LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER

 

Beds take up lots of room in a bedroom. They not only take up lots of actual space, but visual space as well. That’s why a beautifully made bed can make the whole room look amazing! Designers know this and use bed linens to their maximum potential! A fabulously made bed can make the whole room appear updated and chic and beautiful, even if the rest of it is very ordinary!  And layering bedding really amps the up the wow factor even more! Here are some tips and tricks for layering bedding like a designer! We can all do this!

Let’s start from the bottom up!

START WITH A BOTTOM FITTED SHEET

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

Start with the bottom layer…the fitted sheet. I like white because it looks fresh and crisp, is easy to clean and gives our eyes a rest from patterns and color. As you can see I don’t iron my bottom sheet. It goes pretty much straight from the dryer on to the bed. I like to use a little homemade linen spray, in a lavender citrus scent, to spray on the bottom sheet. I let it dry and then continue making the bed.

ADD A TOP SHEET

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

Put the flat sheet on the bed with the wrong side facing up.  If possible pull it all the way up to the top of the mattress.

Make sure you have enough room at the top to fold the sheet over other blankets or a thin quilt or comforter. The fold of the sheet will be facing right side up and look pretty!  And make sure you tuck the sheet in under the mattress at the bottom of the bed and make crisp hospital corners! If you like other blankets on your bed now’s the time to add them in thin layers. Tuck them in with the sheets.

Even though I don’t like to iron bed linens I will plug in the iron next to the bed (put a fluffy towel under it) and iron the top part of the flat sheet. It looks so much better when it’s folded over!

ADD A QUILT OR BEDSPREAD

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

 

Add a bedspread or quilt to your bed. Make sure the bottom of the quilt falls below the mattress and the top of the quilt is folded over at the top.

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

Then fold the sheet over the top of the quilt and tuck in at the sides of the bed.

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

Again, I love white. I think it plays so nicely with all bedding I choose! It’s easy to clean too!  I forgo extra blankets because they are cumbersome and heavy. I prefer to layer my bedding with a down comforter in place of blankets.

MATCH STANDARD PILLOWS TO YOUR SHEETS

This is sorta a no brainer! Use the pillows that comes with your sheets.

MATCH EURO SHAMS OR DECORATIVE PILLOW SHAMS TO YOUR COMFORTER OR DUVET COVER

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

Use 2 Euro shams for a double or queen bed and 3 for a California King or King bed. Or use 2 standard pillow shams on a double bed. There are many ways to arrange bed pillows and decorative shams. I prefer to stand my bed pillows up against the bed and stand the pillow shams or euros in front of them.

There are so many gorgeous configurations for styling pillows on a bed. I tend to keep is simple but do use lots of pillows!

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

I love love love pillows so I use shams that match my quilt and my duvet. 

FOLD A COMFORTER OR DUVET DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BED

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

If you are using a feather duvet with a cover, take it off the bed and give is a few good punches with both hands. It’s important to “fluff your feather” to keep your duvet lofty and warm.

Make sure the end of the duvet cover or comforter falls below the mattress at the end of the bed.

Fold it in thirds like an accordion so all you have to do is pull up the top of the comforter or duvet and you can snuggle in!

If your comforter is only for “looks” you can double the duvet in the duvet cover for a very fluffy look! Many of the duvets we see in catelogs and online are doubled!

USE ACCENT PILLOWS 

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

Now here’s where you can really play with color and texture and create a one-of-a-kind designer bedding look. Don’t miss this step! Embellish your bed with great throw pillows! Play with combinations and configurations! Change them up often!

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

If you like pillows as much as I do… invest in a big basket to put near your bed to throw your extra pillow into when you are using your bed. 

ADD A NUBBY THROW

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

 Throw a nubby blanket  haphazardly at the end of the bed and let part of it spill onto the floor. Such drama! I think throws are such teases! They say, “Don’t you want to wrap yourself up in me and crawl into bed”? They add a welcoming layer!

