Secret Style Advice: Styling with Throws and Cushions

We all love a cosy, comfy bed to climb into after a long day. Adding layers and texture to your bed is not only great for keeping warm, it also adds a touch of style. Piling as many cushions and throws as you can on the bed isn't going to instantly lead to cosy time perfection though, so we asked our good friend (and even better stylist) Laura North to tell us how she achieves effortless accessory styling. Over to you Laura...

As the many stacks of cheery zip-up tartan laundry bags in my loft will demonstrate, I am somewhat of a cushion and throw collector. Obviously my job dictates that having a whole array of coloured and textured bed and sofa dressings is very useful; but I do often wonder what it is about these filled squares of loveliness in particular that still pull me towards them. They are useful of course and squishability is an important factor in my purchasing decision - but I’ve come to realise that they represent so much more. They are a statement of my unique style and taste - be that through colour, perhaps pattern or maybe embellishment. We love displaying them, plumping them, straightening them and adding to them - such reverence for this humble item - and what a sad place the world would be without them. Here’s a few ideas and tips to enjoy your cushion and throws even more (if that’s possible?)

Treat any bed or sofa as if it is quite literally a blank canvas, your paints are your cushions and throws! ‘Valleys, lakes and mountains’ is simply a super easy way to remember to consider the layers of scale and composition when dressing a sofa or a bed. For valleys - we’re looking at the bottom of your painting and this more than likely will be a softly draped throw to draw your eye up to the ‘lake’ - your main layer of cushions. But don’t forget your mountains - these are your cushions that are taller and give you a sense of height and keeps your eye moving around your ‘painting'. Beret and painters smock are purely optional.

We all itch for change in our home as we do with our wardrobes when the seasons change. It still delights me how different a room can look, however, by simply mixing up cushions and throws. Be brave and try a new colour - I’m adding some Darkest Spruce to my room this winter as the colour makes me feel so cocooned. So out with the summer palette of mustards and sage (I have a caramel toned bedroom which lends itself to a lot) and in with Darkest Spruce Finn throw and a couple of Henry pillowcases in Spruce (I am a strong devotee of mixing up my bedlinen according to mood, it never matches and I LOVE that). It TOTALLY changes the look from a bouncy, cheery sunshine room to a cold weather sanctuary.

Gone are the days that cushions are perfectly squared up like a line of soldiers. Feel free to give your cushions a chop (sound effects optional) - this style is definitely back. As is letting them relax and just do their thing - we don’t live in hotels! Squishing and shaping like this works especially well when it comes to linen. Extra hint: try dropping cushions on the floor from a height - it REALLY fluffs them up and is excellent for stress relief too.

I love a throw, in fact I have a tall basket in my lounge that is piled with lovingly folded throws of all styles. It’s nice to pull out a blanket on a cooler evening or use during Shavasana when I’m practicing yoga at home. I also always take one on holiday with me - it’s wondrous what comfort your own throw can give you on a long haul flight - with the added treat of it smelling like home.

When stylists dress a bed or sofa we can get a little lost in the delicious folds and drapes being just so and this, I think, indicates a move away from formality when it comes to dressing a bed or sofa. I’m seeing this look creep into homes on Instagram which I’m glad of - relaxed, loose and casual are key words for when adding textile layers.

Call me indulgent but when the months are really chilly I quite like two throws on my bed - the first acting as a base layer over my duvet which I may leave on when heading to bed and the second for a pop of colour or texture (which I can maybe hide under for an afternoon nap). So I may perhaps try my Spruce Finn Quilt layered with the sage big waffle for a seascape inspired contrast…the waffle throws also happen to have enough weight to drape in the most gorgeous way.

Apologies, I can never resist a pun. But I hope I’ve proved that adding more texture, drapery and squish into your life is a joyous thing indeed - and that there is no such thing as excess particularly as the long chilly nights get closer.

Is it bedtime yet?