Bedroom Inspiration: Layering Fabrics
While the mark of a well-appointed house is a strong yet undefinable sense of magnetism felt from any doorway – whether it leads to the study, the lounge, the playroom, or the kitchen – it would be hard to argue that any room is quite as inviting or welcoming as a well-designed bedroom.
This is, after all, where we rest our weary bones, our tired eyes, and our busy thoughts – where we leave the rest of the world on the other side of the door and carve out the time for peace, quiet, and sleep.
It is also where we get ready for the day – where some of the best conversations take place over the dressing table or an hour-long try-on session in front of the mirror. It’s where we keep and display (or tuck away) the items most precious to us, and where we can feel anchored even in the midst of change.
Of course, a bedroom would be very different without its soft furnishings. Start your ideas flowing these ideas, and be sure to browse through all our fabrics to spark your inspiration…
Layer your curtains for beauty and versatility
Warmth, privacy, and a touch of luxury all collide when you layer your bedroom curtains. While a thin, semi-transparent linen carries with it a chic and relaxed feel – and, in a more practical sense, a screen of privacy when you would rather not put yourself on display to the world beyond the window – it’s not conducive to a sound night’s sleep. True, the romance of a gauzy piece of fabric wafting in the breeze is compelling, but not quite enough to make up for nights interrupted by passing headlights, or mornings begun too early by an eager sunrise.
The secret? Give yourself the best of both worlds. A thinner, lighter shade for the window – which can be drawn whenever privacy is needed – and a thicker, heavier set of curtains to be drawn at night will create the perfect, opulent frame for the window. While it certainly has a regal sense about it, a more bohemian choice of fabrics will keep your room feeling playful and relaxed.
Take a look at our guide to choosing curtain fabrics for more inspiration.
Vary texture, not just colour
Who among us can see a bed piled high with mix-and-match throw pillows, throws and a plush duvet and not feel that irrepressible urge to climb (or dive) straight in? There is something about the depth and piled-high softness of a well-made bed that we struggle to resist.
A lot of that depth is created by opting for a varied colour scheme. If everything matches perfectly then, no matter how many soft accents you add in, it’ll all end up looking a bit flatter than you intended it to.
But, beyond colour, texture is also another key consideration – and the bed offers the perfect canvas for exploring its full scope. Linens and cottons offer a rich and sumptuous texture anyway, but a few clever sewing techniques can really set things off. A matelassé coverlet sewn from a contrasting fabric, for instance, will offer than puffy, quilted look that turns a bed into a marshmallow retreat from the world – or quilted cushion covers, sewn from the same fabric as your duvet cover.
With a variety of textures, your efforts to layer soft pieces together will pay off all the more.
Don’t be afraid to drape
A throw draping romantically over the end of the bed and onto the floor, curtains so long that they pool over the carpet, fabric arranged over the four-poster rail like Rapunzel’s hair spiralling down from the tower – there is a lot to be gained from letting your fabrics look a little haphazardly or organically placed, even if you’ve spent a fair chunk of time moving them into position.
While having everything folded into place is a good feeling for the conscientious homeowner, it is hard to deny the simple beauty of a piece of quality fabric being left (to some extent) to its own devices. Natural fabrics like linen and cotton drape wonderfully, and needn’t be fiddled with incessantly to achieve a great shape.
In other words, while everything will no doubt have a carefully chosen ‘place’ in the bedroom, it doesn’t have to be pressed into a perfect square or roll in order to look as though it belongs.
The bedroom is one of our favourite places to dress with beautiful fabrics. Sumptuousness and texture – and, of course, having too many layers of soft surfaces to count – are the ultimate cornerstones of an inviting and warm bedroom, and why we will never get bored of retiring to those four walls at the end of each day.
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