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A Reading by ÉlodieCustom Throw Pillows

Charcoal and caramel boucle throw pillows on an olive chesterfield, and where their zippers hide

Two plain boucle pillows, one dark and one warm, let a tufted sofa keep the spotlight. The fastening you never see is part of why they look so calm.

The quick answer

On custom throw pillows, the zipper belongs on the bottom edge or the back, where it stays hidden while the pillow leans against the sofa. Throw pillows need no ties or non-slip base; those hold seats in place. Floor-sofa covers are different: their white non-slip bottom panel unzips off before the cover is washed below 86°F (30°C).

Read by

The Colorist of New OrleansPublished 4 min read

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Pinned on the olive chesterfield

Four pins across the sofa corner, from the charcoal loops to the brass lamp stem.

Pinned: Charcoal and caramel loop boucle throw pillows with self piping on an olive green velvet button-tufted chesterfield
  1. Charcoal loop boucle

    The charcoal pillow sits in front at an angle, giving the corner depth against a busy tufted back.

  2. Caramel boucle behind

    Caramel picks up the brass of the lamp and warms the cool green velvet.

  3. Deep button tufting

    A tufted back already supplies texture, so both pillows stay solid colors with no print.

  4. Brass lamp stem

    The brass stem is the thread that links the caramel pillow to the room.

  1. Charcoal loop boucleThe charcoal pillow sits in front at an angle, giving the corner depth against a busy tufted back.
  2. Caramel boucle behindCaramel picks up the brass of the lamp and warms the cool green velvet.
  3. Deep button tuftingA tufted back already supplies texture, so both pillows stay solid colors with no print.
  4. Brass lamp stemThe brass stem is the thread that links the caramel pillow to the room.

Charcoal forward, caramel behind, brass in between

The eye sits down first, and on this sofa it sits on two plain pillows. Look how little they do, my friends, and how well they do it.

The chesterfield is olive velvet with deep button tufting, which already holds all the pattern a corner can bear. So both boucle pillows stay solid. Charcoal sits in front, tipped at an angle, grounding the pair against the busy back. Caramel sits behind and catches the brass stem of the floor lamp, warming the cool green the way late sun warms a parlor wall.

Both are knife edge pillows with self piping, the welt cut from the same looped cloth. Boucle's pile blurs an outline in dim afternoon light; the piping gives each pillow a firm edge. The dark wood floor keeps the whole corner low and warm.

If your sofa is green, try one dark neutral and one metal-toned warm color instead of matching greens. And for custom throw pillows like these, ask for the zipper along the bottom edge, where the pillow hides it against the sofa.

Zipper, ties or non-slip panel: what a pillow needs

Hidden zipperTiesNon-slip panel
Where it sitsBottom edge or back of the coverRear corners of a seat padUnderside of a seat or floor sofa
Its jobLets the cover come off for washingHolds a pad to chair postsKeeps a seat from creeping
On a throw pillowYesNoNo

Ties and grip are seat hardware. More in where the zipper goes on a cushion cover.

A real project

Mustard ordered, brick delivered

A family in the US ordered mustard covers for their floor sofa and unrolled brick. They were gracious about it: the sofa itself, they said, was great and comfortable.

The workshop sent mustard covers straight away. The family didn't want to pay for a second set, so the shop called the mix-up its own mistake and offered two roads: keep the brick covers at half their cost, or send them back on a return label.

Brick and mustard sit side by side on a color card and a world apart in a living room. Open a roll pack at one end first; a cover half out of its bag is easy to judge in daylight.

Sizes
Standard floor sofa covers
Fabric
Mustard ordered, brick received

The lesson: Check a roll pack at one end before unpacking it all, and agree in writing what happens to covers sent in error.

Oversize zips, washing and templates

  1. A common question

    Can you make a zippered cover for a folding mattress that's much bigger than your usual sizes?

    The workshop's answer

    Yes. Oversize zippered covers are made on request; one was quoted for a folding mattress of 37.5 x 25 x 18.5 in (95 x 64 x 47 cm).

  2. A common question

    How do we wash the floor sofa covers, and can they go in the dryer?

    The workshop's answer

    Unzip the covers and take off the white non-slip bottom panel first, so only the colored cover goes in the machine. Wash below 86°F (30°C). The fabric can go in the dryer.

  3. A common question

    Should I mail you my old cushion covers to copy for the replacements?

    The workshop's answer

    No need. Send photos or drawings of the covers with their measurements instead; the workshop says that is a good way to guarantee a perfect fit.

A throw pillow zipper belongs on the bottom edge or the back, where the pillow hides it against the sofa; ties and non-slip bases are for seats.

Élodie
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On the cutting table: the chesterfield pair

PillowsTwo throw pillows, knife edge
FabricLoop boucle in charcoal and caramel
PipingSelf piping in the same boucle
ZipperHidden on the bottom edge or back
Ties or gripNone needed on throw pillows
SofaOlive velvet chesterfield, deep button tufting
Replacement coversPhotos or drawings with measurements as the template
Best forTufted or patterned sofas that want calm, solid pillows

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Have it made

Have this made — ask Élodie’s workshop

Describe the room at four in the afternoon: the floor, the wall, the one color you love. That is where a good fabric choice begins. — Élodie

Leave your details and the workshop will call you to confirm measurements, fabric, foam and piping. No prices, dates or payment on this page: it is a request, not an order.

Fabric · Foam · Pipingwhat the workshop will confirm with you

Fabric
Loop boucle in charcoal and caramel
Foam
The core: its density and thickness set the feel.
Piping
Self piping in the same boucle
Only for this request: no marketing calls or texts. Outside the US, add the country code.
In inches: length × depth × thickness, plus any angles or cut corners.

* Required. A member of the workshop team will call you to talk it through; nothing is charged and nothing is made until you have agreed on every detail with them.

We use these details only to answer this request and make your cushion: your name and contact details, the cushion details and photos you send, the page you came from and the ad or link that brought you, if any. The workshop that makes the cushions receives them. We don't sell them or share them for advertising, and we delete requests after 24 months. Privacy notice for requests.

Nothing is made or charged until you approve the details.

Want to pick the shape and add photos? Use the full quote form

Questions buyers ask next

Why pick solid boucle pillows for a button-tufted sofa?

Deep tufting already gives the sofa pattern and texture. Solid boucle adds a soft looped surface without competing with it, and one dark plus one warm color keeps the corner from looking flat or busy.

Which pillow color picks up a brass floor lamp?

A warm caramel or honey tone. Here the caramel boucle sits behind the charcoal and repeats the brass lamp stem, which ties the pillows to the room instead of only to the sofa.

Should a throw pillow cover have ties or a non-slip back?

No. A throw pillow leans on the sofa back and gets moved all day, so a hidden zipper for washing is all it needs. Ties hold seat pads to chair posts, and a non-slip base stops a seat or floor sofa from creeping.

What does self piping do on a boucle pillow?

Self piping is cut from the same boucle and sewn into the edge seam. It firms the outline of a shaggy cloth without adding a new color, which keeps two solid pillows looking tailored.

With color and care — Élodie