There are lots of different shapes of pillows available, but I tend to stick with classic square pillows and lumbar pillows.
Square pillows are just what the name implies…square lol!
Lumbar pillows are rectangular. They are called lumbar pillows as they offer support in the lumbar area (lower back).
There are of course also round and custom-shaped pillows, which can be fun if you love boho style or you are decorating a kid’s room. But for traditional spaces, I stick to square and lumbar!
Throw Pillow Sizes
Square pillows are usually 24″, 22″, 20″, 18″ or 16″ square. My favourite 2 sizes to use are 22″ and 20″. I find that anything less than a 20″ pillow starts to look a bit underwhelming, especially on a large sofa.
Some common lumbar pillow sizes are 12″x20″, 12″x24″, 14″x20″, 15″x32″ and extra-long 16″x42″. My favourite size to use on sofas is a smaller size in combination with square pillows. The extra-long lumbar pillows are a favourite on loveseats or settees.
Choosing Throw Pillow Inserts
Do you really need to buy expensive pillow inserts?
When you are shopping for pillows the inserts are KEY! If you buy quality inserts your pillows will look high-end even if the covers are a budget find. If you put cheap inserts in even the most expensive pillow cover they won’t look as good. I learned this lesson the hard way when I tried to cut costs and put inserts from Ikea into beautiful pillow covers. They just never looked great.
Should you buy feather or faux fill pillow inserts?
Feather pillows can have a nice luxe feel, but they aren’t always the best choice. If you are allergic to feathers, or you have concerns about how feathers are sourced, there are some really great polyester-filled pillow inserts that are just as comfy!
The feather pillows from Ikea were slightly better looking than the polyester fill, but I found that the feathers started to escape and they got poky pretty quickly. I ended up donating or selling all of my inexpensive inserts and have been slowly replacing them with high-quality ones over
