How to Style a King Bed with Pillows: Your Ultimate Pillow Styling Guide

Styling your bed with pillows can transform your king-size bed into a stunning focal point of your bedroom, reflecting your personality and ensuring a restful sleep. Spend some time to get the look and feel that make it an attractive and inviting place, one that is uniquely your own.

Here is what we will cover:

• Types of Pillows for King Beds
• Pillow Sizes and Shapes for Beds
• Pillowcases and Shams Explained
• How to Arrange King & Queen Bed Pillows
• Styling Tips for Bed Pillow Arrangements
• Updating Worn Pillows

Types of Pillows for Styling Your Bed

The most interesting pillow arrangements include a variety of pillow types, sizes, and shapes. Here are the basic types of pillows:

Sleeping Pillow: The core of your king bed pillow arrangement will be your sleeping pillows. These are selected based on your sleep style (side, back, stomach) and any special needs, such as allergies or neck issues. For a king-size bed, use king pillows to provide extra width and support. For a queen-size bed, standard pillows are typically used. These pillows are usually covered with a pillow protector and pillowcase to ensure both comfort and longevity.

Euro Pillow: A Euro pillow is square and often sized at 26x26 inches. These pillows are primarily decorative and are usually placed in front of your standard sleeping pillows to enhance the visual appeal of your pillow arrangement. They are often covered with Euro shams, which add texture, color, and style to your bed's overall look. Incorporating Euro shams is a great way to tie in your bedding with the room’s interior design.

Lumbar: A lumbar pillow is designed to support your back, useful if you suffer from lower back pain or want to improve your posture while reading or watching TV in bed. This may be a large, substantial pillow that cradles your entire back and head, or a smaller pillow that fits into your lower back. 

Bolster or Roll: Similar to a lumbar pillow, a bolster may be used as a body pillow or to support your back or knees. It is usually long and cylindrical.

Body Pillow: These pillows are sleep aids, made to help cushion the entire body during sleep. Thus, they are longer than other pillows. They may be contoured or made from different materials to assist in their job to support the body.

Throw Pillow: Another name for a decorative pillow, throw pillows may be any shape or size, with different textures and designs. They may have fringe or other decorative edging. They are purely for fun and style and are used on beds, armchairs, loveseats, sofas, window seats, and even deck and patio furniture. Versatile and varied, they add aesthetic appeal to any space.

Pillow Sizes and Shapes

Knowing pillow sizes will help you get the right size, number, and style of pillows for your intended pillow arrangement. The size of your bed may influence your choice of pillow sizes.

Bed Pillows: Bed pillows are generally sized as follows:

• Standard (20x26 in)
• Queen (20x28 in)
• King (20x30 in) Ideal for a king bed pillow arrangement, these pillows provide extra width and support, making them a key component in achieving a balanced look on a larger bed.
• Body pillow (20x54 in)

Euro Pillows: These square pillows, typically sized at 26x26 inches, are often used in front of sleeping pillows to enhance the overall appearance of a king bed pillow arrangement. Euro shams add texture and color, contributing to a cohesive design.

Decorative or Throw Pillows: Throw pillows come in various shapes and sizes and are essential for adding layers to your king bed pillow arrangement. Common sizes include 16x16 or 24x24 inches, but they can also be rectangular or round, depending on your desired look.

Lumbar Pillows and Bolsters: These pillows vary in size and are often used in a king bed pillow arrangement to add depth and support. A common lumbar pillow size is 14x22 inches, while popular bolster sizes include a length of 20 inches and a diameter of 7 inches.

Decorative or throw pillows, round pillows, and floor pillows don’t have standard sizes, but 16x16 or 24x24 are the most common sizes for throw pillows. They may be rectangular or round. Floor pillows are great for lounging and are usually large squares, at 36x36 inches.

Pillowcases, Shams, and Pillow Protectors

Part of your pillow arrangement will be to choose pillow coverings. There are three types of pillow covers, each with different functions.

Pillow Protector: A pillow protector is a closed covering that protects your sleep pillow from contamination. It helps stop skin oils, dirt, sweat, saliva, or other contaminants from reaching the pillow itself. Unlike a pillowcase, the pillow protector is usually closed with a zipper and is made from a protective material, usually tightly woven cotton or a cotton-polyester blend. Some may be coated with a plastic or vinyl barrier to completely block contaminants from getting through. A pillow protector will help reduce allergic reactions from sleeping on a dirty pillow and will help extend the life of your pillow. Pillow protectors are not decorative and are enclosed along with the pillow inside the pillowcase or sham.

