Gone are the days when a pillow was a simple sack of feathers used to rest one's head at night. Today pillows come in all shapes, sizes, colors and fabrics, and are used for a myriad of interior design purposes. If you're looking for the prefect touches to finish off a lovely space in your home, consider buying or making some artfully designed accent pillows.

Ragen Wilfert is an interior designer and co-owner of The Open Door and Ragen Wilfert Interiors on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. He specializes in antiques and custom designed pillows. Here he offers a basic guide to making pillows and using them to decorate your home:

• Brighten and soften.
  Wilfert uses pillows wherever he wants to see a little more softness, a splash of color, or some added texture.
  
• Improve the look of your furniture.
  If you have a sofa or chair that's starting to look a little worn, adding some really attractive accent pillows can give the piece a whole new appearance.
  
• Choose your fabrics.
  If you want to make your own pillows, you'll need fabric for the front, the back, and the trim. Trim is used for decoration and to erase seams. When you see a great fabric that you love, says, Wilfert, you should buy it. Even if you don't have another fabric that matches, you can always find something later.
  
• Use fabrics with sentimental value.
  Many people create pillows with special meaning by incorporating specific fabrics like pieces of a wedding dress, a baby blanket, or a grandmother's draperies. This is a nice alternative to storing these items away and never seeing them again.
  
• Select natural fillings.
  According to Wilfert, natural pillow filling tends to be more comfortable and durable than the synthetic kind, and allows you to re-fluff the pillow.
  
• Great design at a low price.
  Pillows are an inexpensive way to express yourself and to add life to your interior, so sketch some designs, pick out some fabric and start sewing!

For more information about making and decorating with pillows, check out the following organizations or websites:

Ragen Wilfert Interiors
www.ragenwilfert.com

HGTV: Instant Pillow Decor
www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_fabrics_other

DIY Network: Decorating & Design: Heirloom Pillows
www.diynet.com/DIY/article

DIY Network: Arts & Crafts: Pillow Talk
www.diynet.com/DIY/article

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