The other day, my friend, who is decorating her new house, said she wanted to go find some throw pillows. I offered to go with her as I realized it had been ages since I had gotten any throw pillows, and even had one belonging to my ex, which should have been thrown out the door with him.
What might have been a quick trip to a home goods store turned into a rumination. First of all, the store aisle labeled them “toss” pillows. Somehow this implies disrespect as you toss out expired food, junk mail, pants with waistbands, or even “toss cookies” after too much Riunite Lambrusco. These pillows were actually mini works of art in different shades, sizes, and textures. We had laid them out on the floor in different combinations and gave anyone else wandering into the aisle the side eye. I worried when it looked like my friend was gravitating towards the same throw pillow as I was. I tried to dissuade her by saying that particular color did not complement her complexion and snatched it away. It was not my finest moment.
This was more time than I have ever spent thinking about throw pillows. Mostly because they are not the main event: not the couch or the chair or the chaise lounge. We tend to take them for granted. Throw pillows may seem invisible, but they are essential for back support, TV watching, meditation, kids play, and a napping pad for Mr. Tibbs. They are the afterthought of the interior decoration world, but think of all the color they add to daily life. No one wants a lily-white throw pillow.
I get that some prefer a matchy, matchy décor where everything is literally cut from the same cloth. No contrast. Monochromatic is their mantra. I mean, vanilla is fine, but an ice cream parlor it does not make.
There are certain things that can truly destroy home decoration: an egotistic decorator who thinks their way is the only way, mismanagement of the budget, or installers who are too afraid to speak up when something is going wrong. It is rarely the addition of a mere accent.
Well, isn’t there such a thing as too many throw pillows, you may ask? Certainly, you can have a plethora, but they rarely are so abundant that they crowd you entirely off the couch. Your golden retriever may do that, but not the accessory.
Throw pillows also don’t pose much of a danger. They don’t come with warning labels like turkey deep fryers, laundry pods that look like candy, or salmon sperm facials. Although I still don’t understand why pillows that have that weird “under penalty of law this tag is not to be removed except by the consumer.” I mean, is there the Pillow Police? Is that really a national law enforcement priority? If it’s about PP, shouldn’t their time be better spent seeking out and convicting Pedophiles and Predators who have destroyed girls and young women?
Ultimately, people should be able to decorate their homes as they want and live peacefully within them without intrusion. Because at the end of the day, you can certainly forcibly take the pillows and throw them or toss them out. But then life would be decidedly less comfortable.
