Colourful Cushions

Becky Lee with her utterly unique and colourful cushions

This month we catch up with talented Christchurch interior designer Becky Lee to get her advice on colours and cushions.

words: Essence images: Dean Mackenzie Photographer

essence: How should we think about colour in the home, particularly in relation to cushions?

Becky: There’s a classic design rule known as the 60:30:10 rule that guides the amount of each colour in a space. 60% is your main colour, often the wall colour, 30% is the secondary colour, often curtains, rugs or upholstered furniture and 10% is the fun bit - the accent colour.

Cushions are a fantastic way to tie together colour schemes. Look for designs that contain your accent colour or even better contain all three - floral designs are great for this! Cushions are a fun opportunity to try more adventurous colour combinations without the full commitment of a large area such as a wall or curtains. They really are quite powerful tools in design, often the cherry on top that brings a whole scheme to life.

Using different sized cushions together can add more visual interest, especially if mixing patterns and colours. A generous 50cm square cushion at the back, with a shallower, rectangular cushion sitting in front of it in a different fabric can create a potent vignette. Cushions can be used on chairs, window seats, beds…any spot that needs a touch of colour or comfort. But be careful to consider scale. A small, occasional chair with a large cushion will look out of balance, as will a king size bed with a single small cushion in front of the pillows.

essence: How can you keep your cushions looking good?

Becky Lee: Cushions made with quality furnishing fabrics should last many years, provided you follow the washing instructions. But also remember that NZ sunlight is particularly harsh so protect your fabrics from sunlight.

Mass produced cushions made with low quality fabrics and filled with polyester fill, are unlikely to last long and stay looking great. I think we all need to be more aware of the impacts of purchasing low-cost homewares, it is much more planet positive to buy once and buy well.

essence: What is the best option for cushion inners?

Becky Lee: Polyester fill (essentially a type of plastic) deteriorates relatively quickly, often becoming lumpy and uncomfortable and once it’s at that point, there’s no reviving it and so the inners end up in landfill. Good quality feather inners offer better comfort, are easily revived with a good airing and plumping and should last for many years. There are now strong standards around the production of feather inners and bird welfare. So ask the question and make sure you are purchasing ethical feather inners. Industry tip: make sure the inner is always 5cm larger than the cushion cover. So a 50cm square cushion cover needs a 55cm square inner. This will ensure the cushion looks luxurious and generously filled.

essence: Tell us a bit about what goes into making your beautiful cushions?

Becky Lee: I live for mixing colours and sourcing beautiful fabrics to create really special statement pieces. All my cushions are thoughtfully designed, piped in one colour, backed in another and even the zip colour is carefully considered. It’s all about the dance of the colours, and it means each design is unique. I’m also very passionate about sustainable luxury and at every part of the process that I can control, this is a guiding force.