The Best Coastal Throw Pillows

Fabrics: linen, cotton and outdoor acrylic

Real linen is the fabric most people picture in a beach house: dry to the touch, slightly crumpled, matte in sunlight. It breathes, softens with every wash and creases by nature – which is part of the look. Linen-look polyester copies the slubby weave for much less and creases far less, but it feels smoother and less airy. Cotton and cotton-ramie blends sit in between, with a crisper hand and plenty of texture.

Outdoor fabrics have come a long way. Sunbrella, the best-known brand, is 100% solution-dyed acrylic: the color is added before the fiber is spun, so it runs all the way through, and the fabric is made to resist fading, water, stains, mold and mildew. For a porch, a pool deck or a window that gets sun all afternoon, it is the fabric to choose.

Colors and patterns that read coastal

Start with solids in sand, white, oatmeal or greige, add one or two in pale blue or sea-glass green, and finish with a single darker accent – navy, charcoal or a warm rust. Keep patterns quiet: ticking and cabana stripes, a simple check, a one-color block print. Texture counts as pattern too: a nubby ramie cover next to a smooth linen one is enough contrast for most rooms.

What to skip: printed anchors, starfish, crabs and lighthouses, and any pillow with a word on it. One quirky pillow can be charming; three make a theme. Our modern coastal style guide covers the palette for the whole room.

Sizes and how many per sofa

• Standard three-seat sofa: three to five pillows – for example two 20-inch squares at the ends, two 18-inch squares in front of them and one lumbar in the middle.
• Loveseat or armchair: one or two squares, or a single lumbar on a deep seat.
• Bed: Euro shams (26 inches) against the headboard, then sleeping pillows, then one lumbar or a pair of 20-inch squares.
• Inserts: use an insert at least as large as the cover; one size up looks fuller and keeps the corners from going flat.

Indoor or outdoor pillows?

Outdoor pillows can come inside, and in a sunny room they are often the better choice, because solution-dyed fabric holds its color where cotton and linen fade. The difference is the feel: outdoor acrylic is crisper than linen. Use it where pillows meet sun, damp or sandy feet – a sunroom, a porch, a beach rental – and keep linen for the sofa you sink into.

Outside, even outdoor pillows last longer when they come in during long spells of rain and over winter. Water-resistant covers shed a shower, but an ordinary polyester insert inside will still soak up water. For chairs, a dedicated cushion works better than loose pillows – see the cushion pick in our Adirondack chair guide – and our coastal patio ideas show how to bring the indoor palette outside.

Care: washing and sun fading

• Linen and linen-look covers: close the zipper, wash on a gentle cycle and dry flat or on the line. Iron linen while it is slightly damp if you want it smoother.
• Sunbrella: Sunbrella recommends a solution of 1/4 cup of mild soap per gallon of lukewarm water (about 60 ml per 3.8 liters), a soft brush, a thorough rinse and air drying only. For mold or mildew it allows a diluted bleach solution.
• Sun fading: turn and rotate pillows now and then, and keep linen out of strong afternoon sun – or use outdoor fabric there.
• Inserts: plump them often, spot clean polyester inserts and replace them when they stay flat.

How we chose

We started with what a coastal pillow has to do – look natural, hold its color and wash easily – and then compared fiber content, closures, sizes and care instructions on manufacturer pages and store listings, and Sunbrella's own information for the outdoor fabric. Most pillow brands publish little beyond their store listings, so where a listing was unclear we left the detail out. We have not used these pillows ourselves. More ideas for the room are in the coastal furniture section.