All about luxurious linens for bed and bath.
MAKING THE BED
Recently a friend asked, “How do you make your bed?” I looked at her quizzically and thought, “What exactly does she mean?” She continued to state emphatically that my beds always looked put together with a perfect balance of pillows and textures. I realized that what came as second nature to me, was not easily obtained by others. I have learned that explaining how to make a bed is a bit more detailed than I originally had thought.
When it comes to making a bed, I can think of a hundred variations, one of which should suit your own personal style. The main idea is to make the bed that works for you. Our classic bed, can serve as a foundation from which you can add to the look or scale down accordingly. You can refer to the “Measuring Up” section of our web-site to get more detailed descriptions of each piece of bedding that I am writing about below.
Dressing the Classic Bed
- Bed-skirt
- Coverlet or quilt
- Euro shams
- Standard (or king) shams
- Decorative duvet cover (optional)
- Decorative boudoir pillows
The classic bed is made from the ground up, starting with the bed-skirt. The bed-skirt grounds the look of the bed to the floor and accessories of the room. Although it does not need to match the rest of the bed it is recommended to have the bed-skirt tied to a color and style of the room. Many times this component of the decorative bed is linked esthetically to the Euro shams and/or the cover of the bed.
A coverlet or quilt is used over the bed and sometimes a decorative duvet is folded in thirds and placed over the foot of the bed. Other times only a coverlet is used over the bed and a decorative throw is placed at the foot of the bed.
To team with the coverlet, Euro shams are placed at the head of the bed. These Euro shams can either match the coverlet, the bed-skirt or the decorative duvet. By using these coordinating Euro Shams a balance of the bed is created from head to foot.
In front of the Euro Shams, the decorative shams (either Standard or King) should be placed. Most of the time these shams contrast with the Euro shams and the coverlet, but also match or coordinate with the look at the foot of the bed. These shams are important in balancing the pattern between the Euro Shams and the bed.
Finally, in front of the shams, decorative boudoirs or other pillows can be placed depending on how elaborate or simple you want the look to be.
Underneath the decorative bedding lies the most important part of a bed. Because we spend one third of our lives in bed, fine sheeting and down products that enhance the experience and facilitate a good night's sleep are key. I therefore recommend having the following of any similar pattern or color to provide year round versatility:
- 2 fitted sheets
- 1 flat sheet
- 4 pairs of cases or sleeping shams
- 1 duvet
- 1 down comforter
- 2 sleeping pillows
- 1 thermal blanket
Year-Round Comfort
For the winter or colder climates, the fitted sheet is the first layer of the bed to be put over the mattress. On top of this, the duvet cover envelops the down comforter. If you are not using a coverlet/quilt or blanket, it is not always necessary to use a flat sheet between the duvet cover and the fitted sheet. And finally a pair of cases or sleeping shams covers the pillows.
For the summer bed, a fitted sheet is used for the first layer of the bed, placed over the mattress. Next, a flat sheet is placed right side down with the finished edge up by the head of the bed. A thermal blanket is then placed over the flat sheet, which is then folded back over the blanket. The finished side of the flat sheet should be showing when turned back. A pair of cases or sleeping shams are the cover for the pillows.
I recommend when you purchase sleeping products, to always buy for year round use. By duplicating fitted sheets and cases you will be able to rotate the wear of your product and give it the longest life. We want your investment to last and most of all we want you to sleep well.