Pillowcase: Pillowcases are used to protect the pillow and help it blend in with the bedding. While a pillow protector is more effective at shielding the pillow, pillowcases are used in addition to a protector and may be changed out frequently. Pillowcases generally come as part of a matching bedding set that includes a fitted sheet, flat sheet, and either one (twin) or two (double-king) pillowcases, depending on the bed size. Pillowcases are open on one end and easily slip over your pillows. They are available in different sizes to match your pillow size, so be aware of what size bed pillows you are using on the bed. They may be cotton, polyester blend, satin, or even silk, depending on your sleep preferences and tastes.

Pillow Sham: Pillow shams are purely decorative. Unlike pillowcases, they may have a different and more creative design than the bedding set. They may have a border, flange, or cording around the edge. Unlike the side opening on a pillowcase, shams usually have the opening at the center back to help fully conceal the pillow. Rather than being part of a bed sheet set, pillow shams usually come with a comforter or other bed sets and provide a matching or offsetting color to bring more interest to the bedding. Like pillowcases, they come in standard, queen, king, and euro sizes.

Arranging Pillows on a King or Queen Size Bed

There are many ways to arrange pillows to give your bedroom a new look. It can be fun and colorful or cozy and welcoming. Some prefer classic elegance and style. Make the most of your favorite Euro shams, throw pillows, and sleeping pillows by arranging them creatively on your bed for a fresh and inviting look. This section provides tips for styling your bed and achieving an eye-catching king bed pillow arrangement.

Simple but Striking

You don’t need a lot of pillows for an attractive arrangement. Set up your sleeping pillows vertically to create a backdrop and then offset them with throw pillows that contrast or highlight the pillowcase and bedding colors. Consider using accent pillows to add visual interest and emphasize the focal point of your bed.

Highlight Bolsters or Lumbar Pillows

Bolsters and lumbar pillows, when placed in front of your Euro shams or rectangular sleeping pillows, add interest and depth with their contrasting shape and size. Incorporate these pillows into your king bed pillow arrangement to enhance the overall look.

Simple Three-Layer Arrangement

A simple arrangement that gives your bed a three-dimensional, decorative look is to place your sleeping pillows horizontally, then place two pillows in decorative Euro shams in front of them. Add depth with a set of three smaller throw pillows in front. Offsetting even and odd numbers of pillows also adds interest to the look and helps achieve a balanced king bed pillow arrangement.

King Bed Arrangements

A king-size bed will accommodate three pillows horizontally. Place your king or queen-size pillows vertically in the back, followed by a set of standard pillows, either in contrasting pillowcases or Euro shams in front, and then add smaller decorative pillows in front to complete the king bed pillow arrangement.

Use Different Sizes and Shapes

Round, oval, bolster, and other rounded-edge pillow shapes soften the overall appearance of your pillow arrangement. They also add a visual point of interest, especially if used as accent pillows or a colorful highlight as with this striking Star Wars™ Astromech bed set.

Add Interest with Different Textures

Incorporate different textures into your pillow arrangement to add interest and warmth. Texture can come from a rustic or thick weave, boucle cloth made with looped fibers, simulated fur, soft velvet, corduroy, or any other type of textured fabric that catches your eye. These may be pillows, or you can just use them as pillow shams on pillows already in your collection.

Bold Colors

Start your day in a good mood with a cheerful and fun bed covered in a selection of pillows in bright, solid colors that really wake up your bed. Pick contrasting colors or shades for the greatest impact. To add to the creative look, add as many pillows as you want.

Use Patterns and Shades that Pop

Patterns can help you highlight a theme in your bedroom, such as this tropical look. Incorporate pillows that highlight themes in your bedroom artwork and furnishings. Include some solid color pillows so that mixed patterns do not become overwhelming but stand out on their own.

More Tips on Pillows

Variety: The Spice of Life

Remember, you can change up your pillow arrangements at any time for variety or to highlight bedding changes or other updates in your bedroom. Many people set up seasonal arrangements or update their king-size bed with a fresh pillow arrangement to celebrate holidays and special occasions. Have fun with your pillow arranging and don’t feel bound to any one design. Let your bedroom always feel fresh and new with different styles and pillow combinations. Incorporate contrasting colors in your pillows to make your bedroom feel fresh and vibrant.

Update Your Worn Sleeping Pillows

Your sleeping pillows should hold their shape and support you comfortably as you sleep. When arranging pillows, ensure they do not sag or droop. A worn pillow will not bounce back if folded, and if it's past its useful life—usually about two years—you may begin to experience neck pain, headaches, allergies, or other issues. For the best king-size bed pillow arrangement, replace worn-out pillows to ensure both comfort and an aesthetically pleasing look.

Sobel Westex Knows Pillows

Sobel Westex specializes in the design and manufacture of high-quality luxury hospitality pillows. Whether you want soft, medium, or firm, hypoallergenic, down, or eco-friendly, you'll find a great selection of top-quality pillows available from Sobel at Home. Discover their collection of decorative Euro shams and throw pillows that will complement your king-size bed pillow arrangement and enhance your bedroom decor.