If you’ve ever seen a student testing for a karate belt, it’s a very serious matter. The student approaches the Grand Master and bows. The Grand Master bows in return and holds up a solid piece of wood. The crowd quiets and holds their collective breath. The student lunges forward and with a “KI-AI!” chops the piece of wood in two, bare handed. The crowd exhales and cheers. The student bows to the Grand Master, and if they’re a child may even get a high-five. They proudly take their broken board to bring home, and they exit the mat.
Fortunately, a karate chop in home décor isn’t nearly that complicated. The karate chop is the dent in pillows that gives it that designer look. Open up any decorating magazine, website or blog and you’ll see it – that v-shaped indentation in the top of pillows, giving it a curve and a lushness that can only be achieved via the “karate chop.” But here’s the secret – the v-shape will only stay in place if you have a feather down insert. Pillows filled with foam or a solid cushion will bounce back into place, no matter how impressive your karate skills are.
High-quality down feather inserts help your pillows look premium. Regardless of how beautiful your pillow covers are, if stuffed with the wrong inserts they can look slouchy or understuffed. Feather inserts should be full and 1-2 inches larger than the cover for your pillows to look luxurious. With the right insert, your pillows will sit upright with little support and keep their shape for years to come. With a gentle karate chop, you can achieve the trendy “cat’s ears” look that is so popular in home décor today.
What, you don’t know about “cat’s ears”? This is the designer term for the effect that the karate chop creates. Can you see it? Two little cat ears created by the corners of the pillow? You perform the karate chop to create cat’s ears. Look at you! On your way to becoming a home décor expert!
Layering your pillows is always a good idea, and the karate chop can be applied to every layer. Or not. Here, the karate chop is only applied to the pillow in the back, while the one in front has no “cat’s ears.”
Here the cat’s ears are very prominent – and the two pillows balance out the couch without layering.
And the karate chop can be applied lightly – barely noticeably. Just enough to break the top line of the pillow and allow the plushness of the fabric to shine – like this velvet covered throw pillow.
So remember – fill your pillows with premium feather inserts, sized accordingly. (No foam inserts!) Then karate chop until your heart’s content. You’ll love the way it feels, and you’ll love the way your pillows look. Gorgeous. Whether you yell “ki-ai!” is up to you!
Happy chopping!