Three Simple Ways to Style Pillows on a Bed

There’s something super satisfying about having a pretty bed, isn’t there? I think there’s a balance though between pretty and not having a gazillion pillows to fluff every morning. The great thing is that I believe you can have both! You can keep it simple with just a few well-sized and well-placed pillows, and boom. You’ve got yourself a pretty bed.

I’ve got three tried-and-true formulas to help you achieve that look. They’re easy to pull off and won’t drive you crazy - I promise!

This post is directed more at choosing the right kind and size rather than the specific pillows themselves, but if you’d like a starting point on choosing actual pillows that work well together, head over to the Fresh Pillow Combos post. I know it says it’s for the living room, but you can use these pillows in bedrooms too! 😉

I create these combos for a queen size bed, but you can also adapt the look for a king size. You’ll see notes on how to do that below. Oh! And if you’re curious about the bed I used in the examples, you can find it here*, and one of my favorite crisp white duvet sets can be found here.

Option 1

Option 1 is so simple - it’s just three accent pillows plus two sets of two sleeping pillows!

Even if you only sleep with one pillow, having two gives you something to lean back on when you’re sitting in bed. One regular pillow just doesn’t cut it in terms of comfort. 😊

To get this look for a queen bed, you’ll want to stack your two sleeping pillows and lay them flat by the headboard. They’ll be the supporters for the other accent pillows. Then you’ll want to pick out a pair of 24” pillows plus a 14”x20”-ish lumbar. For a queen, you can go as small as 22” for those square pillows, but you want them to be a tad oversized since you’re keeping things pretty minimal here.

To adapt this look for a king, use stacks of king size pillows for your base, keep the square pillows at 24” and use two lumbars instead of one. I know, I added a pillow here, but you want to make sure it looks complete!

Option 2

Option 2 offers a fuller look thanks to the Euro size pillows as your foundation. You’ll have sleeping pillows behind them, but they kind of hide in this scenario. This is a great option if you have less-than-pretty pillows you love to sleep on (like a memory foam pillow or one that’s super flat). They don’t have to take away from your pretty bed when it’s made up!

In front of those Euro shams (two for a queen and three for a king) are two standard shams (or king size for a king bed) and one long lumbar. That long lumbar should measure about 14”x36” so that it takes up a significant part of the bed. It’s a look I’m seeing more and more, and I love it because it has a great visual impact without adding any additional pillows. So even though this is a fuller look, it’s a really reasonable amount of pillows.

Option 3

Option 3 is a look I haven’t seen a ton, but I love its simplicity, and I’m thinking about giving it a try in our own guest room!

It starts in the same way that Option 1 did with two stacks of two standard pillowcases (or king for a king bed) at the back and then three accent pillows in different sizes and patterns. You’ll want to start with the largest at the back - 24” square - then add a slightly smaller one at 22”, then finish it off with a lumbar. I like one with a little bit of height, which is why I’m suggesting a 14”x20” so it “stands up” to the other two.

I think this setup offers a chance to mix patterns in a really fun way. What do you think?

Which one of these options are you drawn to? Are there any other ways you like to style pillows on a bed? Chime in about it over in The Community!

*Affiliate links were used here, which means Mix & Match Design Company earns a small commission from your purchase at no cost to you.