5 Tips for Creating the Bed of Your Dreams
If you’re reading this article, then the chances are that you’re looking to create a plush, plump, sink-worthy bed a lá the idyllic king-size islands of Hollywood films and department store showrooms. The kind that look light and fluffy, but also heavy and warm and inviting, all at the same time. The kind of bed we aspire to have but, somehow, tend to fall short of unless we put in a real effort.
Creating a bed like this isn’t hard, but it takes time – and a certain willingness to invest an extra five minutes into making it each morning. Below, we go through some of our favourite tips for getting there in the first place.
Feather down will get that plush, airy feel
There are many different ways to stuff a pillow, and just about as many different types of pillow as there are preferences for them. You can’t keep everyone happy, and one man’s ideal support is another man’s nightmare, but, in our experience, the most universal pillow stuffing is feather down.
Softer than feather, but still more breathable and evenly distributed than synthetic stuffing (which, as you no doubt know, tends to clump in some areas and go flat in others) it’s comfortable, airy, and long-lasting. It creates a very inviting, puffy look on the bed, and makes it possible to achieve that ‘just plumped’ look that lasts from bedmaking to turn-down time.
Of all the pillow stuffing options out there, this one has proven to be the most versatile – and the most universally liked – of all. You can take a look at our guide to 3 Reasons to Opt for Feather Down for Your Cushions if you need an extra nudge in the right direction.
A blend of textures will make all the difference
We love the effect that combining one textile with another creates. As always, we would stress the importance of having a greater ratio of natural fibres, like linen and cotton, to unnatural, since natural fibres create a very comfortable, breathable atmosphere in the bed – just like feather down. This will keep you cool in the summer, and mean that, during the winter, you can stay warm without getting that stifling, sweaty feeling under the covers.
Incorporate linen and cotton, as well as a heavier-duty blend, like our Sketched Stripe weave, to drape over the end of the bed. You don’t need to sleep under all those different covers, but you will want to take advantage of them during the day when the bed wants to look well-dressed.
In the autumn and winter, incorporate a knitted blanket – draped casually over the foot of the bed – for the chunkiness it adds and, in the summer, consider a thin linen curtain to have over the bed.
‘Extend’ the bed with a bench or ottoman
If you have the space, then placing a piece of furniture at the end of the bed can help to play with dimension a little, and give the bed even more weight at the centre of the room. Besides that, it’s just a convenient thing to have for storing extra clothes, extra bedding, or anything else you don’t want to have out all year round.
For this, an ottoman is the best choice. Our ottoman box, shown here in our duck egg Killi fabric, is the ideal size to sit at the foot of the bed, provide a seat when its needed, and some handy storage, too.
Remember that accent cushions will never go out of style
Accent pillows are the feature that will really make your bed look plump and inviting. True, some people just don’t get then – yes, we’ve heard the ‘how long does it take you to get into bed?’ comment a few times already – but, for the majority of people, a good collection of accent cushions means the difference between ‘a bed’, and the bed.
These cushions are great for resting up against when you’re reading, or just tired but not quite ready for bed. True, they end up in a pile on the floor—or, alternatively, in your end-of-the-bed ottoman box—at the end of the evening, but they serve the perfect purpose the other 70% of the time.
Give it a glow
The best beds—and, by that, we mean the beds that you really just want to descend into—aren't just the sum of their parts. The best beds will also be lit in a way that just seems to say, ‘slow down, take the weight off, rest those weary eyes’.
It’s standard practice to have a lamp on either side of the bed, but we tend to recommend taking it a step further and adding a couple more pieces of decorative lighting into the room.
Doing so makes it possible to layer those light sources without needing to rely on the main light, and to gradually decrease the light in the room until it’s at a comfortable level for getting changed, reading, watching a film, talking or, of course, falling asleep.
Bed envy is a real thing, but putting together a sink-into-it, close-your-eyes-and-drift-off, stop-in-the-doorway-to-admire-it bed really isn’t out of reach of all but the best set designers. It takes layers, the right textures and materials, and plenty of beautiful, golden lighting, but it’s certainly possible—and absolutely worth the extra effort it takes to pull it off. Enjoy how it looks when it’s finally perfect but, most importantly, enjoy ruining it all as you sink into it at the end of the day.