Words Hoard & Heath
Photography Jonathan Borba, Mendy Van Hoogdalem van Barneveld and Engin Akyurt / Pexels
Two cushions in Jonathan Borba’s photograph share an ochre colour, but their surfaces are quite different. One has an unpatterned face; broad strips cross the rectangle in front. A dark patterned cushion sits between them. Repeating the colour gives this busy group a connection without making every cover match.
The striped throw beneath them adds another pattern to the group. We would leave out any further stripe here. Before adding a new cover, try the loose cushions against the upholstery without the throw, then bring it back. It may already supply all the extra pattern you wanted.
Against the upholstery
The rust-coloured patch on the rectangle comes close to the brown upholstery behind it. Dark blue makes a sharper edge, while the pale centre separates the coloured blocks. The white cushion behind has raised zigzags of its own. We would try the rectangle alone first: its pale middle already gives the brown seat some contrast.
Turquoise makes a stronger interruption in the pale seating. The colour appears at the front and again on the seating behind. A pale rectangular cushion covers much of the nearer coloured face, leaving a strip above it. The pale fabric sits close to the sofa’s colour. The brighter cushion does not have to be fully exposed to remain noticeable.
Try an overlap before replacing a cover that seems too strong. Move the paler cushion in front, then look from across the room. Swap their positions if the shape of the coloured cushion matters more to you than reducing the patch of colour. Use two cushions you already have for this trial.
Before changing the covers
If a cover is going to be handled every day, check its care label before choosing it for the main seat. A removable cover is not necessarily machine-washable. GINETEX’s guide explains that the number in the wash-tub symbol is a maximum temperature, while bars beneath it call for a gentler process. Check any separate instructions for the insert too.
Finish by sitting on the sofa as you normally would. A cushion that looks the right size from the doorway may push you further forward than you want. If a cushion goes straight onto the floor every time you sit down, leave it out of the next arrangement.
