Throw in some pillows to tie colors together

Oakland Tribune, Dec 2, 2006

I JUST got a new apartment. It's a two-bedroom rehabilitated loft above a coffee shop and wine shop and close to downtown Columbus, Ohio. It's perfect for gallery showings and for my photography studio.

I just bought a modern off-white leather couch with a coordinating accent chair in celery green leather. The pieces have very modern lines and double-stitching. I need to get a few throw pillows to complete the look, but I'm not sure what type of fabric would look good with this style.

-- Kimberly Potterf

This project will require a fabric which will pull both white and green together. The couch is the main or core color (because of its size) and the celery green is the accent color. Now we have to pick another accent color to really make the celery green pop. A new color that is being shown a lot this year with celery green is orange.

The shape of the pillows should be a blend of retro and modern in keeping with the style of the pieces. Try a circular pillow with a button in the center and another one in a nice 9-by-20-inch lumbar shape.

A terrific way to create a chic, casual look is to use three pillows in the shapes above, but do each one in a solid color. This is called color blocking.

In your case, put an orange pillow on the green chair and put an orange and a green pillow on the couch. This breaks up the color for visual interest.

The fabric for your pillows should be soft, pliable, and warm, to contrast with the cool (temperature) feeling of the leather. One new option is to use a wool flannel or soft cotton velvet.

For added comfort on leather seating make certain the pillows are stuffed with a feather/down blend. They are heavier and will crush to the shape of the chair or couch and will not slide off as poly- fill pillows do.

For a truly modern, minimalist style keep the pillow count to three: one on the chair and two on the couch, leaning against each other. This will show off the shape of the furniture best. It's about the upholstered pieces of furniture, not the pillows, that's modern and minimal.

Toni Berry IFDA at Marie Antoinette Custom Home Interiors is a local interior designer. Send your home design questions or dilemmas to her by e-mail at berrys@gloryworks.com, or you can call or fax her at (925) 862-9064.