When I’m designing a bedroom for a client, I usually pick the bedding first. After all, the bed is the focal point of the bedroom and sets the mood for everything around it.
Following up on my last article about choosing a mattress, this time, I’ll explain how to make your bed look like one you’d see in an interior design magazine.
Style and color
A bed’s design style should always go with the architectural style of the house. In a traditional house, the bedding should have more detail, such as layered patterns and monogrammed sheets and pillowcases. For a contemporary house, it’s more appropriate to design a sleek and simple bed, probably with neutral bedding and fewer pillows. A bed with a monochromatic color scheme should use a variety of textures.
Sheets
Your sheets should be the best quality you can afford because your skin comes in contact with them every day. I have a traditional house, Federal in style, so I have a turned-down bed where the coverlet and sheets are folded over. Since my sheets are visible, I like to keep multiple sets of sheets to change things up.
Bedspreads
I personally use a lot of matelassé bedspreads, which have a quilted-like fabric, because they’re washable. Peacock Alley carries matelassé bedspreads in lots of colors, and has all kinds of coordinating pillows, pillow shams, and sheets to go with them. Another brand that I like to use, especially for children’s rooms, is Annie Selke. Peacock Alley and Annie Selke both carry “semi-custom” items, where you can pick a fabric from a line and have it made.
Pillows
Decorative pillows are a must for adding more style, texture, or color to your bed. An odd-numbered, asymmetrical arrangement keeps things casual, while a symmetrical arrangement looks more formal. The pillows in front should be smaller than the ones in the back so you can see behind them.
Updating a single bed is easy if you follow these guidelines, but updating multiple beds in the house can get much more complicated. Whether you style your beds yourself or work with a professional, I think you should really like what you put on your bed. Use your favorite colors, patterns, and textures; that way, when it’s done, you’ll enjoy living with it for a long time.
Margaret Chambers, a registered interior designer (RID) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) member, leads Chambers Interiors and Associates. Her colleague Caitlin Crowley helped edit this column. Visit chambersinteriors.com/blog for more design advice.
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