Bed Pillow Pattern, Size, & Arrangement Guide

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Styling your bed is an art. Picking layers of blankets is an art. Finding pillows that tie it all together an art. To some, this may come naturally. But for those that want to take the guesswork out of styling your bed with pillows, I’ve created a bed pillow pattern, size, and arrangement guide with 5 of my go-to options.

Small Scale vs Large Scale Patterns

Before we dive in, you’ll find that I use the terms small, medium, and large scale patterns throughout this article. I want to clarify what I mean by that. When mixing fabric patterns, I recommend pairing geometric patterns (i.e. stripes, grids, diamonds, etc) with organic patterns (i.e. florals, paisley, etc). But beyond that, I recommend mixing large scale patterns with small scale patterns. For example, a small scale windowpane pillow with a large scale floral pillow. Take the photo below as an example –

The windowpane pillow in the back would be considered small scale whereas the floral lumber pillow in front is considered large scale. The striped blanket would be considered medium scale. Ideally, when pairing pillow patterns, you want to incorporate 2-3 size scales.

Now that we have our terms down, let’s get to some pillow arrangement options.

Bed Pillow Arrangements

1. Double Flats

When simplicity speaks to you, two sets of sleeping pillows stacked on top of each other is a great option. I prefer white or ivory sheets with matching pillowcases. This arrangement is great on its own or as the starting point for more pillows.

My one recommendation is to make sure your pillows are nice and fluffy. There’s nothing sadder than a pair of flat pillows.

PATTERN SUGGESTION:
I prefer to keep sleeping pillowcases neutral, but for an added layer of texture, use linen pillowcases.

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2. Double Stacked

This is a great pillow arrangement for queen or full size beds. Two sets of pillows stacked front to back.

I recommend 22″-24″ square pillows for the back and either the same size or slightly smaller pillows for the front.

PATTERN SUGGESTION:
Pair geometric and floral patterns. Pick a gridded or striped fabric for the back two pillows and a floral or paisley pattern for the front two. Or vise versa.

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3. High And Low

I like to think of this arrangement as simple, but layered. Pair a set of matching pillows with a lumbar pillow in front. You can choose between square or rectangle pillows for the back, but try to pick pillows that are 22″-24″ tall. The lumbar pillow width should be around 2/3rd the width of the back pillows.

PATTERN SUGGESTION:
Rather than pairing geometric patterns with floral patterns, let’s play around with scale. Pick either geometric or organic patterns for all the pillows. Whichever you decide to go with, pick a small scale pattern for the back two pillows and a large scale pattern for the front lumbar pillow.

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4. Double High & Low

This is the same as option #2, but with an added pillow in front. We’ve got a double layer of square pillows in the back with a lumbar pillow in front.

PATTERN SUGGESTION:
Pick a solid pattern with lots of texture for the back two pillows, a large gridded pattern for the middle row, and a small floral pattern for the front pillow.

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5. The Triple Layer

This is a great pillow arrangement for king size beds…when you have a lot of real estate to cover. I like organized pattern mixing with this arrangement so I recommend that each row of pillows match each other.

The back three pillows should be the largest and square. The middle two pillows should be slightly smaller with either a square or rectangle shape. And the front lumbar pillow is…you guessed it…the smallest.

PATTERN SUGGESTION:
Pick a solid pattern with lots of texture for the back three pillows, a medium sized organic pattern for the middle row, and a small scale geometric pattern for the front.

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Pillows I Love

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