I love to walk in to my bedroom and see a made up, super cozy bed just waiting for me to crawl in. I won't lie to you though, I do not make my bed everyday! I know, shame on me. Because, when I do leave the house with the bed made, it makes me so happy! I wanted to share a few tips I have picked up along the way to make your bed a place you can't wait to crawl into! Making your bed as cozy and inviting as possible will help to make you love your home even more.
1. Let's start with the foundation, the mattress.
The most important element of your comfortable and cozy bed is the mattress. If your mattress is not comfortable, you are not going to feel cozy in your bed, no matter how many pillows and blankets you put on it! If you aren't in the position to run out and buy a new mattress, (I feel ya) there are several things you can do to make your existing mattress more comfortable. A memory foam mattress topper is a great investment! This will increase the level of comfort on any bed. You are also going to want to invest in a nice mattress pad. A quilted mattress pad will create a nice comfortable layer between your sheets and your mattress/topper. You don't have to break the bank to get a nice mattress pad, as T.J. Maxx usually has a nice selection!
2. Sheets
Comfortable sheets can make or break your sleeping experience. You don't necessarily have to look for the most expensive with the highest thread count to find the softest and most comfortable. There are so many different things you can look for when buying sheets like: thread count, type of weave used, type of cotton used... etc. I say, just open the package and feel them! You won't know if a sheet has the potential to be super comfortable until you touch them. You are looking for a nice, heavier weight, with a tighter weave that is soft to the touch. Nobody wants to sleep on sandpaper sheets! Hehe.
3. Layers
In order to give your bed a luxurious look you are going to need layers! I believe in sheets, a blanket, a comforter, a bed skirt (if needed) and many pillows! When making your bed you can either pull the sheet all the way to the top, as I have done, or fold it back over the blanket. You want to pull the blanket back so that you can see the sheets and then pull the comforter down to the foot of the bed. Sometimes I fold the comforter in thirds, sometimes just in half. There isn't really a right or wrong, you will know what looks good to you!
When layering up your pillows, the sky is the limit. I have six standard size pillows on our bed. Two for resting our heads, two that are extra for propping up and reading, and two that are just decorative with our monogram on the front. I am a big believer in mixing and matching so you will notice I don't have any shams that match the quilt or the duvet on this bed. If you have Euro shams you would use them in the back and then layer the other pillows in front of those.
The picture below is of my guest bed. I keep the sheet and the blanket pulled to the top of the mattress on this bed so that I can keep the sheets fresh and clean and ready for guests!
On this bed I used four standard pillows, two to rest your head and two for propping and reading. I have also incorporated two vintage embroidered shams and one extra decorative pillow.
I prefer using a duvet and cover as opposed to a printed comforter. This makes it super easy for me to take the duvet cover off and wash it more frequently than I would a traditional comforter. (It is also more cost effective than taking a bulky comforter to the dry cleaners multiple times a year!) I love a down duvet but they make me so hot! I have down on the guest bed and a "down alternative" duvet on my bed.
The last layering piece to consider is the bed skirt. You may have a bed that does not require one but if your bed is elevated off the floor at all and doesn't have decorative wood panels, then you need a bed skirt. Most ready-made bed skirts will not be the right length as bed heights vary. Ready-made bed skirts are usually not available in many color/fabric options, so you will be limited in this area as well. I recommend having a custom bed skirt made or making one yourself if you are in the D.I.Y. mood!
My sweet Aunt Janet made the bed skirt below that is on my bed. I chose a cute embroidered polka dot fabric that coordinated with my other bedding pieces. My bed is old and very tall, so I needed a bed skirt with a little extra length.
The last layering piece to consider is the bed skirt. You may have a bed that does not require one but if your bed is elevated off the floor at all and doesn't have decorative wood panels, then you need a bed skirt. Most ready-made bed skirts will not be the right length as bed heights vary. Ready-made bed skirts are usually not available in many color/fabric options, so you will be limited in this area as well. I recommend having a custom bed skirt made or making one yourself if you are in the D.I.Y. mood!
My sweet Aunt Janet made the bed skirt below that is on my bed. I chose a cute embroidered polka dot fabric that coordinated with my other bedding pieces. My bed is old and very tall, so I needed a bed skirt with a little extra length.
For the bed skirt in the guest room, I re-purposed a pair of curtains that I bought at T.J.Maxx. I needed to get it done in a hurry, so I covered the box spring with a fitted sheet and pinned the fabric to the sheet, box pleats and all! When the bed is made up and put together, you would never know it! I got off cheaper than buying fabric by the yard, and the curtains already had hemmed edges so that made this a "no sew" project.
4. Mixing Colors and Prints.
Just in case you haven't figured this out already, I love to mix prints and colors! This is a good way to keep your bedding looking fresh and interesting. My bedding is such an eclectic mix! I have picked up bedding items at Pottery Barn, West Elm, T.J. Maxx, Target and Anthropology. If you are not feeling confident in your mix and match capabilities, then by all means, just pick up your favorite home decor catalog or log on to your computer and order yourself some fantastic bedding! There are lots of good bedding options these days that come as a set but still give you a nice variety of textiles within the collection. You may not like the look of all my patterns and colors, and that is okay too! You can use a neutral palette for your bedding and still mix textiles and textures to create a much more interesting look!
5. Change it up with the Seasons.
Don't get stuck in a bedding rut. I know that most of us cannot afford to change all of our bedding with the seasons, but there are small changes you can make to your bed to keep things feeling fresh! Changing your throw pillows now and then can give you a whole new look! Here is an example of my bed with new pillows.
I hope this post has inspired you to change things up in the bedroom! It doesn't have to be expensive to get a new look--you can even work with what you already have!
If you are looking for a sweet new addition to your bed, check out our hand embroidered pillow cases in the store!
If you are looking for a sweet new addition to your bed, check out our hand embroidered pillow cases in the store!
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