This Woman Can Make Any Pillow You Desire!

Sometimes the unfortunate things that happen to us end up becoming the best things that happen to us.

After reaching her “number one goal” of graduating with a business degree in 2005, Land O’ Lakes area resident Cheryl Britton began working for a home builder. But the economy later tanked, Britton was laid off three times and she found herself working part-time at a fabric retailer during Christmastime.

Good thing for the humbler position, however.

“This rekindled my love of home decor and fabrics, and soon after this I began selling decorative pillows,” she said. “Decorative pillows were such a draw because the only limitation is your imagination.”

Today, the “pillow and fabric junkie” operates a home-based business called The Pillow Loft. She makes and sells decorative pillows through her website, www.pillowloft.com, and through an Etsy shop. Britton said she accepts custom orders and also makes valances, some curtains and bench cushions. For those not wanting to wait for a custom pillow to be made, there are several pages of pillows on the site ready to be shipped, too.

Inexpensive decorative pillows can be had at big-name brick-and-mortar shops, but Britton said competition is not an obstacle for her.

“When you shop at Ikea or a department store you only have the ability to purchase what they have in stock and not always the best material is used,” she said. “There are plenty of people who want a certain look and are willing to pay a little more to have that look.”

Britton’s “design center” section of her site makes it easy for customers to create a custom pillow. First, choose a fabric included on the site or request one of your own, then pick the pillow type and size, and finally choose the number of pillows desired.

Britton offers a variety of pillow shapes but she said she has set herself apart with bolsters, which are cylindrical pillows. “They take a little extra time to make and I offer custom sizes to include the inserts,” she said. “This way the customer does not have to try and find a company who makes the size they need and they are not limited to standard sizes.” 

It’s tough to say how many pillows Britton makes in a given week.

“Being a one-person business I am the marketer, pillow maker, buyer, designer, bookkeeper, and customer service rep,” she said. “Can I churn and burn? Yes. I just completed a 10 pillow cover order for a sorority in NC in a little less than 24 hours.”

One of Britton's pillows was featured in the January 2013 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, she said. Hopefully, a brick-and-mortar shop will follow one day.

"I have my eye on a piece of property on Highway 41 which I jokingly say the current owners/tenants are using for now," she said.

For more information, visit www.pillowloft.com on the web.