The decorating process is full of mistakes (especially if you’re a Design Baby) and you’re almost never going to get it right the first time. You’ll buy things, return them, arrange, rearrange, and eventually, land on a look you love.
But a lot of interior stylists have come before you and sometimes, it’s better to learn from their mistakes than it is to remake them on your own.
When I started learning about interior styling, one of the first projects I worked on was styling my bed.
During this process, I learned how to make a king bed neatly, how to tuck in sheets, and how to position pillows on a bed. I learned about mixing patterns and adding texture.
But one piece of advice I wish I would have found and didn’t was this: never buy throw pillows that don’t have removable covers.
If you’re buying throw pillows for a couch or an accent chair, you can get away with it. But the throw pillows on your bed get used and thrown around a lot—more than you might realize. Eventually, all that wear is going to show and there won’t be anything you can do about it.
Why Should You Avoid Throw Pillows that Don’t Have Removable Covers?
Here’s why you should never buy throw pillows without covers for your bed.
They Get SO Wrinkled
Forget about dirty—throw pillows get wrinkly. Very, very wrinkly. I’m sure this varies by material and filling. But it has been a major problem for me. I have two euro pillows without covers that have been on my bed for less than a year. The fabric is wrinkled and creased beyond saving.
You Can’t Wash Them
Okay maybe don’t forget about dirty. If your pillows don’t have covers, they will be very difficult to keep clean—especially if they are white or another light color. Yes, it’s possible to put a pillow in your washing machine, but it’s not very practical and you won’t want to do it as often as you should. Washing your pillows can also mess with their shape and damage the fabric.
They Don’t Last
For all the aforementioned reasons, bed pillows without covers just don’t last as long. They get wrinkled, frumpy, and dingy, and you end up having to throw them out. This is super wasteful, and it ends up costing you double since you’ll have to buy new pillows to replace them (hopefully with covers this time).
Expert Tip: Reuse Your Old Pillows as Inserts
If you’ve already made this tragic mistake, know you are not alone. I’m currently sitting in my bedroom glaring at my sad, wrinkled euro pillows, knowing that I need to replace them. But the good news is, you don’t have to throw them away. Instead, order a set of covers and use the pillows as inserts. The covers will hide any damage that’s been done to the fabric and you won’t have to spend as much to solve the problem.
Get more Design Baby tips! Come back every Thursday for new posts.
