How to Arrange Pillows on a King Bed: 4 Easy Ways

Arranging pillows on a king size bed can be tricky because there’s a lot of space to fill without making it feel overcrowded. I’m sharing a few of my favorite king bed pillow arrangements, plus tips for choosing the right number and size of pillows for your space.

Arranging pillows on a king size bed seems like it should be pretty straightforward, but there’s a lot of space to fill. Use too few pillows and the bed can look a little bare. Add too many and suddenly you’re tossing a mountain of pillows onto the floor every night before you can actually get into bed.

I’ve played around with quite a few pillow arrangements in our bedroom over the years, and I’ve learned that you really don’t need a ton of pillows to make a king bed look pulled together. It’s more about choosing the right sizes and layering them in a way that works with the scale of the bed.

Today, I’m breaking down how to arrange pillows on a king size bed, including how many pillows you actually need, the sizes that work best, and a few different arrangements you can recreate at home. Whether you love a full, layered bed or prefer something much more simple, there’s an option for you.

How Many Pillows Should You Put on a King Bed?

In This Post

Make sure you also give your pillows a wash

There’s no magic number of pillows you need on a king bed. It really depends on the look you like and, just as importantly, how many pillows you’re willing to move on and off your bed every day!

I’ve done everything from a very full, layered arrangement with eight pillows to my current setup with just five. For a king-size bed, I think anywhere from three to eight pillows can work. A few larger pillows will give you a simpler look, while a mix of king pillows, Euro pillows, decorative pillows, and a lumbar will create more of that full, layered feel.

Before we get into the different arrangements, let’s talk about pillow sizes because choosing the right proportions makes a big difference on a king bed.

What Size Pillows Work Best on a King Bed?

Because a king bed is so wide, you want pillows that feel substantial enough for the scale of the mattress. Here are the sizes I typically work with:

Pillow Type	Typical Size	How I Use It
King pillow	20 x 36 inches	Sleeping pillows or the base of a simple arrangement
Euro pillow	26 x 26 inches	Adds height and creates a full backdrop
Decorative pillow	20 x 20 or 22 x 22 inches	Adds color, pattern, and texture
Lumbar pillow	Varies	Finishes the arrangement and breaks up all those square pillows

You definitely don’t need every type of pillow on your bed.

In fact, as you’ll see below, some of my favorite arrangements use only two different pillow sizes. The key is choosing pillows that are large enough to hold their own on a king bed without making the whole setup feel too busy.

4 Ways to Arrange Pillows on a King Size Bed

Now for the fun part. I’ve tried quite a few king bed pillow arrangements over the years, from a very full setup with Euro shams and decorative pillows to the much simpler arrangement I use today.

Here are four different looks to try, depending on your style and how much effort you want to put into making your bed every morning.

1. The Full, Layered Look

Let’s start with the pillow arrangement I used on our king bed for years. I love a full, layered bed, so I definitely wasn’t holding back with this setup!

I used two sleeping pillows, three Euro pillows, two decorative pillows, and one lumbar pillow for a total of eight pillows.

For this look, you’ll need:

2 sleeping pillows
3 Euro pillows
2 decorative pillows
1 lumbar pillow

I started with our two sleeping pillows at the back, then placed three 26-inch Euro pillows in front. Three Euros work really well across the width of a king-size bed and create a nice backdrop for the smaller pillows in front. From there, I added two decorative pillows and finished everything off with one lumbar pillow in the center.

Is this the most practical option? Probably not. Eight pillows means quite a few end up on the floor every night! But if you love that full, layered look, this arrangement makes a king bed feel cozy and finished without leaving any awkward empty space.

2. The Two-Euro Look

If eight pillows feels like a bit much, you can get a similar layered look with fewer pillows. Instead of three Euro pillows across the back, use two Euro pillows and layer a couple of smaller decorative pillows in front.

Two Euro pillows won’t span the entire width of a king bed, and that’s okay. Center them on the bed and use the decorative pillows in front to fill things out and create some visual interest. This arrangement still gives you that cozy, layered look, but with fewer pillows to deal with at the end of the day.

For this look, you’ll need:

2 sleeping pillows
2 Euro pillows
2 decorative pillows

This is also a great place to play around with color, pattern, and texture. I like to keep the larger pillows fairly neutral and bring in more personality with the smaller decorative pillows.

3. The Minimalist Look

If you want to keep things really simple, you don’t need a bunch of decorative pillows to make a king bed look pulled together. Start with two king-size sleeping pillows and add one long lumbar pillow in front.

The key here is choosing a lumbar pillow that’s substantial enough for the width of a king bed. A small lumbar can look a little lost, so I’d go longer here to help fill the space and give the bed a finished look.

For this look, you’ll need:

2 king-size sleeping pillows
1 long lumbar pillow

This is probably the easiest arrangement to maintain because there’s only one pillow to move at night. It’s a great option if you like a clean, minimalist look or simply don’t want a pile of throw pillows sitting on the floor while you sleep.

4. The Flat Pillow Look

This is how I’m currently styling the pillows on our king bed, and it’s quite a change from the eight-pillow setup I used to have! I recently came across a viral reel about making your bed where the designer declared, “Your bed is not a table.” It cracked me up, but I was intrigued enough to give his method a try.

Instead of standing your pillows upright against the headboard, the idea is to stack them flat, just like you would when you sleep. I fold the top of our duvet back and stack four king-size pillows at the head of the bed. The bottom two are the pillows we actually sleep on, and the top two are king-size pillows covered in the matching shams that came with our duvet cover. Then I finish the whole thing with one lumbar pillow in front.

For this look, you’ll need:

2 king-size sleeping pillows
2 king-size pillows with matching duvet shams
1 lumbar pillow

I’ve really been liking this setup. It still feels full enough for our king bed, but it’s relaxed, simple, and takes almost no time to put together in the morning. After years of arranging eight pillows every day, this five-pillow setup feels much more manageable.

The Scoop on Our Bedding

Most of the pieces are from Boll & Branch and I’m very impressed with the quality – I’d say these are the best pillows we own!

They’re definitely not cheap, but I do think nice bedding is a good place to splurge since you spend so many hours of your day in bed. I’d much rather spend money on a nice set of sheets, rather than a new pair of shoes, but that’s just me!

I have this white sheet set on the bottom and then I add this cream bed blanket and fold it down. Finally, I add this white duvet, with this insert to the bottom.

My sister always likes to lay out the duvet cover and then fold it back and it always reminds me of a hotel. I decided to try that here and I’m now a convert to her method!

It just looks so fluffy and inviting folded down like that. I used to always add a throw or quilt at the end of the bed, but I’m liking this look even more! I’m ready for a good night’s sleep here!