How to Style Outdoor Throw Pillows: Sizes, Fabrics and Welts

Cushions set the tone of an outdoor room; pillows give it personality. They are also the easiest piece to change from one summer to the next. The pillows we carry are sewn to order by the furniture makers themselves, Woodard, Lloyd Flanders, OW Lee, Telescope Casual and Homecrest, in the same all-weather fabrics as their cushions. That means you can match a cushion exactly or bring in an accent that will hold up to sun and rain. Try combinations in our pillow mixer as you read.

How many pillows does each piece need?

• Sofa or loveseat: two squares, one at each end. Add a lumbar in the middle of a sofa if you want a fuller look.
• Lounge chair or rocker: one pillow. A lumbar or kidney supports the lower back; a square reads more decorative.
• Sectional: a square at each arm and one more where the sections meet, so the corner does not look empty.
• Chaise lounge or daybed: a bolster or a kidney at the head is all it needs.
• Dining chairs: usually none, or a small 15" to 16" square on host chairs for a softer back.

Which size goes where

Scale the pillow to the seat. Deep seating with tall backs carries a 20" to 24" square; a standard sofa or lounge chair looks right with 19" to 20". Smaller 15" to 17" squares suit dining chairs, rockers and layering in front of a larger pillow. Kidney and lumbar pillows (around 10" to 12" tall and 19" to 22" wide) sit low against the back, and bolsters (about 19" long) finish a chaise or a sofa arm. Woodard also makes 16" round and square pillows with a center button for a tufted look.

Match or contrast: the rule of three

An easy formula for a sofa: one solid that matches or echoes the cushion, one texture, and one pattern that pulls a color from the other two. On a quiet natural cushion, let the pillows carry the color, a coastal blue or a sage green. On a bold cushion, keep pillows calmer, a solid one shade lighter or darker. Stripes and small geometrics are the easiest patterns to mix with solids.

The detail that makes it: the welt

The welt is the slim piping along each edge. A self welt, in the pillow fabric, gives a quiet tailored edge. A contrast welt in a second fabric outlines the shape and ties the pillow to the cushion: a navy pillow with a white welt, or a natural pillow with a welt in the cushion color. Woodard includes a contrast welt at no charge, Lloyd Flanders offers it for a small upcharge, and OW Lee adds a decorative cord as a third option. In the pillow mixer you can see the two fabrics side by side before you choose.

Fill and care

Standard pillows use a polyester fiber fill that dries quickly. For a softer, fuller pillow, Lloyd Flanders offers a fiber-down fill on its 19" and 24" squares, and Woodard a faux-down fill on its 20" and 24" squares and its kidney. Outdoor fabrics resist fading and mildew, but pillows last longest when they are stood on edge to drain after rain and stored dry in the off season.

Pillows to start with

Woodard 20" Square Throw Pillow

From $120 →

Lloyd Flanders 19" Square Throw Pillow

From $127 →

OW Lee 11" x 19" Lumbar Throw Pillow

From $156 →

Telescope Casual 20" Throw Pillow

From $158 →

Homecrest 12" x 22" Kidney Pillow

From $190 →

Woodard Round Bolster Pillow

From $102 →

Frequently asked questions

Design your own

Pick a brand and a shape, try fabrics and welts, and your pillow opens ready to order in the Design Your Own Outdoor Pillow page.

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