• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • about
    • services
    • team
  • portfolio
  • press
Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

  • book
  • blog
  • contact

How big are YOUR pillows?

Annie Elliott | May 21, 2013

They’re getting bigger. Throw pillows, I mean. Time was, accent pillows were discreet. Small, modest, tucked away…never taller than the back of the sofa or chair in which they nestled.

Big throw pillows on sofa

Those days are over: throw pillows are GIGANTIC now! Check out the ones below at Century Furniture! I don’t think I’ve specified a 16″ square accent pillow in a year. Even 18″ square can feel small to me.

Century Furniture sofa with 3 huge accent pillows

I just ordered 22″ throw pillows from Sparkmodern via Etsy for our family room sofa. Granted, the sofa itself is 37″H, but still. Two 22″ pillows, two 20″ pillows, and one long lumbar. That’s a lot of fluff.

Large purple accent pillows on sofa and chairs

Layering patterned pillows is still a white-hot trend, especially if your taste runs to the eclectic. (The fact that these pillows are in matching pairs saves the room from becoming a crazy mess.)

Large patterned accent pillows in NYC apartment

The sofa in this Thom Filicia-decorated living room is so long it NEEDS the bigger pillows. Again, using pillows in matching pairs is a plus. (Am I the only one who still refers to him as Thhhom, as I did when Queer Eye for the Straight Guy reigned? Yes? Ah, well. God, I miss that show.)

Thom Filicia's oversized accent pillows on blue sofaDon’t these pillows look skimpy to you now?

Screen Shot 2013-05-21 at 10.22.28 PM

As opposed to, say, these by my hero, Jamie Drake?

Screen Shot 2013-05-21 at 10.37.23 PM

If not, give it time. Soon you’ll be turning your nose up at anything smaller than 24″ square. It’s happening, people.

Large black and white accent pillows on outdoor furniture

Cococozy, you saved my bacon this post with your excellent pictures — thank you! Quoted in publications from The New York Times to The Washington Post to Real Simple magazine, Annie Elliott is an interior designer in Washington, D.C. Her firm, bossy color, delivers distinctive, curated interiors with professional precision.

Category: Art + accessoriesTag: Century Furniture, Jamie Drake, large accent pillow, large throw pillow, matching accent pillows, oversize pillow, Thom Filicia, throw pillows on sofa

Sidebar

Subscribe

 

Bossy Color Blog

Categories

  • Art + accessories »
  • Bedroom »
  • Color + paint color »
  • Dining room »
  • Furniture + upholstery »
  • Kids »
  • Kitchen + bath »
  • Lighting »
  • Living Room + Family Room »
  • Renovation »
  • Rugs »
  • Wallpaper »
  • Window treatments »

View Portfolio

view Bossy Color's portfolio

Instagram

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Aug 9

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18436273279134156
Green, light blue, and a touch of navy come together to create a room that's bright, welcoming, and incredibly summery 🥰 🥰 🥰 #interiordesign #summercolors

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Aug 7

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18065703698744445
Given that my brain is still on an academic calendar 🤷‍♀️ , I thought I'd do a little review and see which blog posts resonated with you the most in 2025-26. Who knew that a post from 2011 (!!!) is still in the top 5! Click over to the post to to see the year’s greatest hits. #interiordesign #designinspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 24

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18007861235943398
Get ready for a dramatic before and after! We transformed a playroom into a dining room, and the result is pretty amazing. (But still fun!) #wallpaper #interiordesign #diningroominspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 22

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18113978008731617
For today’s Wallpaper Wednesday, we discuss the chinoiserie wallpaper in the Great Hall at  @citytavern_dc  in Washington, DC. Ooooohh - field trip!I was delighted to visit City Tavern recently. It’s a historic 1796 Federal building in the heart of Georgetown, and all the cool kids hung out there. You know, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson…those guys. At one point, the building boasted the largest room in Washington.I, of course, was captivated by the Great Hall, which is covered in @graciestudio hand-painted wallpaper — which was selected by none other than Jackie Kennedy! EVEN THOUGH at that time the building was a club that didn’t admit women. Harumph.The chinoiserie walls are gorgeous from far away, but they’re amazing up close, also: you can see faint brushstrokes left by the painters. Doesn’t that give you a shiver? I love it.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 21

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17880979779674102
For a recent article in @vogueliving, I was asked how to mix wallpapers — either in the same room or adjacent rooms. I have a few pieces of advice to offer 😊See my latest blog post for more…#interiordesign #designblog #wallpaperinspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 8

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18120991804793828
Star-studded wallpaper on the ceiling childish? Not necessarily! Here are the differences between babyish and grown-up star themed wallpaper. #wallpaper #interiordesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 4

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18098048903219045
Happy Independence Day! I happen to love a room decorated in red, white, and blue. It’s not always gimmicky; wouldn’t you agree that the dining room below is bold and sophisticated? 🤪 My advice: vary the shades (clash those blues if you have to!), throw some large-scale patterns into the mix, and add texture. A grasscloth ceiling, for example 😉 Have a great 4th, everyone!#interiordesign #homedecor #pattermixing

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 3

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17934768423090149
I was honored to co-chair — with the inimitable @ianthainteriors — the design competition, America at 250: The New Look of American Design, a project conceived by the nonprofit MADE: In America.Design students from Howard University partnered with Washington Design Center showrooms to create storyboards and vignettes reflecting their vision of “American style.” The Design Center is showcasing the students’ work through July 10; admission is free and open to the public. Details may be found at the link in the @washingtondesigncenter’s bio.I encourage you to visit! It’s so important to support the next generation of designers, and I was delighted to participate in this event. Iantha and I are grateful to James De Lorbe, Chairman of MADE: In America; and we extend our warmest thanks to jurors @melissacolganinteriors, @mariella.cruzado,  @gaildavisdesigns, @val_hawkins_architect, @hadleykeller, @byronrisdon, and @jazmynedesignstudio.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Jul 1

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18345901804173891
Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! This week’s guest star: Schumacher’s Birds & Butterflies. It’s so whimsical, yet so grown up! Creatures on wallpaper can be a tough sell to adults, but Birds & Butterflies’ black and white background is quite sophisticated. (That’s why the Multi on White is my favorite colorway. I wouldn’t bother with the others.)The pattern is derived from a hand-printed 1960s wallpaper in the Schumacher archive. It’s certainly earned its place in the Exuberant Prints collection, don’t you think?#wallpaperinspo #interiordesign #roomdesign
Follow

Looking for something?

Don’t miss a single post

 

Where classic and modern hang out and drink gin.

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
American Society of Interior Designers Firm Partner

© 2026 · Annie Elliott Design · privacy policy