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

ADD A BED TRAY OR A COUPLE OF BOOK ON TOP OF THE BED.

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

I have a bed tray that sits on top of our guest room bed. I embellish it when we are not expecting guest. It looks so pretty when I walk by the room! 

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

When we have guests I stock it with current magazines and books I think my guests will like. My guests love a tray to have morning coffee on or use it for their computers, etc when they are in the bedroom.

LAYERING BEDDING LIKE A DESIGNER- Easy to do tips for making a fabulously stylish bed-stonegableblog.com

There are so many ways to layer a bed for a designer look so get out your linens and make a beautiful bed!

 

 

 

 

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46 Comments

  1. Your beds always look so beautiful. I have used your hints on layering but still can’t get my throw to look natural by just laying it casually on the end of the bed. Any ideas?

    1. i sometimes fold my throw in half lengthwise and lay across bed when not using a duvet in summer, or I pick it up in the exact middle like a hankie and let it fall off one side.

      I make my guest beds in this exact way. Even down to pressing the top of the folded sheet. I love a pretty bed!

      For my own, I make the bed in this way but pull the flat sheet all the way up to hide sleeping wrinkles. The quilt then hides the sheet with the duvet folded back down at the bottom like an accordion. Our night pillows are tucked into the closet and all the pretty pillows and decorator cushions are added. It takes me 5 minutes to make my king every morning while my eggs are hard boiling.

      I’m on the hunt for a pretty breakfast tray for my two guest rooms. I love that extra touch. Thank you for sharing your talents with us, Yvonne.

      1. Great tips Joanna! I’m going to be doing a bed tray diy soon. Look for it!

        1. I’m excited about that! I was thinking it might be hard to find a standing bed tray.

  2. Your bed looks so inviting. I just bought a new spread for my bed so now I have to look for all the trimmings to make it look like yours!

  3. Wow! I never learned how to do a bed so beautiful! Thank you for the helpful steps to making a bed like a designer! I am always swooning over photos of your bedrooms because they look like a magazine photo! Now I know how to do it!! I must rethink my bedroom! Thank you!

  4. Your room looks so light and comfy,pretty colors.

  5. Anita in Lombardy ON says:

    Love the layered bed and especially the basic white to build on. Is the white quilt from Home Goods?

  6. Can you tell me more about the area rug shown in this room? Love the comfy-ness of this bed!

  7. Thanks Yvonne for your wonderful pillow tips but I have to say thanks for sharing your tip about ironing the edge fold over part of your top sheet. A friend told me about that a few years ago. Makes such a difference and really doesn’t take a whole lot of extra time. Love your top quilt !,

  8. Dori Martin says:

    Beautiful all around!! Love the colors!!Yellow!! If you don’t mind telling where did you purchase the Eruos and the Duet Cover please?
    I have been a follower for awhile. Love your blog. Thank you for all the inspiration. Happy New Year!

  9. Really need more bed pillows. Love this look.

  10. LOVE this post! thank you for the great tips! Do you remember where you got the yellow duvet cover and euro shams?
    Thank you!

    1. Hi Kelly, I found this at my local Pottery Barn outlet several years ago.

  11. It’s so obvious you were a great teacher! Your instructions are fun and succinct.

  12. I love this post because my bed is at the top of the list of things I want to improve about my home! Thank you so much for these wonderful instructions! I’m definitely going for white because it always seems a stain or two will get on the sheets. I have aqua sheets right now, even though I love them, they already have gotten a stain. At least with white I can bleach them! Thanks Yvonne for the tips!

  13. Norma Rolader says:

    I knew some of these but did not know to put a blanket or quilt and tuck all in and then the duvet or comforter at the end of the bed… Thank you for great information and your bed is beautiful

  14. Many thanks for this post. I struggle with pillows!

  15. Nancy Booher says:

    Love all your tips . Could you share your homemade linen spray? Thank you.

