All this got me thinking about the power of the pillow, where they came from and what the history behind them is. I did a little research and here’s some pillow talk (no, not that kind) and fun facts about pillows.

* Pillows have a long history – they were used by the ancient Greeks and have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The Chinese, however, thought that soft pillows robbed the body of vitality, and their pillows were made of wood, leather, and ceramic materials

* It wasn’t until Tudor England that pillows became widely-used and not until the Industrial Revolution that decorative textiles and decorated pillows were massed produced.

* Until 1840, when cotton became more readily available, American women showed their needlework prowess by carefully hand weaving and sewing linen pillow cases and marking them with their initials

* Feathers and down are the most expensive and used to be considered the most comfortable, but synthetic filler, which is hypo-allergenic,  is preferable for people with allergies and has become very popular. Covers of pillow filled with feather and down require a more expensive, very dense, tightly woven fabric to prevent the feather shafts from poking the sleeper and keep the fine down from working its way through the cloth.

* In Asia, buckwheat is a common filler. In India, cotton is also a common filler and thought to be healthier than synthetic fills.

* Decorative pillows can be a quick, easy and inexpensive way to change the look of a room. Real Simple says that, if you want a modern look, “Go for an odd number, like three or five, rather than more traditional pairs. A few big pillows look cleaner than a jumble of smaller ones . . .” It also suggests how pillows should coordinate. “Think of a living room’s pillows as a family. The pillow on a chair doesn’t have to match the group on the sofa, but if it relates in some way—palette, style—the space feels unified and polished.”

Source: Pillow Loft, The Los Angeles Times, Encyclopedia.com, Real Simple

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