How to Style a Bed
Creating the bedscape of your dreams starts here—with a few layers, some pattern mixing, and plenty of pillows.
Cozy & Curated
As the focal point, the bed is the most important part of your bedroom, setting the tone for both style and comfort. Our guide walks you through selecting the right bedding for your needs and aesthetic, culminating in a bed that sees you through ever season. If you’ve ever wanted a hotel-style bed or to know more about creating that cohesive, collected look, you’ve come to the right place.
the foundation
Sheets & Duvet Cover
When choosing your sheets and duvet cover, consider the season and your sleeping preferences: This will guide your fabric selection. The rest of the elements—quilts, coverlets, shams, and throws—provide added comfort and opportunities to express your style.
Linen
Soft and breathable, linen evokes a lived-in, casual look, getting softer with every wash. It also has natural temperature-regulating properties, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Cotton Percale
Cotton percale is known for being crisp and cool, excellent for hot sleepers and use during the summer months.
Cotton Sateen
Cotton-sateen bedding is soft and silky with a subtle sheen, made with an ultra-fine weave—an insulating, yet breathable, fabric. Due to its weight and texture, it tends to drape in a way that feels elevated.
Flannel
Flannel provides extra warmth and insulation, with a soft brushed feel. Typically made of cotton and cotton blends, flannel is breathable despite its warm and cozy feel.
the extras
Finishing Touches
Add a Quilt
Depending on your preferences, a quilt could be used as your primary bed clothes (in place of a duvet), or can be added atop your duvet for added warmth and style points. Quilts are often reversible, offering up more options to change up your bedding without investing in new pieces. They also add plenty of visual interest and texture, often featuring dimensional details like visible stitching, channeling, and patchwork designs.
Layer on a Coverlet or Throw Blanket
An easy way to make the whole scene even cozier is to layer on a coverlet or throw blanket. A coverlet could go under or over top your duvet, quilt, or duvet-quilt combination while a throw can be draped over top as you please, creating a warm and inviting feel.
Pile on the Shams and Throw Pillows
Have fun with your pillow selection and play with varying sizes, colors, and textures, keeping your color palette in mind. To add depth, place taller pillows in the back, followed by your standard-size shams and finished with additional throw pillows in front. Balance your selection with varying quantities of each—even if it’s to punctuate your shams with a single throw pillow in front. The result is dimensional and balanced (rather than homogenous and crowded).
make it your own
Our Styling Tips
Now you know what goes into creating a layered bed—from the sheets to the throw pillows. Here’s how to put it all together so that it suits your unique style.
Set the Tone
First, settle on the look or mood you’re going for: cottage cozy, earthy and organic, rich and elevated—whatever suits you. A search through Pinterest can help you define this—save some favorite looks and then take note of the similarities among them. What do you find that you’re gravitating toward? Are there any similarities or apparent must-haves? Do you like color and pattern more than you thought? Take a note of the looks and elements that pique your interest most.
Pick a Palette
This is optional, but helps narrow your options while browsing new bedding. You can use your inspiration photos as a reference, picking out colors that stand out to you. Arrange your potential colors so that you can see how they look next to one another, swapping out different ones until you have a palette that you’re happy with. Then, while browsing, look for options that complement your palette—it doesn’t have to tie in exactly, just let your palette be your guide. Want to stick with one color, or go neutral? We recommend color drenching for a streamlined, elevated look. Takes out the guess work and delivers on an impressive look, all at once. A win-win.
Play with Patterns & Texture
For added dimension, pile on the patterns and texture. The idea is complementing, not matching. Difference creates interest! Don’t be afraid to experiment. Some rules for pattern mixing, courtesy of Heidi Caillier: The key is creating a mix that's cohesive, but also a little bit “off”. Add a floral in with a plaid or stripe, pair up something small-scale with something large-scale, match up something romantic with something geometric, and keep the colors varied so things don’t feel so matchy-matchy. When selecting bedding and pillows, consider texture. Pair up a gauzy coverlet with a velvet quilt, mix linen and percale, and choose pillows that have some visual interest, like fun trim or stitched details. If you’re getting overwhelmed, go back to your inspiration photos and your color palette—experiment and trust the process!
