The first set of cushion covers we had were from IKEA. They worked quite well, but I eventually wanted something with more colour. I wanted to move away from the organic, simple look and bring in something more bright and eye-catching.
I came up with a two-toned cover made from blue crinkled taffeta and green satin. I liked the overall look of the cover, but I felt like it didn't work with the sofa. I think the main reason why it didn't work was because the fabrics I chose were such different textures from the sofa. The taffeta and satin were sleek and formal, while the sofa had a more casual look and feel to it. We lived with the contradiction for a time but eventually made a change.
Here are our current cushion covers. These have the colour I was aiming for, and the presence of some brown ties in nicely with the sofa. Their overall look and feel works much better than the blue/green covers I had previously tried.
Through this process I've learned that you not only need to match or coordinate colours, but also the overall look and feel. In other words, textures are really important too.
Now, what do you think of this green/cream print? It's a sample piece I picked up for something else, but now I'm eyeing it for my accent cushions. I'll hang onto it and see if I still like it when we're ready for an update. (We will be moving again in about a year, and that always provides a nice opportunity to change things up a little.)
The tale continues!
-Sarah