If you can't buy it, make it.

Jonathan Adler in House Beautiful

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to give your old furniture a new look is with a few new throw pillows. And so, in an effort to "work with what I've got" while still sating my desire to start fresh, I've been doing some online browsing for a few pillows for the new house. And while I've found some absolutely beautiful choices (like some of the Jonathan Adler pillows shown in the picture above), I'm just not willing to shell out hundreds of dollars on a throw pillow -- especially when I've got empty rooms to furnish. Besides, with three pets and a fondness for eating in front of the TV, I don't particularly want a pillow that I'm petrified will be ruined. On the other hand, I've been sorely disappointed with the more budget-friendly options, which all seem to be (a) boring, (b) poorly made, (c) too trendy, or (d) some combination of the three.

So what's the solution? Make my own? Yes, I could easily buy a 1/2 yard of fabric and whip up a pillow cover on my mom's sewing machine...but I'll be honest, that's probably not going to happen anytime soon. So I think I'll let Inmod do the dirty work while I get to play designer. Inmod's website lets you design the pillow of your dreams in just a few easy steps -- and it's really quite a lot of fun to play around with their program. You simply select the pattern, fabric (anything from cotton to silk dupioni), size (18" square or 26" square), the fabric color, and finally the embroidery colors. Yes, you read that right: embroidery colors. These images aren't just screened onto canvas, they're embroidered, which means they'll last you a good long time.

A few of my favorite "experiments" are above. Inmod's patterns range from more traditional damasks and florals to modern pop art, though I'd describe most of the patterns as geometric or modern. I wish the color choices for fabrics was a bit broader, but their embroidery colors are more varied so you'll still probably be able to find just about any color combination that you're looking for. The prices for the pillows I "designed" ranged from $45-$85, depending on size and fabric choice. While I can't speak for the quality, I'm thinking about ordering up one just to test it out. If I do, I'll be sure to update you on how it turned out.

Happy designing!