What’s the difference between a cushion and a pillow?

People often ask, “What’s the difference between a cushion and a pillow?” Today, we have an answer for you:

Generally, people use the word “pillow” for the thing you put under your head when you sleep.

It’s kind of oblong in shape and has a soft, washable cotton cover, called a pillow case. Our friends at Lifsons in Cape Town make a wide range of bed pillows, and we love the linen pillow cases by Mungo.

In this picture you can see two bed pillows covered in white cotton under the pile of Skinny laMinx cushions.

Cushions, on the other hand, are the soft decorative objects we love arranging on our sofas for comfort and decor. The confusion comes in because Scatter Cushions are also known as Throw Pillows. Essentially though, they are exactly the same things.

Cushion covers (or Throw Pillows) are usually made of sturdy textile or upholstery fabric.

They often close with a zip (we use invisible zips in our cushion covers) and sometimes they have piping in colours to accentuate the design, like these ones do.

People spend a lot of time choosing a selection of scatter cushions (or throw pillows) in different shapes, patterns and colours. The reason we offer our cushions in so many different patterns, plain colours and different shapes is that they are a really important part of establishing a decor style and colour scheme.

At Skinny laMinx, we’re really good at helping you make these choices. Don’t hesitate to email us if you need some help and advice!

Did that answer your question about the difference between a cushion and a pillow? Where it can become a bit muddled is when people use the terms Throw Pillows and Scatter Cushions interchangeably.

So just remember, we use the term pillow to describe a sleep support, whereas cushions are usually the items we use for comfort and decoration, but we’re actually not that fussy about which you use… just as long as you’re putting together a fabulous bunch of them!

And if you need any help deciding which throw pillows or scatter cushions to choose from the wide range at Skinny laMinx, we are super happy to help. Visit our showroom at 16a Buiten Street in Cape Town, or shop online at skinnylaminx.com.