The New Edge: Why Are We Hot for Ruffle Cushions?

Ruffled cushions, sofas that ruffle, or even flutteringly edged towels. This is what the style set are calling edgy these days.

Have Ruffles Reached Cult Status?

Have you noticed your IG feed getting clogged with ruffles? If it’s not Louise Roe, Matilda Goad, or Michaela Sharp, it will be a cottagecore aspirational shot, getting you enticed by the cult of the ruffle cushion.

But where did this all come from? Maybe it’s a turn away from the sterile white minimalism, or a nod to the kitschy but cute ‘Coastal Grandmother‘ that’s doing that rounds on TikTok. The rise and rise of the ruffle, it seems, is all about nostalgia, the bucolic bliss of the countryside, harkening back to a simpler time.

Ruffle cushions are perfectly packaged for IG grids, it’s catnip for an aspirational TikTok short form video for their zingy hit for living rooms or ‘bedscapes’ (the pink and green colour combination is just too tempting not to splurge on).  Could the ruffle renaissance be also to do with many priced out of affording homes, so we’re getting drawn to beautiful trinkets of ownership, much like the rise of candlesticks?

Image courtesy of East London Cloth

But what’s in no doubt is where we can trace the trend. The ruffled pillow hit the mainstream when the rising star of the interiors world, In Casa Da Paboy, dropped his ruffled pink and red contrast cushion. Originally from Gambia, Paboy Bojang, began crafting his cushions during lockdown that became an instant international hit. He previously fundraised to employ other migrants living in Naples and show them how they need no longer rely on exploitative employers.

There’s now no question that this trend is here to stay. So, how do we style these convincingly in our homes?

Anouska Tamony, interior designer, weighs in. ‘Ruffles, I feel, are best indulged in in moderation,’ she says. ‘They’re a fun way to inject flamboyance and femininity into anything that requires fabric, from bedding and cushions to upholstery and curtains but restraint is key if you wish to avoid steering into cottage core territory. Though not strictly a ruffle but a rather a soft swag, I love London blinds in rooms that require a bit of drama and old school elegance. For true ruffles I love Society of Wanderers’ bed linen and have a frilled set for my own bedroom.’

Pillow Talk: Shop The Best Ruffle Cushions