons, or make a room feel updated and fresh.
And as far as home purchases go, they’re a fairly innocent weakness. At least I don’t hoard coffee tables, or SubZero refrigerators or new sofas.
So, I’ve compiled all of my favorite places to buy throw pillows, plus some of my top pillow picks and advice for buying throw pillows, below.
Where to buy throw pillows
Oh, the possibilities are endless. But here are my favorite places to buy throw pillows.
Etsy
Etsy is my favorite place to buy throw pillow covers, because if you can’t find what you want there, chances are it doesn’t exist. The independent makers sell things that are more unique than you’ll see in stores, and they’re usually beautiful quality. I also like that you can find pillows made from designer and trade-only fabrics like Schumacher and Scalamandre.
H&M
H&M Is a great source for basic and seasonal pillow covers. I usually buy solid-color velvet and linen pillow covers from H&M, and they typically cost under $10 or $15 per cover.
Target
Target is great for throw pillows if you’re looking for something on-trend, inexpensive, and fast. Target always has a healthy mix of stylish throw pillows in various sizes, colors, and fabrics, and you can pick them up at your local store same day.
Perigold
Looking for something a little different? Perigold, a website owned by Wayfair, specializes in higher-end decor from brands that are usually trade only (i.e. only available to interior designers). Perigold has a gorgeous, huge selection of throw pillows you won’t find at the mass market retailers. The only catch: you’ll likely have to pay a little more than you would at H&M or Target.
HomeGoods
There’s no place like HomeGoods for seasonal throw pillows and on-trend throw pillows. HomeGoods stores also arrange pillows by color, which can help simplify pillow shopping because you can find different prints and textures in whatever color you’re looking for all in one spot.
CB2
If you like contemporary decor, you’ll love CB2 throw pillows. They’re on the cutting edge of trendy – so you won’t find any ticking strips or modern farmhouse styles here. Instead, you’ll see tiger prints, overdyed sheepskin, woven leather, and dark florals.
West Elm
West Elm’s pillow collection strikes a nice balance between timeless and trendy (you’ll find both) as well as between quality and value. They always have great textured pillow cover options, like velvets, sheepskins and jacquards, and the pillow covers always look more expensive than they are. If you’re not sure how to mix throw pillows, you’ll like West Elm because they sell pre-curated sets of pillows, too.
Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn always has a nice selection of classic, high-quality throw pillows, as well as lots of seasonal options (Think everything from holiday to outdoor throw pillows). Like West Elm, you also have the option to shop for pillow sets, which takes the guess work out of mixing and matching.
Serena & Lily
Serena & Lily throw pillows definitely have a distinct coastal, preppy aesthetic. In fact, I’m pretty sure Serena & Lily was a major inspiration for this year’s Coastal Grandma trend. But if you love an upscale beach house vibe, or you’re looking for high-quality throw pillows in colors like blue, cream, and green, you’ll want to check out the S&L offering.
Best throw pillow picks for 2022 & 2023
Here are some of my favorite throw pillows for 2022 and 2023.
How to choose throw pillows
Like any decor or furniture shopping, buying throw pillows isn’t rocket science, but it can be annoying to buy a whole bunch of them, decide they don’t look right, return them, rinse and repeat.
A few things I think about when I buy pillows:
Throw Pillow Texture and Material
Material, both inside and out, has a big impact on the look of your throw pillow. For the pillow cover, fabrics like velvet, leather, faux-fur and wool evoke a wintry, cozy feeling, while textiles like cotton and linen feel summery and breezy. Certain fabrics, like velvet and silk also feel more formal, white cotton covers feel casual and relaxed.
When it comes to the fill, it’s all about your preference. Down filled pillow inserts feel lux and can be easily fluffed back to their shape, but they aren’t great for those with allergies. If you have allergies, a down-alternative or polyester fill is the best choice.
Throw Pillow Shape & Size
Throw pillows come in a few shapes. The two most common are square throw pillows and lumbar throw pillows. Square pillows are typically anywhere from 16″ x 16″ to 24″ x 24″. Lumbar pillows are rectangular, and also come in a variety of sizes from 12″ x 20″, to extra long options that are 14″ x 48″ or larger.
Less common throw pillows shapes are bolster pillows, which are cylinder shaped, as well as round throw pillows, and spherical throw pillows.
The type that’s best for you will depend on your style and where you’re using it. Long lumbar pillows, bolster pillows, and large square pillows (or Euro shames) work well on beds. A mix of square and lumbar pillows works for a sofa, and a single square or lumbar pillow is a good choice for an arm chair. If you’re shopping for pillows for a large sectional sofa, you can choose a mix of large square throw pillows (at least 20″ x 20″) and long lumbar pillows.
Throw Pillow Color
When choosing colors for throw pillows, it’s a good idea to pull in hues from around the room to tie things together. So, for example, pick pillows in the same colors as your wall art, drapery, or area rug to keep things consistent. I like to choose a few colors, or a few shades, to make the look more dynamic.
Throw Pillow Print
The key to choosing printed throw pillows all comes down to scale. Choose pillows with patterns in various scales to let each print shine and keep your sofa or bed from looking too busy. A large-scale print paired with a medium or small-scale print works well every time.
How to mix throw pillows
There are a few throw pillow equations that make mixing throw pillows foolproof.
Here’s a quick rundown:
1 solid color pillow + 1 textured pillow (like faux fur or cable knit)+ 1 patterned pillow
1 solid color pillow + 1 large scale print + 1 small scale print
1 textured pillow + 1 large scale print + 1 small or medium-scale print
1 solid color pillows + 2 different textured pillows
