Pillows 101

How can something that seems so simple and straightforward lead to so many questions? What size? Where is the best place to purchase an insert? Should I get feather or poly-fil? Do I even need removable pillow covers in the first place? By the end of this crash course, you will be valedictorian of the class.

I am so thankful and excited for you to join me! Your home is yours. It's not mine, it's not your best friend's, it's not Joanna Gaines' (although I wouldn't kick her out if she wants to visit!), it's YOUR space to do anything you want. Any color, any pattern, any style - it's totally up to you. Inspiration is where we get ideas for what we want our home to be. My dream is to provide simple ways to create your own style - provide moments of inspiration - keep it real. We are regular people. Our homes get messy. We pile up mail. We ALL have a junk drawer. Let's make our houses a home and not get too precious about it!

Size: It does matter.

Does size matter? Absolutely! It is based entirely on preference. A standard size pillow cover is between 18”- 20". With standard sized furniture, you can't go wrong with a 20" - It’s big enough to make a statement, where anything smaller looks dwarfed. For a 20" pillow cover you can use either the same size insert or go up a size. I don't recommend any more than 2" - at that point you need a different size cover. The two photos above are the same pillow cover. It's 20" square.* The first photo has a 20" insert, the second has a 22" insert. You may like the looser fit - it gives a much deeper “V” in the middle and some like it a little more full. 

*Most of the time pillow covers are sewn an inch smaller than the insert size to create that full effect. I actually size mine to be the exact size of the insert. This allows me to have that loose look, but I will size up my insert if I want a fuller style. 

Where do you find inserts?

I have shopped EVERYWHERE for inserts. You name it and I've looked there for them. Here is what I have found: IKEA has 20" feather inserts for around 6 bucks. And that is real hard to beat. If you are lucky to live near an IKEA then go stock up. Unfortunately, the nearest one to me is about 4 hours away. 

The next best place is Homegoods/TJ Maxx for a couple of reasons. If you can hit their clearance pillows, you can find some REALLY good deals. Homegoods has a 21 day turnaround for products. Every Tuesday they mark items down. Find the clearance pillows, start touching them (don't be weird about it). You know, to see which ones are feather. Next, check the price tag. I usually look for anything less than $8. Anything more than that, and it just doesn't feel like the BEST deal. If all the pillows are more than that, come back the next Tuesday and see if they are marked down even further. One day I stumbled upon some really hideous purple pillows with feather inserts. They were $2. KID YOU NOT. I bought every one of them! While this might take a little more time, if you are a deal hunter - then I promise the satisfaction of paying pennies on the dollar is hard to beat. 

Let's say you don't have time for such nonsense and you need two pillow inserts STAT. Homegoods has sets of pillows (see photo on right) for $20. Feather inserts with removable covers. If you are in a pinch, this is a pretty good deal.

Goodwill. 
I know. What in the world is she thinking? If you like a bargain, AND you don't mind using a secondhand insert - then go here. A few tips: Unzip the covers. If you find a pillow that looks clean, has a feather insert, then unzip it. I ALWAYS look at the insert. If it's yellowed - it's a NO-GO. But if it looks clean, buy it. I have Goodwill inserts in my house. I have never paid more than $4 for them. When you get home, put a tennis ball in a sock, toss the insert and the sock/ball in the dryer with a fabric sheet, and let it run. It should take the lingering scent of Goodwill out and also fluff your pillow up. 

Feather v. Poly-Fil

There are two types of inserts: feather and poly-fil. Here is my spicy take - unless you have an allergy to feathers, don't get the poly-fil. You can tell a HUGE difference between them. And once you've seen it, you can't un-see it. You'll be able to spot the differences wherever you go! 
Feather inserts give you the fullness. The fluff. The razz-a-matazz magic that makes your pillows look like marshmallows you can sink your head into. See if you can walk by a fluffy pillow without touching it. Seriously, you can't. But wait, there's more. You get that signature karate chop "V" in the middle. This is almost impossible with a poly-fil. The biggest draw back for poly-fil is that you can't "fluff" them. They only get flatter. Now, I know there are some alternative poly-fil that will get you closer to the feather look and I've linked an option below. 

One Exception...
If you need pillows for outdoors, you can't use feather. They get musty and are difficult to dry. Poly-fil to the rescue. Here is the link to a down alternative pillow that gets decent reviews on Amazon.

Last Bit.

Do you even need removable covers? YES! Once you have inserts - the pillow world is your oyster. Like a capsule closet, you can switch your covers based on season or whim. You have the foundation piece (inserts) now it's up to you to dress it up! Often pillow covers are washable, either dry clean only or wash on cold and lay flat. So if you have given old pillows with feather inserts to Goodwill or sold them in a garage sale, don't be hard on yourself. From this point on, you know to keep them. Those out of style, out of date covers come off, and what's underneath is the stuff that new design dreams are made of.