What Size Throw Pillows for the Couch?

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Throw pillows are an easy way to accent any space. They are one of the simplest ways to bring personality, pattern, and dimension to a design. You can toss them on sofas, chairs, window seats, and more to provide color and softness to your living area.

Throw pillows come in various sizes, and choosing the right size can be quite difficult, especially if you don’t know the right way to measure a throw pillow.

So, if you’re unsure of what throw pillow size to order, I have just the answer you are looking for.

Sofas’ most popular throw pillow sizes are 18″ × 18″ and 20″ × 20″. However, larger sofas and sectionals, especially ones with deep seats or high backs, are better off with 22″ × 22″ or even 24″ × 24″ pillows. For kid’s spaces, smaller pillows are recommended.

This article will discuss all that relates to the right pillow sizes for your couch and much more. So if this piques your interest, sit back and read on to find out more. This will certainly be an intriguing article for you!

What Size Should Throw Pillows Be on a Couch?

Contents

One of the most common throw pillows is the square throw pillow or the Euro pillow. You must know the type of throw pillow you’d like for your couch because this will also affect the sizes available. In this guide, we’ll talk about square pillow sizes and rectangular or bolster pillow sizes.

1. For a regular-sized sofa

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A midsized couch can have square pillows that are 20″ × 20″ or even 22″× 22″. If you’d like to place rectangular throw pillows, you can get 19″ wide × 11″ high or even as big as 20″ wide × 14″ high.

There is an extensive range for the ideal throw pillow dimensions because standard sofas are typically 72 inches wide, but some can be as much as 89 inches. It would be best if you learned how to measure the couch because it will allow you to select the sizes of the ideal pillows so you can arrange them stylishly.

2. For loveseats

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If you own a smaller couch such as a two-seater or a love seat, then you can still use 20″ × 20″ throw pillows. Some pillows are also available at a smaller size of 17″ × 17″, which are perfect if you don’t have enough space on the couch to sit on.

If you’d like to decorate your small couch with lumbar pillows, you can opt for 17″ wide × 10″ high or 19″ wide × 13″ high.

3. For oversized sofas

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Throw pillows that are ideal for longer or deeper sofas would be anywhere from 20″ × 20″ to 24″ × 24″. You can also get lumbar pillows 22″ wide × 15″ high.

What’s even better is that you can try other sofa pillow shapes without the possibility of having visual clutter.

4. For sectionals

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An ideal throw pillow size for a sectional sofa can be 18″ × 18″ to 22″ × 22″. For rectangular throw pillows, you can get lumbar pillows that are 19″ to 21″ wide and 11″ to 15″ high. If you want round throw pillows, a size of 12″ × 20″ and 13″ × 20″ would be great.

You should check out how to arrange throw pillows on a sectional sofa so that you can choose the specific dimensions for the sectional you have. Sectional sofas come in various sizes and orientations, so you should consider how you’d like to place the pillows in your furniture.

Most sectional sofas typically look best if they have around seven throw pillows only.

Should Throw Pillows All Be the Same Size?

It isn’t necessary to have all the throw pillows be the same size on the couch. The best idea is to have most of the throw pillows be the same sized and layer them with another group of similarly-sized pillows.

This way, you’ll know how to mix and match pillows on the couch for decorating.

A good example would be to have one 22″ × 22″ throw pillows on all ends of the couch and then cover them with 20″ × 20″ pillows. Make sure you consider where you’ll place the throw on the sofa to ensure you’ll still have enough space to sit on the couch comfortably.

While on this topic, we should also mention the rule on how many throw pillows you should use on your couch. The rule is pretty simple: always stick with odd numbers. You should have at least three and at most seven throw pillows depending on the size and depth of your couch.

How To Measure a Throw Pillow?

Throw pillows are an amazing way to pull together the design of any living space. You should follow the steps below to ensure that your throw pillow is made to the correct size specifications. But first, here are a few measuring tips:

  • You should use a firm tape measure, i.e., a carpenter’s tape measure, rather than a flexible tape measure, i.e., tailor’s. This will ensure you get the most accurate results.
  • Don’t measure the pillow diagonally. You also shouldn’t measure the pillow across its center.
  • Note that you’ll have to round up or round down to the nearest ½ inch when ordering.
  • It may be helpful to find someone to hold the pillow for you while you are taking the sizes.
  • Pillow measurements are based on measuring along the edge of the pillow and not the width of the stuffed pillow. Once the pillows are filled with poly fiber, the height and width will usually be slightly less than the measurements you ordered. For instance, a 12″ × 12″ pillow will have a distinguished finished dimension of 11″ × 11″ when it’s stuffed.

So, with that said, how do you measure your throw pillow?

  • Take the top and bottom corners of the throw pillow, and then pull the fabric tight.
  • Next, measure the pillow’s height, from top to bottom, along the edge of the pillow.
  • Take the left and right ends of the pillow, and then pull the fabric tight.
  • Proceed to measure the pillow’s width, from left to right, along the edge of the pillow.

How Do You Arrange Throw Pillows on a Couch By Size?

While you must consider certain things like color and pattern when arranging throw pillows on your couch, arranging them by size is equally important.

This may seem obvious, but you should put larger pillows at the back and smaller ones or lumbar pillows in the front as you layout pillows.

The largest pillows always have to be on the outside. You can, however, play around with medium and small interchangeably on the inside for a more personalized look. The smallest throw pillows generally fit best on the very inside of the arrangement.

You can also use lumbar pillows to help create a solid middle in your couch’s arrangement.

Finally, as we have already mentioned, consider working with an odd number of pillows. This will help to create a visual balance.

For example, you can put two throw pillows on either side of the sofa and then layer three pillows in the middle, which will help the composition feel well balanced.

In conclusion, couch throw pillows can be a good piece of décor. More than the design, you should also know what size throw pillows to use for your couch.

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