sarschlos_remodeler, that's a very good argument for not using an in-store decorator! :-) (Or being very stubborn if you do!) valley57, many catalogs sell the pillow covers by themselves and you have to buy the stuffers separately - a couple off the top of my head are Pottery Barn, Garnet Hill, and Restoration Hardware. Todo Es does semi-custom pillow covers. Puffy Pillow Productions has a pretty limited selection but low prices. Etsy.com has some rather interesting handmade ones. There's eBay, too, of course. For someone who really really wants decorative pillows with leather furniture but finds down too squashy, a little scrap of that rubbery mesh that's used for lining shelves or anchoring rugs tacked with a few stitches to the back of the pillow, just above the bottom seam, will often keep them from slithering off. Query: Am I the only one on this planet who thinks throws look a bit messy? I feel very odd because it seems like everyone's so "into" throws. Maybe it's a leftover from my stepmother indoctrinating me into never leaving something draped over a piece of furniture instead of putting it away. :-) We have some small blankets (50x72" throws from Land's End) for "nesting" on the couch when it's cold but I keep them rolled or folded up in a basket when they're not in use. Or I try to anyway, DH tends to just leave them wadded up on the couch. *affectionate eyeroll*

Patricia- your story made my day! Sounds like something my father would do. I would love to wait on paint, but DH is insisting we do it before the new floor is in, which is happening well before the furniture is moved. *sigh* I guess he will learn about that part of decorating if we have to repaint because our color pick looks horrible with our furniture. anele- I was thinking about a creamy color I suppose, though I am so tired of living in a vanilla rental box. The biggest problem I'm running into with the couch is that many tones (even some non-neutrals) are making the couch appear yellow. So I'm still playing around with it. The other issue is that whatever color we pick for the living room will need to go down the hall (see my flooring x-post in this forum for a few pics) since there isn't a good place to transition the color. I will probably make yet another thread about paint after I take some good pictures tomorrow. holly-kay: I think I'm going to sneak the cow in and put her in the office with some fun, bright curtains! I think DH will let me get away with a little more in there :)

As a professional, I have sewn throw pillows for more than 10 years. Usually they were needlepoint tops, which needed blocking before sewing. If I had to add a zipper (difficult with ANY sort of trim), I'd add at least $10 per pillow, and more if they wanted it in the outside edge seam of the pillow. First question - why do you want a zipper? Do you want to be able to clean the cover? If so, an overlap closure with buttons or velcro in the center back of the pillow is a better solution - less bulk than a zip. Zippers are also damned difficut to put in a seam with trims. Second question - does the pillow need to be reversible? If not, the overlap closure with a zipper is possible. If yes, the the overlap is best done with decorative buttons and button holes. I can't even begin to tell you how many customers wanted their needlepointed pillows with the two or three fancy trims who wanted me to insert a zipper into the seam. I charged at least $10/trim piece plus the $10/zipper. With loopy or ribbon fringe - PLEASE do not rip out the chain stitch holding the loops in place! If you do, I will seriously charge another $10 per pillow, because I have to groom the stuff every single inch to make sure your lovely fringey bits aren't stuck in a seam. With rope type cording with a lip, I still have to unravel 2 inches on each end of the cord, and weave them together, and resew. You will not see the tape, but you don't want a zipper in that seam either. It's bulky and difficult to open and close, and it will eventually snag that lovely trim. There really isn't a way to incorporate a zipper into a seam with these heavy trims, and have it look good, at least not for a reversible pillow. Do a nicely finished overlapped closure with decorative buttons, or velcro, or even a zipper with a deep overlap to cover it. You'll get a better pric if you simply opt for a sewn-up pillow. Just like your sofa or other upholstered furniture, they can be cleaned. All that said, you are getting a good price on those pillows. I'm retired now, but I'd have charged you at least that.

pocopson, I have been dealing with this and my solution is: I have a sofa table behind my couch, and when I have guests over, the pillows go underneath the sofa table. I am trying DESPERATLEY to find a huge rattan basket to fit underneath the sofa table, but haven't yet! The area beneath my sofa table is unused, so that is my plan. I will even buy two to sit next to each other if I could find them. My problem is they are either too wide (depth-wise) or too deep. Maybe I need a new sofa table LOL!