Cushions in a home are as important as the furniture they and you sit on.
The ideal cushion will support your back, neck and shoulders as well as being an attractive finish to your sofa, chair or bed.
There are a wealth of cushions to choose from now including novelty shapes like star cushions, bow cushions or heart cushions which make a great decorative finish to your colour scheme but aren't wholly practical.
The standard square cushion with the right filling is perfect and better still are bolster cushions as perfect lumbar support cushions.
Large cushions make great floor cushions as well as providing extra back support on a sofa or bed.
Cushions can be made from any number of different materials including leather and even vinyl but the most popular fabrics are cotton, linen, chenille, velvet and silk because they are not only very attractive and comfortable and breathable but also washable.
Cotton fabric includes chenille, linen and velvet Most cottons can retain their shape when wet and can withstand high temperatures.
The tactile and soft feel of velvet and chenille cottons are created using different weaves.
Silk as a fabric is a little more fragile to abrasion and can be weakened by sunlight and perspiration.
On a more positive note silk cushions not only have a luxurious and soft feel but are attractive to look at and can generally be hand washed.
In addition silk has the enviable reputation of being the strongest natural fabric in the world.
No cushion would be complete without the inner cushion pad.
Care should be taken when selecting your cushion pad as this will make or break the cushion's support and appearance.
The cheapest cushion pads available are polyester filled.
They look and feel comfortable as well as being light but do not last as long as micro fibre or duck feather cushion pads.
In the middle price range are hollow fibre or micro fibre cushion pads.
These often have a cotton cover and are superior to polyester in that they have an excellent bounce back and are longer lasting as well as being machine washable and a great choice for allergy sufferers.
Micro fibre is generally a little better quality than hollow fibre.
At the top end of the price range are duck feather cushion pads, combining softness with being long lasting.
They are the heaviest cushion pads and will need plumping up to retain their shape.