We at Tchochkes would like to give a special thank you to PILLOWfolly for sponsoring the Pick a Pillow contest. If you’re just visiting the site for the first time today, sorry, the contest is over – but we’ll have more in the future. (The winner will be announced in a few days.)
Here’s the dilemma – do I write this in the way I would if I wasn’t the one who approached PILLOWfolly and suggested we do this contest? In other words, do I give my opinion filled with honesty and a dash of snark? Because as you all know – there is one pillow in the group that I just don’t get.
Some of you didn’t like any of the PILLOWfolly pillows, which is fair enough. I would like to know what you do like – so for the people who disliked all of the pillows – a small request / challenge for you – comment here and give a link of a pillow that you do like. And why. I’m really interested in the why.
Ok – on to the opinions…
I’m starting off with my favorite. I love the flowers, I love the colors and I love the striped flange. I even like the word flange. The colors also fit my house really well and my sofa is screaming for this.
The one above and the one below are tied for second place. I love the colors of the Lime Paisley Print above and I like how the paisley is more of a nod to paisley shape wise then a true paisley pattern (which would make it just too 80s, even for me.) I even like the pom pom trim.
I know this choice is probably shocking many of you. I love it. Love love love it. Actually, when I first wrote the contest post it was my favorite. First off, it’s linen – which is one of my favorite fabrics. Then there’s the pattern – grandma-ish flowers. Anyone who knows me knows I dig grandma-ish flowers. My sofas would be slipcovered in a pattern like this if I thought my husband would stay in such a home. It’s just so pretty and cozy. The more I look at it, the more I like it. I just really like this pillow. Actually, maybe it’s tied for first instead?
I dig the toile.
And who can say no to roosters on acid? Seriously though, this is such a classic French country choice I wasn’t surprised that Krug95 chose it. And as I have an oh so slight obsession with all things French country this was another one I thought a lot about this week.
We like plaid and we needed one that looked different than the rest. This is an inoffensive pillow. No major world changing design going on. Colors are nice. Tassels are always good. I don’t do coral, but this would have looked amazing in Patti’s old place in Tel Aviv – she’s big into coral. I’m more on the teal side. Love silk shantung (the fabric.)
How to put this… meh.
It reminds me too much of my mom’s sofa. My mom has a human size cut out of Betty Boop in her sun room. Granted, she is a lovely woman with a deep love of all things kitsch, has a fabulous sense of humor and an infectious laugh – but she’s been wearing Pepto Bismol colored polyester suits for over 20 years now. As such, I can’t go there. Sorry, we all have our interior design baggage and this would be mine.
These aren’t my colors. I can recognize how stylish it is and I know that this is a major look in interior design today. It just doesn’t do a blessed thing for me.
I love the color combination and pomegranates are a major theme in Israel for patterns and pottery.
Which leaves one – my least favorite – the one I just didn’t get.
Yeah, I know. This was one of the favorites and I just don’t get it.
I love Italy but that doesn’t mean I want it on my pillow. The more I look at it the more I would expect to see it in a house filled with paint by numbers art (which admittedly could be quite cool under certain circumstances, but that isn’t changing the fact that I’m not “feelin” this pillow). The only reason why I’m comfortable saying such a thing, knowing that the wonderful owners of PILLOWfolly will be reading it, is the fact that none of you seem to agree with me. I’m totally ok with being the only one who doesn’t get it. I also am not fond of olives and I hate coffee. Sometimes it’s ok to be alone in the world – this would be one of those times.
A special thank you to all who participated.
Shira Abel is the CEO and founder of Hunter & Bard, an award-winning public relations and design agency that works with scale-ups and enterprises on building their brand, awareness and thought leadership.
As CEO of Hunter & Bard, Shira oversees a team that manages public relations, marketing, design, and brand development for clients across multiple industries. She develops strategies for organically growing companies through sincere digital engagement and the application of behavioral marketing.
Clients include JELD-WEN, Benchling, Sixth Continent, Totango, Folloze, Radix DLT, Axa Tech, Allianz, and many more. Shira is also a sought after corporate speaker and marketing mentor, and has spoken at events such as Confluence and Content Marketing World, and taught at institutions such as Kellogg School of Management and S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research in Mumbai.
