Updated at: 22-03-2023 - By: Sienna Lewis

An inviting bed is essential for any bedroom, whether it’s the master suite or the guest quarters. And absolutely reliable in providing the five-star sleep you deserve. Experts were consulted in order to reveal the best ways to decorate a bed for maximum comfort and visual appeal.

It’s crucial to start with the basics before adding any decorative touches to a bed. The quality of your sleep may hinge on the quality of your bed linens. between a polished appearance and a slovenly one.

After you’ve laid down the foundation, the next three most crucial pieces of a well-styled bed are the pillows, cushions, and throws. They should not only go with the rest of your bedroom’s design and color scheme, but they should also add depth and texture to the space.

HOW TO STYLE A BED

When designing a bedroom, it’s important to prioritize relaxation by focusing on creating a cozy atmosphere around the bed. Follow this simple guide to learn how to make your bed like a hotel’s and impress your guests (or give yourself a night in a hotel every night).

1. ENSURE YOUR BED IS EYE-CATCHING

You might already be thinking about how you want your bed to look, but if you haven’t yet, it’s important to think about whether or not you want your bed frame to play a role in that. A solid wood four poster with canopy in a more traditional bedroom, or a modern, brightly painted one in a more contemporary bedroom, are both examples of possible frame shapes that would work well.

And what if you’d rather have the headboard or the sheets take center stage?

HOW TO STYLE YOUR BEDROOM LIKE A HOTEL - Paper Room Interiors

2. STYLE A BED WITH A BEAUTIFUL HEADBOARD

Unique headboard designs will enhance the aesthetic value of your bedding ensemble. There are four factors to think about when selecting a headboard for a bed. Height — very tall or wider-than-the-bed headboards are much grander-feeling than standard sizes — shape — add curves to boxy rooms, for example — material — to add texture — and color — to complement and tie together both the bedroom’s scheme and the bedlinen — are all important considerations when choosing a headboard.

3. CONSIDER A COLOR SCHEME WHEN STYLING A BED

It’s best to start with the bedsheets when choosing a color scheme for a bedroom and work your way up to the walls and other accessories. Like a crisp white button-down shirt, simple white bedsheets serve as a perfect blank canvas. Coordinating the bed with the rest of the room is as simple as choosing a few throw pillows and a few throw blankets in a similar color scheme. You could also take this chance to decorate the room in seasonal hues.

“Warm tones will create a cozy atmosphere throughout the autumn months, reflecting the falling leaves with rust and ochre hues,” says Emily Dunstan, Home Buyer at Heal’s(opens in new tab). ‘While in the spring and summer, warm neutral tones can be layered to provide a crisp and fresh vibe. ’

While there are plenty of printed sheets available, it can be easy to get sucked in by the seemingly endless supply. Head of Design at Christy(opens in new tab), Lucy Ackroyd, suggests focusing on the bedding first before moving on to the rest of the bedroom’s decor. If you want to make a statement in your bedroom, consider using a printed duvet cover and decorative pillows with a pattern, such as botanical prints. Then, she suggests, you can use this as inspiration to decorate the rest of the room with paint and plants that complement the colors in the piece.

4. PICK THE BEST PILLOWS AND CUSHIONS – AND POSITION THEM CORRECTLY

Which goes where, the pillows or the duvet? We recommend placing them above, as this is how they are displayed in most five-star hotels. Before adding pillows, smooth out the duvet.

The quality of your sleep depends on the pillows you choose, which is why we curated this list of stylish and functional options.

Next, add pillows. We would rather have them sit erect, symmetrically, and facing the room. Even if your spouse complains, having two sets like the ones pictured above makes the bed look much more elegant.

5. STYLE A BED WITH A REVERSIBLE DUVET

A duvet can be folded back if you don’t want to smooth it under your pillows, and if it’s reversible with a pretty design on the reverse side that complements the design on the top side, you can use it to add visual layering to your bed.

6. USE THROWS TO LAYER ON DIFFERENT TEXTURES

Having a bed with a variety of textures is essential if you want it to be a place where you want to spend time relaxing and sleeping. Warm wool blankets, knitted pillows, and even faux fur can add a touch of luxury when layered together. A crushed linen duvet cover is a great way to incorporate textural variety right into the bed’s base.

