By David Gill
Of all the product categories within the home textiles, decorative pillows are the ultimate survivors. They sell no matter what the economic climate is: recession, depression, boom, bust.
Down economic cycles have proven to be particularly advantageous to this category. The beauty of decorative pillows is that they enable a homeowner to change the decor in his or her home with only a small expenditure—and without the necessity of spending thousands of dollars on an entire new living-room or bedroom set.
Also, decorative pillows are a category in which manufacturers can be freewheeling in terms of design and colors. As can be seen in the grouping here, pillows work as accents in a variety of styles, from traditional to contemporary. Even the most electric of colors and contemporary of designs can work on decorative pillows, in terms of their ability to match the decor in the rest of the room.
Ox Bow Decor
Napoleon is one of the decorative pillows in Ox Bow Decor’s French Gentlemen collection, which the company debuted at this summer’s New York International Gift Fair. As with Napoleon, all of the pillows in the grouping are designed with caricatures of animals dressed as French gentlemen. The pillows measure 20-by-20 inches and are made of 100 percent linen. Their suggested retail price is less than $100. oxbowdecor.com
Elite Leather
Elite Leather Co., which for more than 50 years has been a manufacturer of highly styled furniture, is now in the business of decorative pillows as well. Recently, it launched a line of 34 pillows, including Vogue Pekoe, a contemporary-styled pillow pictured here. The line is priced to retail at from $75 to $125. eliteleather.com
Jovi Home
Dunes, part of Jovi Home’s lineup of decorative pillows, reflects the company’s design philosophy that sees every individual as unique, with distinct needs for color and expression. The pillow is designed in textural stripes in a variety of colors, with blue and green shades predominating. It also is in keeping with Jovi Home’s mission of offering products that are ahead of current trends. jovihome.com
Safavieh
Having entered the category earlier this year, Safavieh enlarged its decorative-pillow collection at the summer Las Vegas Market and at the New York Home Fashions Market in September. One of the new items is Iris, in the Cyprus red colorway. Safavieh’s pillows are made in a variety of fabrications with either a down and feather fill or a polyester fill. safavieh.com
Sferra
The Abbey collection, seen here, is one of a limited line of decorative pillows offered by Sferra. Made in Italy, this line features a subtle wood grain pattern pressed into a rich velvet, and stitched together with a coordinating, variegated-color fringe. The group is available in five colors: auburn, champagne, chocolate, midnight and silver. sferra.com