The secret is out – styling your bed is very much on trend. Gone are the days of 4 pillows, with the bottom 2 matching the sheets and the top 2 matching the doona cover. Instead it’s time to give your bed an overhaul, with a plump and plush fully-made bed just calling out for you to climb in and snuggle down amongst the cushions.
Does it take work? Yes! And maybe you’ll want to be a little more minimalist in your own bedroom, and save really going over the top for a guest bedroom. But either way, here are some tips to turn your bed into an inviting masterpiece.
1. Start With The Basics – Bedlinen
Before you race out the door or get online to drown yourself in the delights of cushion shopping, the first step is to start with the basics – the bedlinen. Think of the sheets and doona cover as a frame for your gorgeous cushions. In that role, your linen needs to be crisp, fresh and complementary to your chosen pillows and cushions.
For a long time, white was the industry standard for bed styling, but more recently many designers have started getting a little more creative, bringing in linen in soft colours that match the overall colour scheme, and even mixing different fitted and flat sheet colours.
If you’re a bit unsure, however, there’s no doubt that the much-loved choice of crisp white linen is always a winner.
2. Choosing Your Doona Cover
Again, a crisp, white doona cover makes a good frame for your pillows and cushions, particularly when a colourful throw is used at the foot of the bed to prevent the doona feeling too stark.
If you want to break out a little, try mixing a single coloured doona cover with patterned sheets. Or vice-versa – a patterned doona cover and sheets that blend well, picking out colour highlights from the cover.
It’s important to choose your linen first, as it has an effect on which pillows and cushions are going to work best on the bed.
3. Making the Bed
In the past, beds were made with the quilt laid flat on top of the sheets, all the way to the head of the bed, with pillows and cushions stacked on top. That look (apart from meaning you had to move all the pillows before you could even think about turning down the bed!) is definitely out of fashion.
Now the trend is to fold the doona way down the bed. The bigger and fluffier the doona, the more inviting it looks. This way you can get the full effect of the doona, the sheets and the arrangement of cushions. Plus it looks so much more tempting to jump into – no messing about moving things.
How you do this is up to you – you can fold the doona under itself, or simply turn it down over itself. You can choose a small roll-down, giving visibility to the sheets but minimising the visual impact of the doona. Or you can really play with it, making the turned down doona big, plump and inviting. It’s up to you, so have a play to see which effect works best in your final look.
4. Time For Pillows!
Opinions vary on how many pillows to use, but the agreed minimum is generally at least 4 white pillow, although some designers say 6 is the minimum. They can be standard pillows, or you can add Euro pillows to add an extra layered effect. Stack the white pillows at the head of the bed to act as a background for your accent cushions to lean on, with any Euro pillows closest to the headboard. If you have a king size bed, you’ll need three Euro pillows to really fill up the space properly. Otherwise, as a rule of thumb even numbers work best.
Of course you still have to answer one more design question – pillows lying down or sitting up? Or somewhere in-between? That’s for you to decide, but the most common answer is sitting up but on an angle.
5. And Finally Cushions
Here’s where you can really unleash your designing flair. For a more minimalist, symmetrical look, even numbers of cushions are best. But that doesn’t mean your cushions have to be boring – mix and match sizes and shapes to give interest and add a layered look. For this look it may work best to have your cushions in “pairs”, with both sides of the bed matching.
If you’re going for a more relaxed look, try mixing together some different shapes. Or place three cushions across the bed rather than two, giving a more sumptuous feel to the bed. Blur the lines between the two sides of the bed. A common way to achieve this is to stack 2 cushions on each side of the bed and then put one more in the front middle. The front cushion becomes the focal point in this arrangement, so make it a good one!
When it comes to shape, while the standard for design has been square, rectangle and round cushions, more recently there’s been a definite trend towards more varied shapes for a focal cushion. The cushion might be shaped as a fruit, or perhaps a circular knot. Individualistic cushions can give the bed a quirky feel, and often work well in a child’s bedroom.
You also need to think about how the cushions sit on the bed. Do you want them to sit square? Or give them the “karate chop” look (placed square but then indented at the top – feather inserts required!) for a bit of visual variation?
About the only design “no-no” currently is don’t put your cushions on the diagonal. But who knows – given time that may just become the most stylish way of all to place your cushions!
As for colour, that’s up to you. Depending on the bedlinen you’ve used, you may take your cues from there. Otherwise, look to see what else is near the bed in the form of artwork or accessories, and draw your palette from those inspirations. Or, for a really bold and dramatic effect, use strong, powerful colours that pop right out from the surroundings if they’re neutral and uninteresting.
So there you have it – 5 tips on turning your bed into a masterpiece. The best thing is that cushions and even linen are relatively cheap, so you can easily give your bed a new look every so often without totally blowing your budget. You’re only limited by your imagination. And if you want to break the “rules” to achieve a look you like – go for it!