Premium Pillow Source: Throw & Co.

Pillows are sort of like the earrings of a room. They are great for adding a dose of personality and color and can easily be swapped out to change the aesthetic direction of the room. Just as jewelry is used to style an outfit, a few pillows change up the look of a space. If a quick makeover sounds appealing and you need some of these impactful soft goods, then might I suggest you check out Throw & Co.

Launched by designer Meg Gabriele, this site offers fabulous pillows constructed with custom trims and pedigreed, trade-only fabrics including designs from Amanda Nisbet, Brunschwig & Fils, Carleton V, Clarence House, Katherine Rally, Kelly Wearstler, Kirk Brummel, Quadrille, Raoul Textiles, and Sister Parish. Here are some shots of what you'll find at Throw & Co.:

And I had to cherry pick a few favorites from the bunch...

Mary Pink Coral (Katherine Rally) $75 

Greyson in Navy $280

Sarah (Elizabeth Eakins) $300

Keeley $280

Heather (Lilly Pulitzer) $185

Molly (Quadrille) $200

Addison (Clarence House) $280

Melly (Amanda Nisbet) $250

Hasn't Meg put together a wonderful mix? Do you have any favorites? I love all of the fabrics and trims she's selected to create the current inventory. I'll definitely keep tabs on what's for sale at Throw & Co. because it can be cheaper to order ready-made pillows rather than having a workroom make them because most trade-only fabrics have a 2-5 yard minimum yardage order...so if you only need one pillow in a particular fabric, the minimum buy really works against you. Plus it's much faster and most of my clients like quick-turnaround!

The Almighty Throw

As I proclaimed last week in my pillow post, textiles play a major role in defining the style and personality of a room. They also impact the overall function of any space and lastly, they heavily influence the comfort level. The textile mix usually includes fabrics and floor coverings and in lounging and sleeping areas, throws or blankets can be part of the mix too.

Throws and blankets are an obsession of mine because they make for a great accent and you can really use and enjoy them. Since they are so easy to add and subtract, throws are ideal for taking risks with bold color, pattern, and texture. If you're looking to liven up your living room, try draping a punchy throw over the back of the sofa. In the bedroom, lay a colorful graphic blanket over the foot of the bed (especially if you have white bedding). You'll be amazed by how big of an impact it can have! Here are some fun styles to get your imagination going...

Ripple Throw - Kelly Wearstler for SFERRA $284

Chelsea Stripe Throw - DwellStudio $175

Latzu Box Throw - Barney's $260

Gucci Luxury Throw Blanket - Brown - Amazon $210

Gunnel Blanket - Brita Sweden

Plaid Solid Throw - COCOCOZY $333

Houndstooth Alpaca Day Blanket - Brahms Mount $416

Cotton Herringbone Throw (available in 18 colors) - Brahms Mount $236

Faux Fur Throw - Calypso Home $350

Broad Stripe Throw - CB2 $59.95

Favorite Throw - West Elm $29

Chevron Throw - Jonathan Adler $595

Cubes Throw - Nest $295

Armand Diradourian Circus Stripe Throw - Barney's $795.00

Eleanor Pritchard Throw - Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co. $325

Lima Alpaca Amethyst Throw - Crate & Barrel $169

Are you throw-obsessed like I am? Do you use them in your home? Where do you put them?

Besides the ones above, I also always find lovely, high-quality throw options at:
Ralph Lauren
ABC Home
SFERRA
Barney's

Matouk
Gilt Home

From a designer perspective, Jonathan Adler's Design Your Own throw is AMAZING because you get to customize the whole shebang...you choose the design and colors. I threw this one together to illustrate...

And finally, don't forget that you can personalize any throw with your monogram. I especially like this look on classic solid colored throws. West Elm has a really pretty (and well-priced) herringbone throw that they'll actually monogram for you. If you have bigger bucks to throw around, order über luxe cashmere throws from Julia B. or Leontine Linens.

Marbled Paper and Fabrics

I've been really drawn to marbleized items over the past few months. Cool marbled things like Shandell's chandelier shades keep catching my eye and I feel like the trend is on the rise. I've always loved marbled paper goods and I'm glad to see that the style is increasingly being used on textiles in a sophisticated manner.

While I'll take the mass produced marbled designs, I particularly like things that are marbled by hand since the marbling process creates endless opportunities in terms of color palette and pattern. Through the medium, artisans can create one-of-a-kind textiles and papers...and people like you and I can buy them and have something special and unique in our home.

Thanks to the open range that is the Internet, there are lots of sources for marbleized wares. I went straight to Etsy and Ebay for the handmade and vintage items. Luxe decor purveyors like Sferra and Dransfield & Ross make some gorgeous, off-the-shelf marbled items.

1) Quartz Pillow - Kelly Wearstler for Sferra

2) Hand Marbled China Silk Wide Scarf - Etsy

3) Florentine Napkins - Dransfield & Ross via Bellissimo

4) Satin Fabric - Etsy

5) Onyx Faux Leather Pillow - Dransfield & Ross

6) Onyx Faux Leather Pillow - Dransfield & Ross

7) Marbleized Florentine Pillow - Dransfield & Ross

1) Marbled Paper - Paper Source
2) Florentine Address Book - Etsy
3) Vintage 1930s French Book - Etsy
4) Green Marbled Journal/Album - Etsy
5) Vintage Hardcover Book - Etsy
6) Turkish Marbling Address Book - Etsy
7) Marbled Scrap Pack - Etsy
8) Halo of Dust Book - Etsy

I'm really into the gold marbled pillow à la Kelly Wearstler shown above and could see that used in a bedroom or a living area. I'm also ready to start collecting vintage books with marbled covers since they would display so beautifully. Until my collection evolves, I might just use the marbled paper from Paper Source to make book covers for a set of hardbacks (I have a bunch of really random textbooks from the 70s that won't EVER get pulled from the shelves). If I decide to get fancy then I'll have a calligrapher write the book titles (which should be super interesting in my case) on the front and the spine area of the marbled covers...like these from Etsy seller Neapolitan:

What do you think of marbled things?

Black & White

I'm very into black and white. If you have a hard time making decisions or focusing on a coherent vision for your interiors, b/w is a great place to start. Then it's easy to add pops of color with accessories and the end result can be simple, chic, and timeless. I especially love patterns in black and white...when used correctly, you can get a bold, fun effect without looking tacky. Here are some examples of great rooms with b/w elements or themes.

 

Ondine Karady

  

Elle Decor

 

Madeline Weinrib

John Jacob Zwiegelaar of John Jacob Interiors

 

  

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Diane Bergeron via DecorPad 

  

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John Jacob Zwiegelaar of John Jacob Interiors

J. Crew's Upper East Side store, designed by the company's Creative Director, Jenna Lyons

via Lonny Magazine

  

mcgill design group

 

Kelly Wearstler

  

 Windsor Smith's kitchen via House Beautiful

 

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Courtney Giles

  

Via DecorPad

 

 House Beautiful

  

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Design by Nathan Turner, via Domino

Domino

  

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 Burke Decor 

 Via Absolutely Beautiful Things 

I apologize for the lack of photo credits! I have so many unlabeled pics in my coffers so please feel free to comment with sources if you know them. I'm making a point to label my screen shots now!