  16. How long does it take you to make the bed the next morning with restless people sleeping in it?
    Beautiful but hard to believe you go through all this every day. But it certainly is picture perfect.

    1. Hi Lexy, why buy all that beautiful bedding if you are not going to make your bed. It’s a great discipline and a nice task to check off your list every day!

  17. nan, odessa, DE says:

    What can we use if we don’t have a bed trày???

    Recipe for citrus spray, please. Details?

  18. Katherine says:

    Good reminder about the basket for the extra pillows – I have a beautiful old market basket that I added to the guest room awhile back. Keeps my pillows neat and makes it easier for those folks who are less than enthusiastic (usually the men!) about the pillows. Have been using another basket for the magazines, etc but love the idea of the bed tray – i’ll be on the hunt.
    Feel like I have an advantage as a quilter — I can coordinate my pillows (LOVE those huge 26″ square ones at the headboard) so easily with all my other bed linens –
    Thanks for the hint about ironing the top f the flat sheet when it’s ON the bed — that will save my time getting out my ironing board!

  19. Julie Briones says:

    Great tutorial… Thanks, Yvonne!

  20. Karen VanLoo says:

    I am so glad I read this today! I am trying to tweak my guest bedroom and I have a duvet and cover on it. But the duvet doesn’t look polished enough. Therefore, I just ordered a quilt to match the shams I already have (in a light ivory) so that the quilt will give it a crisper look. Then I will fold the duvet at the bottom of the bed. This is just what I needed! Next I will find just the right accent pillows then it will be complete. Perfect! A beautifully made bed is essential for a beautiful bedroom.

  21. I was shopping at Pottery Barn recently and I make a comment to the sales associate about how good their duvets looked. She told me the secret – the same thing you just shared – that they put two inserts into their duvets! No wonder the beds in the store look so comfy! Thank you for all the great tips!

  22. Penny Blackard says:

    Your home is lovely! I have so enjoyed your blog! Would you mind sharing your favorite sites for good quality bedding?

    1. Hi Penny, what a great question. I love love love linen sheets and my go-to shop is Saphyr.com. I also like my local Pottery Barn outlet and HomeGoods. Ballard Designs has gorgeous bedding too!

  23. What r the demensions of your guest bedroom?

  24. So funny! I was reading this while waiting for my guests to arrive. I rushed upstairs and leaned my pillow against the headboard ( they were laying flat). Then I read a bit more and threw a throw over it. While I was doing that, my guests arrived! Yeah! I really like your blog!

  25. Oh, and when my friend saw the guest room, she said, “Oh, Rosemary, you have such a way with decorating.” How funny is that?

  26. Pamela Gerrard says:

    I absolutely love the art work in the bedroom (the word nest, a nest with eggs in it, and the eggs alone). Is that a DIY project or did you purchase that at a store? I like the one on the wall above it as well. I really enjoy reading your blog. I enjoy all of your recipes and decorating tips, especially the Christmas ones.

  27. Thank you for another wonderful post. I love having a “dressed up” bed; it just makes the room seem so special. A little tip I came across years ago in a design class was to use an extra fitted sheet to cover the boxspring. They have a bad habit of peeking out from under the mattress. I use a white flannel one, it makes the boxspring look as though it’s upholstered.

  28. Susan McBride says:

    I love the nubby throw. Does anyone know where I could buy one.

  29. Where is this bedding sold? (Layering bedding) says:

    Beautiful bed with black tray on top!

  30. Amy DeForest says:

    Any suggestions on places to shop for bedding other than the usual Ballard Design, Pottery Barn etc? Or great fabric websites?I am stuck on a color scheme due to a Pinterest inspiration and now can’t seem to find the accent pillows to complete my look. The pillows I feel hard for are no longer available, which seems to be my luck. It’s like you found the perfect guy, but then find out he is with someone. Ugh…