It's Time To Pare Down Pillows: The Bedding Trend You'll See Everywhere In 2026

For some reason, throw pillows were a huge trend for a long time. Your home wouldn't be complete without a mound of colorful and sometimes uncomfortable pillows on all the chairs, beds, and couches. While they did add a bit of chaos, color, and sense of comfort to a home, they weren't all that practical. If you actually wanted to use the furniture, you were stuck trying to determine where to put the pillows in the meantime. Often, at least for beds, that would mean throwing them on the floor and hoping you didn't have to get up in the middle of the night and risk tripping over them.

Thankfully, this trend is slowly being replaced by something a little more practical: headboards. These have been around a long time, dating back to ancient Egyptians, but their popularity has fluctuated over the years. Isy Runsewe, founder of Isy's Interiors, told The Spruce, "Exaggerated headboards in fun patterned fabrics are in." They are a way to give yourself a touch of personality and color, and make a space look bigger without taking up a lot of room, including protecting your wall and giving you back support when you sit up in bed. In 2026, instead of throw pillows, consider going for something else that draws the eye, such as a beautiful statement headboard. 

There are a few reasons throw pillows are going out style. For one, they are a bit of a pain. They take a lot of work to move, and you need a place to store them when you're actually sleeping in the bed. Not to mention that it's also difficult to make your bed if you have to fight with dozens of pillows. Considering you should be washing your bedsheets about once a week, this is quite a regular fight you'll have to deal with when you own an excess of decorative items.

There are other practicalities that make throw pillows not ideal for a bedroom. Even if you never actually sleep with them, they can collect dust and dander, especially if you just toss them on the floor at night. These pillows then get placed on your clean sheets over and over again. This means you are (or at least should be) spending money and energy to wash something you never use regularly. Throw pillows aren't just going away on beds, but in living rooms, too. Designers are starting to push for fewer pillows couches and chairs as well, opting for no more than three per side, though in many cases, having none is a great choice, too.

There are many kinds of headboards out there to help you get exactly what you want for your bedroom. For example, The Aheaplus headboard is functional, and the LED lights make for a bright statement piece. Meanwhile, the bold 24KF jade velvet headboard comes in a big shape and a eye-catching color that makes a statement in its own way.

Of course, you can always DIY your own headboard, as well. It usually involves something simple, like a wood frame, fabric, and some foam to give it a softer appearance. However, there are so many options available to help you get the look you want, including using old door frames. There are also peel and stick headboards to help you save money.

If you don't quite like a headboard, but you want to replicate the statement that one makes, there are ways to get the same effect. For example, you can use wallpaper as a faux headboard or decorate the wall around your bed in a dramatic color. For example, you can paint an arch behind your bed to get the look of a headboard on a budget. A big piece of art, like 3D panels or a canvas placed just above the back of your bed, is another way to mimic a headboard.