If you’re going for a laid-back look, wrinkled linen bedding is a great choice. If you don’t have time to iron your sheets, you can still keep your bed looking put together with this simple hack.

7. INVEST IN GOOD QUALITY BEDLINEN

Before making a purchase, it is important to check the label to see exactly what the bedding is made of. Natural fibers like linens and cottons make for luxurious duvet covers and sheets. “The natural fibers keep you cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and they look great,” says Charlie Marshall, Loaf’s founder.

You can get a good night’s rest on 300- or 400-thread-count linen made from high-quality cotton. It is the thread count of choice for many of the world’s finest hotels, says Robert Lancaster-Gaye, co-founder of Tielle Love Luxury (opens in new tab). Higher thread count is not always indicative of higher quality. ’

Consider getting a flat sheet and a lightweight quilt for your bed as well. As well as being a great way to increase the coziness of your bed, these are useful if you and your partner prefer different temperatures while you sleep.

STYLING A BED – A SIMPLE STEP BY STEP

One should first use a valance sheet to cover up any unsightly bed frames.

Second, use a mattress topper to improve the feel and quality of your sleep. The Panda mattress topper is our favorite.

Third, use a mattress protector to shield it from spills and dust mites. The Casper mattress protector is highly recommended by us.

If you want your bed to look like a five-star hotel, use a flat sheet on the mattress. On the other hand, a fitted sheet can be used for convenience.

If you’re using a thin quilt, place it on top of the top sheet, and then place the top sheet face down on the mattress.

Fold the top sheet back to make a cuff, then drape a duvet or comforter over it.

Seven, pile a couple pillows on top of the sheets.

Put a blanket or quilt on the bed. Place a runner at the foot of the bed for a posh, boutique hotel feel.

Place several pillows together in a variety of complementary colors.

How to Dress Up your Bed! | Pan Emirates Blog | UAE

HOW DO YOU DRESS A BED WITH CUSHIONS?

When dressing up a bed with pillows, have some laughs and show off your personal style. Since cushions can be easily replaced at a low cost, this is a great way to experiment with new hues and materials in your home.

Lucy Ackroyd, one of Christy’s interior designers, recommends using contrast cushions in a variety of textures, complementary colors, and unique shapes and sizes. Pile on three to six cushions, depending on the size of your bed, and arrange them in size order, with the largest at the head of the bed. ’

HOW MANY PILLOWS SHOULD BE ON A BED?

To what extent a bed should be adorned with pillows and cushions is a matter of personal preference. It really just comes down to personal preference.

According to Mariam, the Head Home Stylist at West Elm(opens in new tab), a minimum of three cushions and one or two pillows should be used on each side of a bed.

‘We begin with the standard size sleeping pillow, and then we begin stacking them out,’ she explains. You can achieve a more modern look by stacking two standard-sized pillows horizontally. ’

HOW DO YOU DRESS A BED WITH THROWS?

An eye-catching throw is the perfect way to complete the look of a bed with minimal effort. Throw blankets and throw pillows should be changed out seasonally. During the cooler months, you may want to cuddle up with several blankets, but a light cotton throw will do the trick during the warmer months.

‘Try layering different textured throws and mixing your materials,’ says Chrissie Rucker, founder of The White Company(opens in new tab). This is a fantastic method of giving your bed a boost during the colder months without sacrificing comfort. ’

Think about how you’ll be draping the throws each morning before making the bed. For the most relaxed look, throw a knitted blanket over the bed, while a stiffer throw is better off folded neatly at the foot of the bed.

Keep in mind that there is more to a bed than just its function. It should be cozy and welcoming; a place of refuge after a long day, as Chrissie Rucker so aptly put it. ’

HOW MANY LAYERS SHOULD A BED HAVE?

Between three and seven sheets are ideal for a comfortable night’s sleep. A mattress protector, bed skirt, fitted sheet, top sheet, duvet/comforter, blanket/throw, and pillows, of course, are all acceptable examples.

