How to Create a Well Dressed Bed

Custom Bedding, Home Design
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It’s the dilemma facing millions of homeowners who are in the process of updating their bedrooms – What is the proper way to create a well dressed bed? Fearful of accessorizing with too many or too few pillows that aren’t the right size or whether we should have a coverlet and/or a comforter, we agonize over the decorating details of our bedrooms. While there are no easy answers, much depends on the style of the bedroom; your personal aesthetic and preferences. But there are some simple principles that can help. It’s important to remember that all components of a well dressed bed serve a function from decorative pillows to a coverlet and a comforter. Decorative pillows aren’t just for looks. They can also be used for additional support while you sit up in bed to read. Ideally, they should be used behind your night-time pillow to ensure they don’t get dirty. A coverlet is essential for folks living in regions of the United States that experience all four seasons. A coverlet is a lighter weight blanket or quilt, perfect for nights with milder and warmer temperatures. While a comforter is necessary for chillier night and on especially cold nights you may even require both! [singlepic id=727 w=320 h=240 float=right]When accessorizing your bed with pillows they should be arranged biggest to smallest, with the biggest pillows in the back against your headboard/wall decreasing your pillow sizes down to the smallest pillows in front. Arranging your pillows in this fashion ensures that your selection of fabrics and colors of decorative pillows are all highlighted. Another way to create a well-dressed bed is by varying the sizes, colors and textures of your pillows. Seven pillows may sound like an overabundance but combining different sizes and colors will add interest and variation to your bedroom. By using solid fabrics on two of the smallest decorative pillows you keep the overall look from getting too busy while pulling colors from around the room. If you prefer a more casual or modern look in your bedroom, take full advantage of playing with color and patterns. One way to do this is by using simple, clean white bedding as your foundation and then offsetting it with a highly patterned coverlet. With a simple color palette that uses grays on the walls and white on trim and other architectural elements in the room, a coverlet and pillows are the best way to incorporate strong punches of color. And who doesn’t want that high-end luxury hotel feel in their bedroom? You too can achieve this look with simple white linens, a luxurious throw like cashmere at the end of the bed and one simple decorative pillow. Against a neutral taupe palette you can create the sophisticated and calming bedroom of your dreams. Well-dressed beds also utilize the power of upholstery. You can transform your bedroom into a luxurious and cozy room by reupholstering your headboard and using the same fabric for smaller pillows on the bed to create a cohesive decorating scheme. Or you can add a twist to a well-dressed bed by rotating back pillows so they set on an angle.   Many designers break a well-dressed bed into small, individual parts as they pull colors and patterns from around the room onto the bed. This is how beauty is put in the details. For example, the fabric used on your headboard could be the same fabric used for the bedskirt and bolster pillow. Take elements from the duvet cover like strips or framing and implement them elsewhere on the bed like for welting on a bolster or other decorative pillows. This is how interior designers tie it all together. Finally, it’s best to use a limited palette if you want numerous decorative pillows so you don’t overwhelm the room. For example, in a contemporary room with a neutral gray or taupe palette you could use as many as nine pillows on the bed as long as you use tonal variations of gray or taupe. This look creates a sophisticated look without going overboard.  

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