A common dilemma amongst those making the bed these days is whether the pillows should go above or below the duvet cover. Personally, we always put them above, but then we do have a huge bundle of pillows to display.
And it seems there is more than one way to display your pillows. In fact, there are at least six. And we have outlined some of the most popular methods in this blog post.
First of all, though, are you aware there are three principle sizes of pillow – Standard, Queen and King. These are 20″ tall x 26″ wide, 20″ tall x 30″ wide and 20″ tall x 36″ wide respectively. As you can see it’s only the length of the pillow that varies.
Then there is the Euro pillow (also referred to a sham pillow). That’s because it’s purely decorative. It is large and square (26 x 26) and is usually placed behind the larger (King, Queen or Standard) pillows. Its size makes it great for cushioning your back when sitting up in bed watching TV.
One way to ensure you have the perfect pillow is to ensure it is ‘well fed’ says interior designer Hadley Court. And that means ensuring you have the right combination of feather and down inside your pillow.
@Hadley_Court: “Down is softer and lighter but doesn’t hold its shape well while feathers give it a firmer structure. The size of the pillow form must be two inches larger than the finished size of the cover. And lastly, treat your pillows like a piece of art.”
Headboard size and style
Also, the number of pillows you can have on your bed depends on how high your headboard is. If it’s a small headboard, for instance, then piling up three pillows either side is going to drown it.
If your headboard and duvet are plain, then you might want to pile some funky, colorful pillows on top of your sleeping pillows.
Bedroom décor matters
You can also decorate with your pillows to suit your bedroom décor. For instance, if you have a fluffy, rather feminine bedroom then a big bunch of pillows looks good. If, on the other hand, your bedroom is more minimalist and contemporary, then a row of same-size pillows and a long bolster in front is better.
King size pillow arrangement
- Three Euros
- Two 18″ x 18″ pillows
- Two 16″ x 16″ pillows
- Three 12″ x 15″ pillows
Queen size pillow arrangement
There’s less space on a Queen size than a King so you’re looking at two Euros rather than three. Then just set them down in steps from there, such as:
- Two Euros
- Two Queens
- One bolster pillow
Standard size pillow arrangement
- Two Euros
- Two Standard
- Two small bolster pillows
Meanwhile, what are you going to do with all those decorative pillows when you’re sleeping? Either push them down to the foot of your bed or put them in a cupboard. Don’t lay them on the floor at the side of your bed – otherwise you may trip up on them when going to the toilet in the middle of the night.
