About Me

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Hampshire, United Kingdom
In July 2010 I graduated from KLC School of Design in London with a Professional Diploma in Interior Design (please see the tabs below for course details and project portfolios). Since September 2010 I've been working for a local interior design practice just outside Alton in Hampshire. Through this blog, I hope to share with you products which I like and things which inspire me - together with the odd post about my own home which is a working project. A good home is never finished!

Sunday 12 February 2012

You can never have too many cushions!

I love cushions and personally think you can never have too many!  They are so useful for adding a splash of colour to a neutral room, for adding an accent colour or for pulling a scheme together.  At the design practice where I work we nearly always have them made - that way you can create something truly unique!  However, there are thousands to choose from if you're not feeling that creative and don't forget, cushions don't have to be square - oblong cushions look great too!

Here are a few of my favourites from the high street ......

.......starting with florals








The red cushion on the left is the Martagon which is crewelwork on a heavy linen (self piped and plain back).  Also available in other colours.  This is just the cover though, you would need a cushion pad.  Available from OKA and costs £59






This is also a cushion cover from OKA - Patmos -blue embroidery on white linen - £75
















This oblong OKA Cassia cushion cover is hand embroidered on linen and measures 60cm x 35cm.  It costs £59 for the cover.














Designers Guild are always good for colourful cushions - here are 3 of their latest designs:

Madame Butterfly £75

Amala Peony Cushion £75













Kimono Blossom £89


If you want something more contemporary, try these (both from John Lewis):

Sanderson Still Life - abstract painting by Henri Matisse
This includes a feather cushion pad and costs £50


Paper Flowers cushion, also available in a couple of other colours - £25


Checked and striped cushions look really smart - and don't be afraid to mix them!  Checked cushions (particularly plaid) are usually made of 100% wool so are lovely and cosy (appropriate at the moment as I look at the garden covered in snow!).  Checked cushions also look great in a country setting, in a shooting lodge for instance.



This self piped cushion (above) is Highland from OKA and is 100% wool (cover only £45).  They also do a matching throw and the oblong cushion in the same fabric gives a more contemporary look to a traditional design:








Two new cushions from Laura Ashley -the Cranbourne check cushion (left) is 100% wool and costs£42 and the Hagan cushion (below) is 100% cotton with a fringe on one side (£38).  Both include the cushion pads.   


John Lewis have this self-piped Moon Flannel cushion (which includes the feather pad) for £50.  Shown here in beige, it's also available in a dark grey.





For a smart striped fabric, how about this Zoffany Corinthian cushion (below left).  It measures 50cm x 30cm and includes the feather pad (£50).  The striped cushion on the right is by Harlequin (£45) and measures 44cm x 44cm.  Both include the feather pads and are from John Lewis.


My favourite striped cushions are these two by William Yeoward (available from Designers Guild):

Brandon Rose Cushion  £65
45cm x 60cm

Pierscourt Navy Cushion £55
35cm x 50cm £55 


Ikat prints are everywhere at the moment, and all the fabric houses seem to have their own take on the traditional ikat fabric which was produced by weaving partially dyed threads - unlike tie-dying for which the process involves dying the cloth after it's been woven (see the description on the V&A website if you want to know more   http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/m/album-with-nested-carousel18/).  Ikat fabrics make great cushions and here are a couple I've found:

Vintage Silk Ikat cushion cover from
The Contran Shop £80
OKA Tramonto oblong cushion cover
£45



For really cosy cushions, take a look at these knitted cushions from The White Company:

Chunky Hand Knit cushion cover 50cm x 50cm £75

Somerton Cable Knit Cushion Cover 

Other places to try for cushions are:


Finally, a couple of my own cushions which I had made for our bedroom:



For the two 22" cushions, I used Larsen Allure in Mineral for the fronts and Zoffany Ketti silk for the backs and piping.  


For the large rectangle I used Larsen Mood velvet which has an aged look to it, and added some Wemyss Opaline trim on the short sides:



Thanks for stopping by - hopefully by the time I post again, the weather might be a bit warmer!