Rebecca currently serves as the magazine’s news editor. She’s been writing about housewares and decor for four years now. Her interest in interior design was sparked during her time as an intern at Harper’s Bazaar and Town & Country while she was pursuing her Master of Magazine Journalism at City, University of London. When she first graduated from college, she worked as a feature writer for Women’s Weekly magazines. Later, she moved into online journalism by joining the Ideal Home digital team, where she now writes about news and features for the website. She loves to search for vintage furniture and handcrafted ornaments for her home.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE USING THIS PROCESS TO MAKE THE BED

One of my least favorite chores is making the bed. When I ask myself,

We’ve only just returned to bed for the night. I don’t see the point in doing so.

Making the bed can be a chore, but it’s not so bad when you have a simple solution for doing it.

This means you can relax and enjoy your company without having to worry about slamming your bedroom door behind them.

👉🏻  This method of bed assembly is simple, inexpensive, and available in a wide range of colors that should work in almost any bedroom.

HOW TO MAKE A BED LIKE A PROFESSIONAL

Here are some of my favorite tricks for making your bed look picture-perfect, whether you’re decorating your master suite, staging your home, or preparing it for a home tour.

  • Less is more; simplicity is key. Whether it’s fewer blankets, sheets, or throw pillows, less is more when it comes to the bedroom. However, if you prefer fewer pillows than I do, feel free to use fewer than what are shown. For me, “keeping it simple” means sticking to a color palette that consists primarily of whites so that I can avoid the hassle of trying to find complementary hues.
  • The use of different textures (such as a cable knit blanket or pillow) can add depth and character to a bed without making it look too busy, so don’t worry about using a lot of different colors if you’re decorating a bedroom.
  • Using only white or very similar shades of white creates the impression of cleanliness on a bed. To alleviate this concern, an increasing number of hotels are switching to an all-white bedding scheme. No hidden spots here, as they can plainly see! Further, when using an all-white color scheme, you can safely bleach the bedding.

HOW TO MAKE A BED LOOK LUXURIOUS

A plush bed with gorgeous pillows and a modern, minimalist design—that’s my idea of heaven! Instead of a patterned, colorful comforter, I use a white fitted sheet, white top sheet, a duvet cover, decorative pillows, and down comforters to achieve this look.

The crisp white sheets make me long for a night in a five-star hotel!

START WITH THE SHEETS

When I make a bed, the first thing I do is lay out the sheets. The sheets on our bed are a major priority for us. We prefer cool sheets that don’t ride up at the corners of the mattress when we toss and turn in the night. Tangled sheets can make for a restless night’s sleep because of the increased likelihood of getting tangled.

The Purple sheets that came with our Purple mattress are currently in use, and they are FABULOUS. They’re breathable and comfortable to sleep in despite being stretchy, staying in place around the edges, and feeling like a soft t-shirt. Like magic, it works! (But you can use their sheets with any mattress—Purple isn’t required!)

When you finally settle on a comfortable set of sheets, you should apply them to the bed in the following order:

  1. When using a mattress protector, place it on top of the mattress and then place the fitted sheet on top of that. Make sure the fitted sheet is snug so that it completely covers the corner of the mattress. Then, to make sure the sheet stays in place all night long, tuck it under the mattress’s corner.
  2. Top Sheet: Place the top sheet on the mattress, smooth it out, and tuck the corners into the side and foot of the bed. Then, stretch the flat sheet to its full length by pulling its top gently up to the head of the bed.

To paraphrase, “Get Purple Sheets like we use here!”

WHAT IS A DUVET COVER?

Simply put, a duvet cover is a thin blanket with an opening, secured by a zipper or a row of buttons, that can be used to create a fluffy bed linen, protect a comforter, or hide the color of a blanket that has seen better days.
(Be careful: you might be able to see the comforter through the duvet if you don’t use a solid duvet cover. For this reason, a white down comforter is my top pick.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO USE A DUVET INSTEAD OF A COMFORTER?

For convenience in washing, I prefer using a duvet rather than a comforter. It’s not uncommon for a comforter’s “filling” to take forever to dry after being washed.

The duvet cover can be easily removed from the comforter and washed separately, making weekly washing of the comforter unnecessary.

HOW TO PUT ON A DUVET COVER

In this post, I demonstrate the simplest method I’ve found for stuffing a duvet cover with a video.

