It’s the season to get cosy – with autumn well and truly here, it’s time to dig out all the neutral cushions and warm blankets! I feel you can never have too many of either…
I love to switch up things in my home with the seasons. Sometimes it’s nice to have a couple of options, so you can have some lightweight linen cushions for summer and bring in some warmer hues and heavier throws in winter. Then when you ‘rediscover’ some of your favourite pieces from storage – essentially shopping from your own home – it can help give a new feel to a space. In my home, I like to add lots of fresh greenery and uplifting green tones in the warmer months, then when it gets a bit chillier, I’ll swap them out for more muted, earthier tones to reflect what’s going on outside.
Here I’ve rounded up 12 of the best neutral cushions for the simple home, from graphic monochrome designs to soft, textured shapes. Mix and match plain with patterned to add life and interest to a simple, pared-back scheme.
1. 100% linen printed and embroidered cushion, made in India, £35, Arket [affiliate link]
2. Cotton cushion cover, made in Portugal, €50, La Cerise sur la Gateau
3. 100% linen cushion with a recycled feather cushion pad, made to order in the Netherlands, €59, ByMölle
4. Black and white cushion cover, designed by Afroart Studio, and fair trade printed and quilted by hand by local artisans in Bangladesh, £42.49, Trouva [affiliate link]
5. Colour block 100% linen cushion, made to order by a husband and wife team in Liverpool, £34.70, Linen & Stripes
6. Handwoven wool cushion, made in India, £39, Arket [affiliate link]
7. West Elm cotton-linen-velvet cushion, made in India, £58, John Lewis & Partners [affiliate link]
8. Handprinted Block cushion by AEAND, created using a chemical-free printing process made with paper cutouts, with a handmade cushion pad with hypoallergenic British sheeps wool, £115, Earl of East
9. 100% linen cushion with cotton stripes, made to order by a husband and wife team in Liverpool, £34.95, Linen & Stripes
10. Linen-cotton Calm cushion by Ferm Living, £49, Someday Designs
11. Linen-cotton screen printed cushion by Fine Little Day, £30, Nordic Nest
12. Aymara cushion by Form & Refine, made of pure alpaca wool by highly skilled craftsmen in Bolivia, £113, Haus
Finally, here are a couple of tips for styling those cushions:
– Use plain, neutral linen cushions as a base – use the 60:30:10 rule that is sometimes used in interior design to create a colour scheme. Most of your cushions can tie in with your main colour theme, 30% can be patterned to add texture, and 10% could be an accent colour (see below).
– Mix and match textures – a neutral scheme can never have too much texture. Combine relaxed linen with hand-stitched designs and cosy knitted throws. Pair smooth flat fabrics with chunkier weaves to give variety to a neutral scheme.
– Combine different shapes – a standard cushion is 50 x 50cm, but it can also look nice if you pair them with smaller rectangular cushions or even circular cushions to add a dynamic feel.
– Be generous with your cushion pads – it’s worth spending a bit more to get something that will really fill out your cushion and add a sense of luxury.
– Don’t forget they need some TLC every now and then – washing your cushions and de-pilling wool will bring them back to life and brighten the fabrics.
My cushions, pictured in my home above, are from left to right: ByMolle, H&M Home (affiliate link), John Lewis & Partners (discontinued), Ren London (sold out) and Stitch by Stitch
