How To Style Your Bed In 6 Simple Steps
Ready to give your bedroom a glow-up? Here are 6 tips to do just that.
You spend a lot of time in your bed – so why not make it as comfortable and stylish as possible? If you’re going to be spending 36 years of your life in bed – yes, that’s the estimate from a 2019 survey – then make it count!
Many of us grew up with the bed-in-a-bag idea. It’s just so convenient to walk into a big-box store and walk out with a comforter, sheets, and shams all in one plastic package. But as we get older, we often want something more unique and high quality.
Keep reading to find out how to make your bedroom a haven that reflects your personal style (and don’t forget to check out the shopping recommendations at the end).
Find the Right Bed Frame for Your Home Decor Style
Do you know your preferred home decor aesthetic? I highly recommend figuring it out before making any big purchases. You don’t have to feel hemmed in by your chosen aesthetic, but it’s best to figure out what you like best so your bedroom design comes together instead of falling apart. Do you like neutral colors and a mix of old and new? Your preferred style might be modern farmhouse. Do you love bows, frills, and all things girly? Your preferred style might be coquette.
Comforters and pillows are relatively easy to change out, but a bed frame is more of a commitment. Create a Pinterest board or Instagram Saved folder of your favorite bedroom designs and see if you can find a common theme that leads you to the right bed frame, whether it’s a minimalist one from Ikea or a vintage Jenny Lind headboard you find on Facebook Marketplace. Once you have the right bed frame for your space, your foundation for a beautiful bed is in place.
Where you place your bed matters, too. It’s tempting to crowd as many useful things into your bedroom as possible – desk, workout equipment, clothing rack – but if you can resist the urge, don’t push your bed into the corner just to make room for other things. Author Danielle Postel-Vinay covers this topic in her 2018 book Home Sweet Maison.
“In the French chambre, the bed is the centerpiece of the room,” Postel-Vinay writes. “Modern beds tend to be simple, without elaborate headboards or frames, while antique beds (which I personally love and owned in my home in the south) are more elaborate, with carved wood decoration.”
Try Natural Fibers – Especially When It Comes to Your Sheets
After you’ve found a bed frame you love, the next step is adding on your sheets! (Assuming you have a mattress, that is.) While it can be tempting to pick your sheets based on a cute pattern or great price, fabric content really is the key to whether you’ll be sleeping soundly or tossing and turning.
If you prefer buying food that’s natural and organic, why not do the same for your bedding? That’s the philosophy behind home goods company Prossioni, founded by Fredrik Kempe.
“Considering the amount of time you spend in your bed and the significant impact a good night's sleep can have on your well-being, health, and beauty – it was high time someone brought that grand hotel feeling back home and made it even better,” Kempe tells Evie Magazine. “We take pride in leading the way as the world's first and only brand to incorporate NordShield Crisp technology into our entire line of organic home textile products. This natural, invisible treatment effectively hinders bacterial growth, ensuring your textiles remain fresh, clean, and bacteria-free for an extended duration."
So, if you’ve been using the same sheet set for what feels like a century, it may be time for an upgrade. Homemaking guru Martha Stewart recommends replacing sheets every five years.
Take Your Cues from the Europeans and Try a Duvet
Tired of your boring old quilt or comforter? Many Americans have already made the switch to using a duvet cover, which is the norm in European countries like France and Sweden, where it’s considered the most hygienic option.
“I really like duvets more than comforters,” Mariya Snisar, Head of Interior Design at Renowell, tells Evie Magazine. “What I love most is that you can get a really good duvet and then change the covers whenever you want to freshen things up. Another cool thing is that you can pick the weight you like with a duvet, which isn't usually an option with a comforter. Using a duvet makes me feel like a proper grown-up.”
Snisar recommends picking a duvet cover with corner ties and a zipper enclosure, rather than button enclosures that tend to come undone in the middle of the night.
Change Your Bedding Seasonally
Unless you live in a temperate climate with little change between the seasons, you’ll want to adjust your bedding to deal with either sweltering summer heat or chilly winter cold.
“Changing bedding seasonally is a great way to refresh your space; opt for natural fibers like linen for a timeless touch,” Marta Balazs, founder of Embee Interiors, tells Evie Magazine. “Embrace sustainability by choosing eco-friendly materials and supporting brands with a commitment to the environment.”
Instead of tossing and turning when the weather changes, be mindful of switching to cooler fabrics like linen or a lighter comforter when summer comes. Likewise, when temperatures cool off, you can add a quilt or throw for an extra layer.
“A quilt is a fantastic addition to your bed setup, and it can be used in various ways,” Snisar says. “I prefer placing it as the foundation on top of my sheets. This way, you can fold over your duvet, creating an extra cozy vibe at the foot of your bed. The quilt adds a polished finish to your bed without exposing the sheets. This is the trick professionals use to make beds look especially plush and inviting.”
Don’t Overdo It with Pillows
Even if you have a king-sized bed, you don’t need a dozen pillows to have a well-decorated bed. Snisar recommends starting with Euro pillows (typically 26 x 26 inches). She recommends three Euro pillows for a king and two for a queen.
“They can be any color, but I personally like white,” she says.
Next, add two lumbar or standard pillows (20 x 26 inches). Neutral or decorative pillowcases can work. Lastly, Snisar recommends adding a throw pillow 20 x 20 inches or bigger for an extra pop.
Think you might need new pillows if yours are more than a year old? Try washing them to restore their shape and eliminate buildup.
Don’t Be Afraid of Grandmacore.
Okay, this one is totally up to your personal preference, but it’s no secret that everything from furniture to fabric was better quality when our grandmas were decorating their starter homes. That’s part of the philosophy behind the grandmillennial home decor style, which puts a new spin on tradition.
I would definitely describe my bedroom as grandmacore – I’ve got quilts galore, decades-old bedroom furniture, and even a bedskirt. But in order to keep myself from feeling like I’ve gone too far back in time, I’ve got some modern touches, like bold buffalo-check curtains and this sleek variation on the farmhouse bed.