Here is your ultimate pillow sizing and layering guide. Apply this technique to your sofa or bed to make your home look magazine-worthy, warm and welcoming.
REGULAR SOFAS
Regular sofas measure between 72-89 inches wide.
My Recommended Square Pillow Sizes: 20×20 and 22×22
The Best Lumbar Pillow Sizes: 11″ – 14″ height x 19″ – 20″ width
Buy an insert that is 2″ larger than the cover. These are my HANDS-DOWN favorite pillow inserts (and there IS a difference in pillow inserts and such thing as higher quality. These hold their shape well, are fluffy and fat, and you are able to do the “pillow chop”!
I prefer 2 or 3 layers of pillows so you can mix patterns and textures.
Two Layers:
- Back Pillow: two 22″ square pillows
- Front Pillow: two 20″ square pillows or one lumbar pillow
Three Layers: Try a mix of solids, a small scale pattern and a large scale pattern.
- Layer #1: two 22″ square pillows
- Layer #2: two 20″ square pillows
- Layer #3: one lumbar pillow
SMALL SOFAS
Small sofas measure less than 72 inches wide.
Stick to 2 layers for a smaller sofa.
The Best Lumbar Pillow Sizes: 10″ – 13″ height x 17″ – 19″ width
Two Layers:
- Back Pillow: two 22″ square pillows
- Front Pillow: two 20″ square pillows or one lumbar pillow
LONG/DEEP SOFAS
Deep sofas have a seat depth of 26 inches or greater. Long sofas measure 90 inches wide or greater.
The Best Square Pillow Sizes: 20″ – 24″
The Best Lumbar Pillow Sizes: 13″ – 15″ height x 20″ – 22″ width
You can do 3 or 4 layers of pillows for deeper sofas.
Three Layer Option
- Layer #1: two 24″ square pillows
- Layer #2: two 22″ square pillows
- Layer #3: two 20″ square pillows or one lumbar pillow
The Four Layer Option
- Layer #1: two 24″ square pillows
- Layer #2: two 22″ square pillows
- Layer #3: two 22″ or 20″ square pillows
- Layer #4: one lumbar pillow