Softest touch: A guide to styling your coziest bed
Portuguese bed spread with Peruvian wool throw pillows (detail). Design: Time & Place Interiors
If you travel frequently or work a rigorous schedule, you know how good it feels to get back home, especially into your bedroom, at the end of a long week. As the most personal space in our homes, a bedroom should be designed to impart serenity, comfort, and relaxation. It’s an important room to get texture choices right, with most of the attention going to the bed itself.
That said, a bed doesn’t need to be overly fussy to look great. Here’s what you’ll need to put together a bed that’s as inviting to climb into. (Some of my ideas on this were featured in Homes & Gardens, incidentally.)
1) Linens: Indulge in the best quality sheets you can afford. They’re a luxury you’ll enjoy every day. Thread count is over-rated, but always use natural fibers like good percale cotton. Linen is another great choice for its breathability and casual elegance that can be left naturally wrinkled.
2) Covers & blankets: Like outfits, layered textiles are opportunities for dressing up the bed. Pair a matelasse bed cover with a blanket folded neatly at the bottom of the bed, or tossed casually across it, in a contrast texture like alpaca, mohair, or a suzani. Don’t want to bother with too many pieces? A single coverlet, flowing down over the bed frame, with nothing else, is sleek and sexy.
3) Pillows: For dimension, pick textiles in contrasting natural fibers like South American alpaca, Italian-weave cashmere, or Indian silk. You don’t need to recreate a department store’s bedding display with a mountain of cushions. One long lumber pillow, or a couple of 20x12 inch pillows, are all you need. Unless you’re allergic, go for down/feather inserts. The insert should be two inches larger than the sham to avoid a droopy look.
4) Rug: Area rugs are the perfect way to up the cozy factor of the bedroom and wake up to softness under your feet. I recommend vintage wool rugs such as those made by artisans in Persia, Morocco, Central Asia, or Sweden. Avoid synthetics that emit hazardous chemicals.
Need some inspo? Here’s a roundup of stylish and cozy bed design ideas from the Time & Place portfolio and other designers.
And, when you’re ready for the next bedroom decorating step, check out my other posts:
Bedside Manner: Creative nightstand ideas you haven't thought of (yet)
A cool, natural linen blanket is topped by a double-sided thin wool throw. The Turkish Avshar rug adds contrast color for warmth. Design: Time & Place Interiors
An empty linen duvet creates flow, which an ethnic throw blanket and a Moroccan rug create structure in a Brooklyn 1890s townhouse bedroom. Design: TBo with Hovey Design / Photo: Jonathan Hökklo
A serene Bed-Stuy guest bedroom in monochromatic pink tones envelops the senses. To avoid monotony, pull in a range of hues and textures. Design: Shapeless Studio / Photo: Kate Sears
Fluffy neutral textures make this bed temptingly nap-worthy. Design: Olivia Stutz / Photo Sean Litchfield
Serenity through Zara Home linen bedding, a Carpathian wool blanket, and a Moroccan runner rug. Design: Nikki Amodio / Photo: Joyelle West
A New York City bedroom has muted tones but a variety of textures, through Peruvian alpaca pillows, an Irish wool throw, a Portuguese coverlet, and a vintage Moroccan rug. Design: Time & Place Interiors
Layered throw blanket textiles in contrasting patterns but similar color palettes add interest. Design: Julie Hillman / Photo: Simon Upton
Perfection through textures: A wool throw on the bed, a sheepskin draping a leather campaign chair, and a Moroccan rug. Design: Lisa Jones / Photo: Richard Round-Turner
Rustic small batch bed linens made by artisans in Gujarat, India create a feeling of relaxation and integrity. Design: Hollie Bowden / Photo: Genevieve Lutkin Studio
An eclectic Hamptons guest bedroom has matching upholstered headboard and window treatments, an artisan quilt, and a vintage Persian rug. Design: Patrick McGrath / Stephen Kent Johnson
Sometimes a beautiful linen coverlet is all you need, like this one in a Hudson Valley cabin. Design: Post Company / Photo: Adrian Gout
Ready to get your perfect bedroom set up?
Time & Place Interiors can turn your space into a serene, comforting environment you’ll want to relax in. We pair handmade artisan and vintage designs to create layered, elegant comfort. Use the link below to schedule a free 20-minute information call with founder Ksenya Malina to talk through your design needs:
