A bedroom is a place where a day end and where a person begins to experience they’re time as they please. After experiencing the noise and demands of the outside world, a person deserves a place to land soft. A bedroom should not be a room that contains only furnitures.
A person’s bedding plays an important role in their bedroom, not only in how their bedroom look but also in how it makes a person feel when they are sleeping in that bed each night. A person’s bedding can indicate to them whether their bedroom is a place where they can exhale at the end of their day, or if it is simply a place that they pass through on their way to some other location in the home. Getting the bedding layers correct can make a big difference in the bedroom.
The correct bedding layers can transform a bedroom from one that appears organized to one that feels like a sanctuary for a person to rest their head each night. A person does not need to redesign their bedroom altogether. Instead, they can transform the mood of their bedroom by making a few smart choices about the bedding that they use in their bedroom.
Such smart choices can include decisions regarding the texture of the bedding, the color of the bedding, the weight of the bedding, and even the way that the bedding is arranged within the bedroom. Each of these element can have a significant impact on the feeling of the bedroom, especially when a person is lying in bed at night. Bedding layers can include sheets, comforters/duvets, comforters/duvet covers, comforter inserts (down or down alternative), comforter arrangements, coverlets, throws, pillows, and even bedding skirts.
Essential Elements For Perfect Master Bedroom Bedding
1. High Quality Sheets
A person can purchase and add each of these items to their bedroom to enhance its comfort and visual appeal. For instance, sheets are one of the first layers that should be purchased for a person’s bedroom. Sheets should be high quality; sheets are in contact with a person’s body every single night while they sleep.
2. Egyptian Cotton Sheets
Egyptian cotton sheets with thread counts between 300 and 500 are some of the best option for sheets. Egyptian cotton has the advantages of being soft to a person’s skin yet still durable over time. Furthermore, Egyptian cotton does not have the same slick feel as satin sheets.
3. Percale and Sateen Sheets
Percale sheets will provide the sensation of coolness and crispness in the sheets that are similar to the feel of sheets found in the beds of hotels. Percale sheets are ideal for those who tend to sleep hot in their beds. Sateen sheets have a gentle sheen to them and are ideal for those who sleep in bedrooms whose beds face the north.
Sheets can be of any color, but it is best to choose colors that will allow a person’s eyes to rest when they are sleeping. Colors like dove gray, ivory, and sage are among the softest colors. Bright white colors may be too bright for those who use overhead lights in their bedrooms, and they will show any lint that is included in the sheets.
By choosing well the sheets that will line a person’s mattress, they signal to their nervous system that they are in a safe environment. People often miss this signal and choose bedding instead based off current fashion trend. Beyond sheets, another layer that can be added to a person’s bedroom is a comforter or duvet.
4. Comforter Inserts
One of the first purchasing decisions for people who own beds is the purchase of a comforter insert. An insert that is made of down or an alternative to down can be purchased. Down comforters tend to be softer to the body than other types of comforters.
An insert of medium weight is one of the best weights to purchase, as a person does not want to be too hot in the bedroom during the height of summer, but they also do not want to feel like they are too cold in the bedroom during the winter months. Additionally, it is beneficial for the duvet to be removable for those who wish to clean the duvet cover. Cotton and linen duvet covers are among the easiest to clean, while silk and velvet fabrics require the duvet to be dry cleaned to maintain its shine and sheen.
5. Duvet Covers
Furthermore, a duvet cover may be of any color or pattern. For instance, one of the most popular choices include a subtle pattern like wide ticking stripes or a very subtle geometric design. Duvets have a fill power that indicates the amount of fill that is included within the duvet.
A person should choose a fill power of around 600. If a duvet has a fill power that is too high, their bed may feel as soft as a marshmallow. A duvet that has a fill power that is too low will lack the plumpness needed for a person to have a desire to crawl into their beds at 8:00 PM each night to read a book.
6. Coverlets and Throws
Another layer that can be added to a bed is a coverlet or throw. A coverlet can be added to the bed both as a means of adding additional comfort during cool nights in the bedroom (especially during the winter), as well as to provide the bedroom with a finished look even if the rest of the bedding is pulled back from the sleeping person. To avoid the bed appearing to be flat, a coverlet should have a different texture to that of the other bedding.
For instance, a chunky knit throw can be used alongside smooth sheets or a washed linen throw can be used instead of sheets that have a smooth texture. Each of these textures will provide depth to the bed if they are added as a throw. Throws are often folded into thirds.
One third of the throw can be laid across the bottom of the bed. This will allow the throw to add to the comfort of the bed without making it too bulky for the sleeping person. Furthermore, using a throw provides an additional layer for guests who may visit the bedroom.
7. European Square Pillows
Guests will not have to search for blankets to add to their own comfort in the bedroom. Pillows are another layer that can be added to a bed. Pillows of the European square shape can be purchased and added to the headboard of a bed.
European square pillows are often stacked on the headboard. For instance, a person may use two king shams (purchased with the same fabric as their bed) followed by their standard sleeping pillows. Using pillows that are all the same size will produce a flat bed.
Using pillows of different sizes allows the bed to appear dimensional. Beyond European square pillows, other types of pillows can be purchased to enhance a bedroom. For instance, those interested in creating a moddern bedroom may desire solid color shams with textured weaves.
Additionally, those interested in a more traditional bedroom design may opt for pillows that have a subtle damask or matelasse print. These extra pillows help to prevent the bed from appearing bare. Furthermore, they may be needed to provide a place for a person to lean against when they are sitting up in bed and drinking coffee.
However, it is important for a person to not use too many pillows in their bedroom. If a person has more than four decorative pillows in their bedroom, their bed will appear to be a showroom bed that is rarely ever used by the owner of the bedroom.
8. Bed Skirts
Finally, another layer that can be added to a bed is a bed skirt. For beds that are low to the ground in the bedroom, a tailored bed skirt made of the same fabric as the bedding for the bed may help to create a seamless look within the bedroom. For beds that are higher to the ground, however, a gathered bed skirt can be used as an alternative. Linen and cotton twill bed skirts hold their shape better than polyester bed skirts.
Polyester bed skirts tend to wrinkle when viewed by a person. Furthermore, the color of a bed skirt may be the same as the color of the sheets in the bed, or it may be the same as the color of the throw pillows in the bedroom. While the bed skirt may be an old fashioned item by today’s standards, a person will notice the gap between the bed and the bed skirt if there is no skirt at all.
9. Quilted Coverlets
Another option for bedding is to use a quilted coverlet. A quilted coverlet may be of a neutral color for the bedroom, especially if other items in the bedroom have another color. Furthermore, if a person chooses to use matelasse fabric for their bedding, the matelasse cotton will have an raised pattern to it.
This raised pattern will catch the light in the bedroom and add to the sophistication of a bedroom. Furthermore, matelasse cotton works well for bedrooms that have wooden beams or textured walls to the bed. The raised pattern on the matelasse cotton will echo the texture of the walls in the bedroom.
A person may choose to use a quilted coverlet alone during the summer months, or they may choose to layer such a coverlet over a thin duvet if they wish to add additional comfort to their bed during the winter months. The weight of a quilted coverlet is heavy enough to provide a feeling of luxury when a person sleeps on the bed, yet not heavy enough to be uncomfortable with the amount of excess heat that it retains during sleep. It is for this reason that quilted coverlets are of interest to many generations of bed buyers.
10. Color Coordination and Patterns
Within the bedroom, a person may also wish to consider the color of the bedding that they will use. Color choices within a bedroom are important, as colors can help a person to feel rested after their sleep. For instance, colors such as earth tones (beige, terracotta, and olive green) may promote calm to a sleeping person.
These colors are more effective than cooler colors (like grays) in northern climates. If a person’s bedroom also receives a lot of natural light during the day, deeper shades (like charcoal or forest green) may be chosen for the duvet. If a person chooses a deeper color for their bedding, however, their sheets should be of a lighter color to ensure that the bedroom does not appear as a cave to the sleeping person.
Within a bedroom, it is important to ensure that one color is represented in at least three locations within that room. By using such a color in the sheets, the pillow inserts, and a rug, for instance, a person ensures that the bed does not appear to have been dropped into the bedroom from another location. By choosing the same color for three items in a bedroom, it appears as if the person who owns the bedroom has considered each element of the bedroom and chosen each item intentionally.
In addition to using a solid color in three items in the bedroom, another option is to use different patterns for the items of bedding. For instance, a person may use a large scale floral Euro sham along with a narrow ticking stripe on the bed duvet and a small geometric print on the throw pillows. Using bedding items with different scales but similar colors will allow the bedding to appear as if it was collected over time rather than purchased all at once to decorate a bedroom.
If a person is nervous about including patterns in their bedroom, a safer alternative is to use two textures within the same color family within the bedroom and one subtle print. This allows a person to avoid overly complex bedding while still introducing some variety into their bedroom decor. Furthermore, at least half of the bedding should remain in solid colors for the bedroom.
For many people, sleep is an opportunity to rest their eyes. Using a combination of patterns in the bedroom will allow the bed to appear as if the person designed their bedroom for comfort and functionality. In addition to the bedding itself, people may wish to consider the feel of the bedding by running their hand over it before purchase.
Textures such as rough edges, fleece textures, or synthetic bedding fabrics may prevent a person from feeling fully relaxed in their bed. A person should always take the time to run their hand over bedding before purchase to ensure that it will feel comfortable against their body. For these reasons, the best master bedrooms are often those where a person has considered each element of the bedroom with care.
Each texture, color, and layering of items within the bedroom was carefully considered by the owner of that bedroom. Furthermore, a person’s bedroom bedding can be purchased in any order, but sheets should always be purchased first. By establishing a solid foundation for sheets within the bed, the other bedding items will fall into place for that bedroom.