Putting a duvet cover on my bed consists of the following steps:

  1. An essential tip: if your duvet is brand new, the packaging may have caused it to have deep creases. Before you put it on your bed, iron out the wrinkles and creases. It’s possible that you’ll have to wash, dry, and iron or steam your clothes. When the duvet is wrinkled, the bed looks untidy.
  2. When you’re done, flip the duvet cover inside out and lay it on your bed or someplace flat and wide enough for it to spread out, like the floor.
  3. Spread out the comforter(s) on top of the duvet cover; I use two down comforters.
  4. As an extra step, you can attach the comforter to the duvet cover. With the corner ties, some duvet covers make it possible to keep your comforter in place while you snooze. Duvet padded clips are an excellent alternative to ties if your duvet cover does not come with them.
  5. To make the comforter fit inside the duvet, turn the duvet cover inside out after you’ve tucked it in.
  6. You should lay the duvet out on the bed, “closed” end toward the top.

Comforters can be inserted into a duvet cover with the aforementioned method, which is much simpler than trying to stuff a comforter inside a duvet without turning it inside out.

WHERE TO PUT SLEEPING PILLOWS

If you use pillows, they should have cases. Place the pillows you plan to use for sleep against the wall or headboard, upright, to establish a standard for the rest of the bed pillows.

All of the pillows should be sitting as upright as possible, not leaning back, so that the entire pillow can be seen when the bed is viewed from the head to the foot. This is the secret to those picture-perfect mattresses you see in catalogs and online.

HOW TO STYLE DECORATIVE SHAMS

Next, I put three Euro shams in front of the sleeping pillows to cover them up (because, let’s be honest, after a night’s use, they aren’t always the most aesthetically pleasing). Having a California King necessitates the use of three, which is the case in my bedroom. Two people might be sufficient if you have a queen-sized bed.

As a pro tip, I like to fill out my Euro shams, which are 26×26 inches, with a 28×28-inch pillow.

The pillow shams that came with my duvet cover are the next thing I put on the bed, right before the Euro shams.

HOW TO STYLE AN ACCENT BLANKET ON THE BED

I find that having an extra blanket not only helps me get a good night’s sleep in the winter, but also adds a nice touch of color to my otherwise monochromatic bed linens.

I like to fold our king-sized blanket in thirds or fourths to make a narrow fold, and then drape it at the foot of our California king bed. When I get bored of this arrangement, I switch to laying it flat across the foot of the bed, or I lay it diagonally across the top of the mattress.

How To Dress A Bed | Dress Bed Like a Designer | Neville Johnson

HOW TO USE ACCENT PILLOWS

Finally, if you want to add a splash of color without buying a whole new comforter or sheet set, decorative pillows are a great option. Changing the look of a room doesn’t have to be expensive (just try switching out your throw pillows for seasonal ones, painting the walls a new color for the season, etc.).

However, I use accent pillows in a variety of white tones and textures to avoid overly bold color schemes across the bed.

  1. To create a flatter surface for the finishing touches (the lumbar pillow), center two square decorative pillows against the shams.
  2. Lastly, a lumbar pillow can be used to create a visual center on the bed. This pillow should be placed between the two square pillows.

EXPERT TIPS AND FAQ’S

  • No headboard or bed frame is required for a lovely bed. As a matter of fact, those Euro shams I mentioned earlier can be used to easily simulate a headboard in bedrooms without one.
  • Is a bed skirt obligatory? No! Especially if your bed frame is like mine and has lovely upholstered panels on the side. If your bed does not come with “walls” or decorative panels, you can always tuck the duvet or comforter under the mattress to hide the unsightly bed frame.
  • I like to use a duvet cover with two down comforters inside of it to achieve the “weighted” feel I like to have while sleeping as well as the “fluffy” look of a bed that has been professionally styled.
  • To complete the look, I pair 28×28-inch Euro pillows with 26×26-inch shams.
  • We bought the bed frame you see here on Wayfair and are very pleased with it. It’s cheap, and you don’t need any box springs to use it.
  • It’s important to have a cozy mattress, regardless of how lovely your bed may be. Get a good night’s rest by investing in a high-quality mattress.