Looking to refresh your decor for winter? A simple, cozy seasonal swap I always rely on is swapping out some of my sofa pillows, but this year, I'm taking it one step further...
By floor four of my recent visit to the 2025 Kips Bay Decorator Show House, I noticed – quite literally – a curve in the cushion department. The usual square and rectangular accent pillows were giving way to sculptural little spheres that dotted the seating like punctuation marks – from a sprawling setup in James Huniford’s living room to a lone patterned one in J. Cohler Mason’s writing enclave, even tucked beneath the arched nooks of a built-in by Andrea Schumacher.
The throw pillows were more of a novelty until recently, says New York–based interior designer Andrea Sinkin, who had to improvise when she couldn’t source the petite, three-dimensional look she wanted. ‘Without trying to give myself too much credit here, I have been a fundamental founder of the ball train!’ she quips. ‘We started using them years ago – before my manufacturers even offered them – and we had to have them custom-made.’
Now, thanks to a robust cohort of fashion-fueled home retailers such as Crate & Barrel, CB2, Lulu and Georgia, the once-impossible-to-find design trend is suddenly everywhere, softening spaces in everything from shearling and velvet to fierce tiger jacquard.
‘There has been a multi-year move toward more organic lines in a lot of architectural spaces and furniture and decor has followed suit,’ observes Los Angeles–based designer Christine Costa Zippert. ‘We work in a lot of historical and old homes and round pillows are a smaller more contemporary touch that allows us to honor the architecture and history of the home while mixing in different periods and some more surprising elements,’ she adds.
While they’re definitely a hero accent, spherical pillows tend to fall into two styling camps: solo, or mixed with the classics. ‘We like mixing rounds with square pillows to get that perfect mix of old and new, and not make the space feel too trendy,’ Christine continues, noting her favor of styling with Turkish-cornered pillows to give rectangles a similarly soft edge. ‘I think this will give the pillows longevity even if the trend passes,’ she explains.
‘A ball pillow is an amazing accent on a daybed,’ notes designer Andrea Sinkin, who also loves them on benches, extra-wide accent chairs, and – of course – sofas.
‘On a single sofa, I would do one square pillow in each corner and then one side will have a ball pillow,' she continues – advice that, as we've gathered, is slightly controversial. While some designers (James Huniford for instance), did cluster at places like Kips, Andrea swears that 'you don’t want to have it in more than one room.'
Obviously, the jury is still out. There are no hard-and-fast rules here, but if there's anything designers do actually agree on, it's this: the 'ball pillow' has to be special. Anything approaching overzealous is just that: overkill – a sentiment echoed by nearly every expert we spoke to.
Which is to say, if you’re going to have fewer pillows, they better be great ones. Ahead, six spherical cushions to reshape a room.
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Have you heard? According to designer Molly Kidd’s Oregon home, shearling is the new bouclé – and the real sheepskin kind doesn’t come cheap. Currently on clearance (down from $150), this texture-rich throw pillow is the best trend-driven steal on the list – ready to warm up any lingering signs of summer like gingham or linen.
Speaking of texture, few do drama quite like this feather-filled faux-fur pillow by StyleCraft Home. With its long, silky strands, it feels more soft than sculptural, and arguably better for it. If you dare to double up on your 'ball pillows,' pair this with something more structured for a tactile contrast.
CB2’s Terre pillow is a cult favorite for good reason. Its beach-ball tailoring strikes that perfect playful–meets–polished balance, while the material lineup (suede, leather, velvet, shearling) feels straight out of an interiors editorial. The velvet version, in particular, feels right for fall – pair with furniture in burnt orange, navy, or cognac brown for a rich, layered mix.
Patterned ball pillows are harder to come by, but leave it to Sarah Sherman Samuel to deliver. Her Lulu and Georgia collaboration, available in four tonal velvet stripes, has a tailored-but-playful energy, adding just the right amount of personality to neutral seating or an all-white bedscape.
Animal print’s revival – kicking off around 2023 and still going strong as we near 2026 – has proven to be more than a passing phase. Give it the authority it deserves with this unexpected shape, which feels moody and dramatic paired with oxblood or black, yet surprisingly at home as the statement piece in a neutral living room.
The curve of this trend naturally lends itself to minimalists, and salt-of-the-earth styles like this red textured basketweave scratch that itch just a little more. Its organic composition balances beautifully against sleeker silhouettes – and for larger rooms (or bolder moods), it also comes in a size that makes an even bigger statement.
Simplicity is the subtext of the ‘ball pillow' trend – and, fittingly, the same ethos is shaping another designer-approved shift: the 'unipillow.' Learn why the once-coveted cushion cluster might be on its way out for good.
