Pillow talk: Black-and-white graphic designs make a bold statement

  • By Laura Pearson Chicago Tribune
  • Tuesday, September 22, 2015 3:53pm
  • Life

Scandinavian design prioritizes simplicity, utility and clean lines — all of which are captured in Ikea’s popular Stockholm cushion. Featuring a monochrome pattern in a soft cotton-velvet blend, the throw pillow is not only versatile, but it also sells for just $14.99 (currently available at select Ikea stores), which helps explain its ubiquity. Plus, a graphic accent in the form of a pillow or throw can really make furniture pop.

Want to go your own route? Plenty of other options exist. Here, we toss out four more pillow ideas, plus one wacky “bonus” suggestion: A cushion that doubles as a back massager because — why not?

Grid knit black throw pillow, $65 at Unison. Unison specializes in practical bedding and housewares for contemporary spaces. With its bold black squares and thin white lines, this graphic throw pillow — made of 80 percent U.S.-grown cotton and 20 percent acrylic — modernizes any interior. It’s likely to last longer than an Ikea cushion, and there’s something very awesomely ’80s about the grid pattern. www.unisonhome.com

Prim 18-inch pillow, $34.95 at CB2. Created by Brooklyn-based designer Aelfie Oudghiri and available exclusively from CB2, this 100 percent cotton pillow offers some options. One side features a geometric grid pattern — flocked black lines and thin white rectangles — but flip it over, and the other side is solid white. For the pillow insert, choose plush feather down or a down alternative (100 percent polyester fill). www.cb2.com

Zardozi Kandhari pillow, $49 (marked down from $95) at ABC Carpet &Home. For something a bit more sophisticated, this handcrafted cotton pillow — created in collaboration with Zardozi, a nongovernmental organization that helps thousands of impoverished Afghan women earn a living — features an intricate embroidering technique known as Khamak. One side of the pillow is decorated — designs inspired by repeating patterns in nature — while the other side is solid beige. www.abchome.com

Marimekko Tiiliskivi black-and-white throw pillow, $50 at Always Mod. This 100 percent cotton, mod-looking pillow features fabric from Marimekko, the famous Finnish company, and was designed by Marimekko founder Armi Ratia. The spacing of the white lines over a deep black backdrop lends uniqueness to the grid pattern. www.alwaysmod.com

Classic M Cushion, $119.99 at M Cushion. When news of this particular pillow landed in our lap, we simply had to include it. The M Cushion is less about fashion and more about a secret function (the kind of item that makes you miss SkyMall). The monochromatic Greek key pattern — one of several available covers designed by Jay Godfrey — isn’t bad, but the real draw is the cushion’s ability to provide a heated shiatsu massage. (Bidirectional massage heads are tucked inside the pillow.) Just plug it in for 20 minutes, and press a discreet button to operate. www.mcushion.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.