Bed Down in a Cocoon of Beautiful Textiles
Make your bedroom a real haven with a bed draped in sheets, blankets and pillows that speak to your dreams
I have not always been lucky enough to have a nice bedroom. In fact, there was a time when I didn’t even have a bed, so when it comes to the place where I lay my head to sleep at night, I’m passionate about how I want it to feel, both physically and visually. Nothing says comfort to me like a big, fluffy, bed nest. At the end of a terrible day, when I can crawl under a cloud of sheets, blankets, cats and magazines, I’m in my version of heaven on earth. I love a well-made bed — there’s something elegant about being able to pull the covers down for a fresh night’s sleep.
A long time ago, I was helping a boyfriend redo his bedroom. The room screamed frat party at me every time I walked through the door. We started by replacing the random, mismatched sheets and sports-related blankets covering an extremely funky mattress. A couple new sheet sets and one comforter later, I persuaded him he needed a duvet cover.
Him: "Why do I need a duvet cover? I have a comforter."
Me: “Yes, the duvet covers the comforter to keep it from getting dirty, and you can switch up the look when you want to.”
Him: “Why would I need to switch up the look? What determines when it’s time to do that?”
It could have been a circular discussion until the end of time, with me trying to explain the virtues of freshening up a look and him trying to understand why anyone would need more than one look anyway. To be fair to my ex, he was all about function and practicality. Many men are. If he already had sheets, why did it matter if they matched? Who was going to see them? Did having a more “grown-up” comforter make him sleep better than his favorite team blankets? I don’t know. I can’t prove anything one way or the other, but a bedroom that blends rich textures and complementary colors, as the room shown here does, presents itself as an elegant place for laying your head.
Bedroom textiles help create a mood the minute you step into the space. From a linen-covered bench at the foot of the bed to woven curtain panels and an upholstered headboard, the textiles you choose give you a chance to create a fantasy of sorts — to tell a story about what feels beautiful to you and who you are in that room.
Him: "Why do I need a duvet cover? I have a comforter."
Me: “Yes, the duvet covers the comforter to keep it from getting dirty, and you can switch up the look when you want to.”
Him: “Why would I need to switch up the look? What determines when it’s time to do that?”
It could have been a circular discussion until the end of time, with me trying to explain the virtues of freshening up a look and him trying to understand why anyone would need more than one look anyway. To be fair to my ex, he was all about function and practicality. Many men are. If he already had sheets, why did it matter if they matched? Who was going to see them? Did having a more “grown-up” comforter make him sleep better than his favorite team blankets? I don’t know. I can’t prove anything one way or the other, but a bedroom that blends rich textures and complementary colors, as the room shown here does, presents itself as an elegant place for laying your head.
Bedroom textiles help create a mood the minute you step into the space. From a linen-covered bench at the foot of the bed to woven curtain panels and an upholstered headboard, the textiles you choose give you a chance to create a fantasy of sorts — to tell a story about what feels beautiful to you and who you are in that room.
My bedroom is my sanctuary. I’ve adorned my bed with things that feel comforting: heavy blankets, a vintage bedspread, a comforter for cold nights, kilim pillows and flannel sheets. Some people prefer the feel of crisp, cold sheets against their skin and the simplicity of ironed and bleached cotton.
This is a clean and charming room that speaks to many styles — country cottage, farmhouse, European beach apartment — and yet is beholden to none.
This is a clean and charming room that speaks to many styles — country cottage, farmhouse, European beach apartment — and yet is beholden to none.
But simplicity isn't the same as plain. With a woven throw at the end of the bed, the simple white bedding here is more bohemian and relaxed. White bedding lends itself well to change. If the pillows were switched for a large linen bolster, the room could easily go French. With a velvet coverlet and sisal rug, it could move in a more eclectic direction.
White cotton draped on a canopy bed has a timeless and romantic appeal. Draping the same bed in brocade and velvet evokes a castle-like atmosphere, while gauzy, nearly transparent panels add a distinctly tropical vibe. Bedroom textiles are the string that ties the whole room together.
Simplicity doesn't mean boring, either. Choosing one or two colors that show up in all of the bedroom's textiles is a great way to create a cohesive, thoughtful space that fits with any design style. While the room shown here leans more toward warm modern, it could also be considered contemporary or even clean eclectic. The white, black and yellow color palette is a modern one that translates extremely well across every style type.
Choosing textiles in the same tonal and color families makes a bedroom feel both high end and calming. The gradients of chocolate and cream shown here are rich and warm neutrals that are gorgeous on their own, but that could be instantly changed with the addition of a bright orange pillow, a throw on the bench or patterned sheets.
Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover + Shams
I have a few friends who swear that they can't sleep unless the bed is made with white sheets. I love the idea of white sheets, but practically, I'm terrified I'll wake up and realize that I'm disgusting in some way I probably shouldn't know about. My sheets are heavily patterned and/or monochrome. Nearly always the color is gray. When layered, dark gray textiles tell a sexy, moody, more masculine color story. The deep graphite blanket on the pretty pin-tucked duvet and steely sheets is at once inviting, interesting and mysterious to me.
The wonderful blue, gray and cream textiles in this photo tell a completely different color story. It's bright, soothing, feminine and soft. The blues are all in the same color family, with pops of gray in the curtain panels and mocha on the headboard. The look is easy on the eyes and yet anything but boring.
This room is anything but basic. Yet it's got all the same components as every other bedroom: a bed, bedside tables, a carpet and lighting. It's the textiles that make this room what it is — cleverly connected. The bright, bold, bedding mixed with a graphic multicolored carpet and pillows that play off the colors in the rug actually do "match." It's a color mix that breaks the rule that everything in a bedroom needs to be low key to be calming. For me everything needs to work together and be beautiful to make a restful space.
Pairing variations in texture, such as machine embroidery with hand embroidery, adds interest without disrupting an otherwise beautifully muted space.
Mixing brightly colored textiles and bold patterns doesn't have to be daunting. Choose one textile, such as the vintage coverlet shown, as the star and build around it. The batik elephant pillow is also blue and richly patterned, while the patterned pink pillows add a touch a whimsy. It's an eclectic space that works because the colors are sweet and unassuming and romantic in a dreamy, young, carefree kind of way.
Using a variety of boldly patterned textiles from the same color family is a more conservative way to inject a bit of fun eclecticism into your bedroom's style but has the same impact. Instead of the star textile being the coverlet, a small colorfully embroidered pillow does the trick.
Whatever your style, choose textiles for your bedroom that inspire you, comfort you and speak to how you want to feel in that room. Whether you're a minimalist having a love affair with all white or a traditional sort with a penchant for pops of bright color, invest in your own happiness and give yourself a great place to start your day.
More: 10 Easy Ways to Dress Your Bed
More: 10 Easy Ways to Dress Your Bed
Although extra shams, pillows and throws are typically just for decoration, their arrangement on the bed adds a finishing and welcoming touch.
In the room pictured, textiles and texture are layered to create a luxe and eclectic space that I'd be more than happy to move into!