Cushions & Throws

Choosing between cushions and throws

Cushions and throws do different jobs, and they work best together. A cushion gives a sofa, bed or chair support, shape and a block of colour, while a throw adds a soft layer to drape over an arm or fold across the foot of a bed. Almost all of the range suits the living room, and most of it suits the bedroom too.

To browse widely, start with cushions or with throws and blankets; if you know the look you want, the narrower sections take you straight to velvet, cotton or faux fur, or to floral, striped and grey designs.

Velvet cushions and velvet throws

Velvet is the fabric to choose when you want colour with depth. Its soft pile catches the light, so greens, blues and pinks look richer, and it feels warm to the touch. We stock velvet across cushions and throws, in plain shades as well as patterns.

Velvet cushions suit a sofa or bed you want to look dressed, and a velvet throw over the arm ties the look together. The pile can flatten where it is pressed, so plump and turn velvet cushions regularly to keep the surface even.

Faux fur and cotton throws

Choose a faux fur throw when warmth and softness come first: its plush pile makes a cosy layer at the end of a bed or over an armchair. Cotton throws are lighter, easy to drape over a sofa back and fold away. Some throws are made with wool, for natural warmth. If you have not settled on a fabric, browse throws and blankets to compare them side by side.

Think about the job a throw will do: draped over a sofa arm it can be modest in size, but to cover the foot of a bed or wrap round you it needs more length, so check the measurements against your furniture.

Floral, striped and grey cushions

Pattern is where cushions give a room its character. Floral cushions soften a plain sofa and sit naturally in a classic or rustic scheme, while striped cushions are the easy all-rounder, at home beside a floral, a check or a plain. Grey cushions give you a calm, neutral base that lets a brighter throw take the lead. Beyond florals and stripes, we stock plain designs alongside geometric, abstract and check patterns.

To mix patterns, repeat a shared colour across them and vary the scale: a large floral, a fine stripe and a plain velvet sit together comfortably.

Colours and styles for cushions and throws

We stock cushions and throws in greens, blues, pinks and creams, in warm browns, rusts and oranges, and in brighter reds, yellows and golds, with black, white, grey and natural shades for a quieter scheme. Multicoloured designs help when you want to pull a room's colours together.

Most of the range is modern in style, and we also stock classic, rustic, traditional, Scandinavian and coastal designs. To build a scheme, take a colour from your rug or curtains, repeat it in a cushion, echo it in a throw and add a contrast to keep things lively.

Pads, covers and care for cushions and throws

Check whether a cushion is sold with its pad or as a cover only. Buying the cover alone makes sense if you already have pads you like, and a pad slightly larger than the cover gives a plumper look. If the filling matters to you, a feather pad feels heavier and softer and takes a neat chop along the top, while a polyester fill is lighter and springs back into shape. A zip lets you take the cover off for cleaning.

Care differs from piece to piece, from machine washable to spot clean or dry clean only, so read the care details before you buy, especially for velvet and faux fur.