Read more about Shira’s company Hunter & Bard at https://www.hunterandbard.com
I could only pick one, but if I was allowed another choice I would have liked the Lime Paisley second to the Coral plaid. Both have joyful colors that appeal to me.
I’m with you on the Italian scene, though I wasn’t able to explain why. Just had a gut level reaction to it. After reading your comments, I think you explained what I felt.
I think it’s great that Kerry Ann from PillowFolly designs pillows in a range of styles, colors and materials, so there’s something for everyone. I think it’s interesting how some liked a pillow, while others didn’t. Just goes to show how beautiful it is to be unique. Wouldn’t it be dull if we all picked the same one to like, and the same one to dislike?
Now your not liking olives and coffee (separately of course) – what a travesty 😉
Carmen – Exactly! This was one of Patti’s favorite pillows – and I know that if she put it in a room it would look great. But I would never have picked it out. I love the differences in taste we have. Although it’s not easy to critique something when you like the designer (Kerry Ann is a wonderfully nice person people.)
~s
Ok, so I’m taking up the challenge. I did a quick google to find pillows that I like, and here are some samples
1. I love these pillows from Livingstones – they are definitely not a standard pillow, but that’s what I love about them. I see they are sold in Israel by Tollmans: http://www.livingstones.fr/
2. I love a lot of the pillows on this site – not all of them, but enough of them – i love the colors and designs: http://www.topanien.com/homedecor/allpillows.html
3. I like patchwork pillows, depending on the design – but I couldn’t find one I liked easily to post here
4. I love Scrabble pillows – I like the fact that something well known is turned into a pillow (I guess that’s why I like the livingstones pillows too….)
Hi Nicole,
Thank you so much for taking up the challenge! I love the Livingstones pillows – totally agreed on that one.
But you lost me on the topanien. Don’t get it, can’t go there.
Love patchwork too – but my guess is we wouldn’t agree on those bc I’m more into the twee style with pretty delicate flowers and such – not your style at all.
Love that you did this! Thank you!
-s
I didn’t like any of the pillows so much. I don’t like antique, and it seems like your janner of “floral” is different from mine. I like the top image at http://www.katyelliott.com/blog/2008/04/etsy-find-pretty-sweet-floral-pillows.html. But mostly I like modern, with texture, or ethnic-with-color. That said, IMO two pillows per sofa, one per chair is the ideal number.
Sarit,
LOVE that top pillow. Nice find!
-s
Hi! Delurking to share some pillows:) None of the pillows appealed to me, because I like pillows like these:
http://tinyurl.com/yg56e5t & http://tinyurl.com/yedgz95 (Blu Dot)
http://tinyurl.com/ykggaeb (Inhabit)
http://tinyurl.com/y9cmgnp (Mariescosycushions on Etsy)
or even http://tinyurl.com/kuryvt (Jonathan Adler)
Love your blog!
Olga – Thank you for the compliments! I loved all of the pillows you listed minus the bolster – which I liked the concept of but not the fabrics.
{and thank you for de-lurking to join in!}
-s
You know, truth be told, I’d have preferred the bolster in a different fabric as well, something like a linen actually. But I do love the shape.
Olga, I like your JA pick. I love the simple, yet modern elegance of that Jonathon Adler pillow. I am kind of biased as I love just about everything Adler designs.
Some of the other decorative pillows I like:
Shine Home : http://www.shopshinehome.com/infinitypillowwithswarovskicrystals2.aspx
Pillow Throw Decor: http://icraft.ca/product-14511.php?forced=creator
French pillow by Bliss Studio: http://www.burkedecor.com/French_24_Pillow_by_Bliss_Studio_p/pl-1332%20ivo.htm
At first, I liked the Italian Seashore but then I saw its flaws…? For instance, it’s too realistic of a rendering to be kitschy and too home-made using a bad needlepoint pattern to be exquisite…
I don’t like the Antique Urn Pillow because it looks so threadbare and not in a Shabby Chic, quaintly insouciantly old kind of way.
Tracy,
I dunno, I think the Urn pillow look could be the monitor. Cause it doesn’t look threadbare on mine at all…
-s