Everyone covets those amazing photos of designer bedrooms with lush fabrics, extravagant bedding, and of course the perfect arrangement of throw pillows. Acquiring the perfect bedroom linens and furniture can take time but in the meantime throw pillows are a great way to add a little more luxury to the room you spend approximately a third of your life in.

Types of Pillows

When it comes to decorative pillows your options are limitless, but there are some basics to help you narrow down your choices.

In addition to your sleeping pillows, some basic types of pillows include:

• Knife Edge - This is the quintessential decorative pillow (here is a lovely example). In its most basic form, two pieces of fabric are sewn together to create a ‘sharp’ simple seam, a knife's edge if you will.
• Flanged - A flanged pillow is a variation on a knife edge pillow; instead of a sharp seam a flat decorative band has been sewn into the seams and encompasses the entirety of the pillow. While a flange is usually flat, it may also be ruffled or gathered to give the pillow more depth.
• Welted - Welted Pillows, like flanged pillows are another variation of a knife edge pillow. A decorative cord or piping is sewn into the seam. Sometimes the cord is highlighted in a contrasting color to draw interest or it can be constructed from the same fabric as the pillow, in which case it is referred to as a “self-welt” pillow.
• Bolster - Another pillow with nearly endless options, Bolster pillows are long (about 2 feet) cylindrical pillows. A shorter version (usually just over a foot) is termed a neck roll. Bolsters can have flat or decorative ends with any variation of cording gathering or buttoning you can imagine.
• Box - Box pillows are pillows with real dimension. Instead of a knife’s edge seam these pillows are constructed like a box with actual dimensional sides. Don’t let the word ‘box’ fool you though, these pillows come in a variety of shapes.
• Lumbar - These pillows are decorative and great for your back! They were originally designed to help support the curve of your lower back so they are longer and shorter than standard pillows; think stylish and supportive rectangles. Lumbar pillows, can be found in any of the knife edge, flanged or welted varieties.

Classic Arrangements

There are so many ways to make your bed you could probably go a whole week and never make it the same way twice. That being said here are some of the most common pillow arrangements:

• Stacked - For a no fuss style just stack your sleeping pillows on top of one another (at least two pillows) for a linear look. Keep it simple with a few decorative pillows neatly aligned in front, or create a focal point with a lumbar pillow. While this style can be adapted to any size or type of bed, it has the most effect on sleeker more modern twin or full size frames.
• Standing - Standing your pillows on their ends is a great traditional look. Usually involving at least five pillows (two Euro, two standard, and at minimum one decorative pillow) this style is easy to add too and looks great on larger beds. Start with your Euro pillows in the back, next your Standard, and finally finish the front with your own assortment of decorative throw pillows. Size order is what’s most important here so keep that in mind when choosing your throw pillows -- bolsters work great with this traditional look.
• Stack Standing Combo - Mix it up and keep it classy by stacking your sleeping pillows neatly behind your Euro shams and decorative pillows . This is a more transitional look and looks great with any style or size bed -- just make sure your pillows are appropriately sized.

*Tip: if you sleep with a body pillow and aren’t sure how to incorporate it when making your bed, the stack stand combo works great. These pillows will generally span the width of your mattress and can be easily camouflaged with pillows stacked on top and in front of them.

Make It Your Own 

The truth of the matter is there are no rules for making your bed, it is all a matter of your taste. If you like a “i just threw this together look” go for lots of fun trendy pillows in different sizes. However, if you prefer a more classic look, carefully arrange your welted pillows in front of your flanged pillows and behind your bolster. Throw pillows are beautiful fun accents that add subtle opulence to your bed and speak to who you are as a decorator so play around and find the best pillows and arrangement for your personality -- there are now wrong answers!