So how many pillows do you need on a bed? And how should they be arranged? Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed; let’s break it down — pillow by pillow.
1. Sleeping pillows. Let’s start with the basics: your sleeping pillows. No matter what your decor style, the one pillow that’s essential for every bed is the sleeping pillow. Most people have at least two on the bed, and if you’re a couple, you may have four.
Sleeping pillows typically come in three sizes:
- Standard: 20 by 26 inches
- Queen: 20 by 30 inches
- King: 20 by 36 inches
In addition to your pillowcases, we strongly recommend pillow protectors for your sleeping pillows. They not only protect against dust mites, but also prolong the pillows’ life span. Sleeping pillows often get stained with your natural body oils, not to mention leftover makeup and drool (yes, it happens to the best of us), so a good protector is a must.
Pro tip: Just because these pillows are for sleeping, they needn’t be boring. You can liven things up with a colorful edge or luxe embroidered detail.
The Euro is the ultimate mix of function and fashion. Practically speaking, it provides back support when you’re sitting up in bed reading (or watching Netflix). It also protects your headboard, creating a barrier between it and the natural oils from your face and body. And if you don’t have a headboard, Euro pillows are a perfect stand-in.
From a design perspective, their large scale helps create a sense of height for your bed, drawing the eye upward and around the room. They also completely cover rumpled, slept-on pillowcases.
We recommend one Euro pillow on a twin-size bed, two on a double or queen-size bed and three on a king-size bed. Euro pillows are covered in pillow shams rather than pillowcases. Pillowcases are open-ended sleeves that you sleep on, whereas pillow shams cover decorative pillows. They usually have a flange or pretty detail, and we don’t recommend sleeping on them.
There are other sizes of decorative pillows, which are the same as the sleeping pillows: standard, queen and king. For those of you who don’t like the big square Euros, a set of decorative pillows is a great alternative. These would typically be covered in shams to match or coordinate with your duvet cover or comforter. These pillows not only enhance the beauty of the bed, but they’re also quite practical, as they provide great support while sitting up.
I typically change my accent pillows with the seasons, playing with different textures, patterns, colors and scale. The options are limitless: bold colors, faux fur, monogram or treasures from exotic travel.
Now that you know the types of pillows available to you, you can start decorating your bed with them. Here are some tips to help you figure out how you want to style your pillows:
1. Classic/traditional. A classic-style bed will usually have the greatest number of decorative pillows. If you like a more romantic look, you can pretty much add as many as will fit.
For something a little more tailored and gender-neutral, we love keeping things symmetrical: the sleeping pillows hidden behind one set of decorative pillows (either standard, queen, king or Euro) with either two smaller squares (20-by-20-inch or 18-by-18-inch) in front or one lumbar centered at the front.
Instead of propping up the pillows, lay them flat and stack them on top of each other — sleeping pillows on the bottom and two same-size decorative pillows on top. Not much else is needed to complete the look, though you can always add a simple lumbar in the center.
It’s simple to do: Just layer pillows in different shapes, sizes, patterns, textures and colors for a playful look. It’s fun and effortless and shows that you don’t take yourself too seriously.
Last but not least, the question I get most often is, “Where do I put the pillows when I go to bed?”
My answer? Wherever they land when you toss them. Whether that’s bench, chair or floor, don’t worry. They’re just pillows after all.
