Are you just getting started with decorating your home or space with decorative pillows? Or do you consider yourself a seasoned hobbyist in interior design and absolutely love bringing life into your living room or bedroom with designer pillows? However, the one thing you’ve always wondered was, what size pillow insert do I use to get the look that I want and what corresponding pillow cover size should I get? You may also be asking yourself, what type of material is the best to use for the insert? There’s not one exact right answer, but we can provide you some ideas on where to get started as you invest in your arsenal of pillow covers and pillow inserts.
First, we recommend using pillow inserts that are 1” inch up to 4” inches larger than the pillow cover itself. What you don’t want is a pillow insert that is too small and result in a limp, flat and with sadly flopped corners so your pillow looks like the life was sucked out of it. In addition, the material you decide will enhance this. For a simple, clean affordable look, polyester inserts are great. You can also use down alternative inserts. However, if you want the luscious, full and more extravagant look go with a traditional down-feather insert. The traditional down-feather insert is squishier and more malleable (sort of speak) which will provide you the ability to position, style and tweak your pillow the way you need given the placement between other pillows, stand alone or on a sofa, couch, lounge chair or bed.
To conclude, you might find yourself with a mix of insert sizes and materials and feel overwhelmed, but that’s ok! Take what you have and play around with variations and what feels right to you based on the look you’re trying to achieve. Try to group the same material inserts together and experiment with sizes as you start to layer pillows together. Look on Instagram, Pinterest or anywhere you might find inspiration and have fun putting together your design! We hope this helps, even if just a little!
Here is our guide to get your started.
Square Pillows
14” x 14” Cover <––––––> 15” x 15” Insert
16” x 16” Cover <––––––> 17” x 17” Insert
18” x 18” Cover <––––––> 20” x 20” Insert
20” x 20” Cover <––––––> 22” x 22” Insert
22” x 22” Cover <––––––> 24” x 24” Insert
24” x 24” Cover <––––––> 26” x 26” Insert
26” x 26” Cover <––––––> 28” x 28” Insert
28” x 28” Cover <––––––> 30” x 30” Insert
30” x 30” Cover <––––––> 32” x 32” Insert
18” x 8” Cover <––––––> 20” x 8” Insert
20” x 8” Cover <––––––> 22” x 8” Insert
20” x 12” Cover <––––––> 22” x 12” Insert
20” x 14” Cover <––––––> 22” x 14” Insert
22” x 12” Cover <––––––> 24” x 12” Insert
22” x 14” Cover <––––––> 24” x 14” Insert
24” x 12” Cover <––––––> 26” x 12” Insert