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How to Style a Sectional

June 11, 2020

Tips on how to style a sectional! How I layer throw pillows, what sizes I use and how many to perfectly style your sectional.

How to Style a Sectional

Sectionals are really making a come back! When I was growing up they were strictly reserved for family rooms, theatre rooms and all around not considered chic at all! That has all changed, and now you can find sectionals as the main furniture piece in a living room.

When shopping for a sectional I like to look for streamlined shapes, often leaning towards a mid century modern. Check out this post for our shopping guide on sectionals!

living room with a white sectional, wood coffee table, leather pouf and assortment of pillows

Large Linen pillow – https://rstyle.me/+xRFnib3c-zhVu6DhDMSNQg

Blue tie dye (similar) – https://rstyle.me/+-KyIp4TsPI0fY_fiGjAHvg

Fringe knit pillow – https://amzn.to/30q8Iyn

Leather Pillow – https://rstyle.me/+drw67WyqtGi_rX6k8EGgZQ

Animal Print Pillow – https://rstyle.me/+2bT6HcmzzgZSAf-puwZ2mg

What size pillows to use on your sectional

I like to start with a 24″ pillow and place it in the corner of my sectional, where the chaise meets the sofa. This may seem like a really large pillow but trust me on this one. Sectionals are large and choosing your pillows is equally about the right size to balance your sectional as it is about colors and patterns.

Next I layer in two 20-22″ pillow or one 20″ pillow and one 18″, in the same corner. Lastly I like to add in a lumbar pillow to finish off this corner.

Over on the opposite side I like to layer another 24″ pillow with a 20″ pillow in front.

I never add more than 4 pillows in the first corner and sometimes I will leave out the lumbar pillow if its too much for the style of the room and sectional. I also like to stop at 2 pillows on the opposite corner, but if you like a really full look, 3 would work too!

How to pick the right color pillows for your sofa

When it comes to picking pillow colors for styling your sectional, I like to start with a plain neutral. This will usually be my largest pillow and then I will layer in pillows of varying color, texture and pattern .

I rarely like to use the same pillow twice, but my style leans toward the eclectic. I do recommend tossing any pillows that come with your sectional (or sofa for that matter) though and starting from scratch. Mixing patterns and colors, even if they are all neutral colors, real makes your room look like you paid for a designer to style your space vs. having it look straight out of a furniture catalogue.

You can check out this post for more details on how to build a curated pillow collection!