A lot of people message me to ask how to style their beds. They want to know how they can get their bed looking like the ones in Bloomingdales. And I’m here to tell you that you can do it and do it beautifully. And you don’t have to overspend. I’m using my guest bedroom as an example to show you exactly how I style a bed. I wanted this room to be comfortable and relaxing so my guests can unwind, lie back and breathe a sigh of relief that the day is over and this wonderful bed awaits them.
This task had a proviso: I didn’t want to spend a million dollars on a guest bedroom but I wanted it to look as if I had. And this is what I’m good at – making things look extremely expensive without breaking the bank.
I first started with the base, which is the rug. You should always start there, by picking out your rug thoughtfully. And as you can see, the tones in the rug set the standard and tone for the rest of the room. I have black lacquer doors, black trim, a black credenza so having a little bit of black in the rug made sense. Then I brought in the bed and there’s something important that you need to know about beds: when you’re buying one, don’t just get the headboard. Get the whole bed. And get a bed with feet so you don’t have to have a bed skirt. Bed skirts look dated, horrible and they’re never straight. They’re just a plain nuisance. So make sure you buy a bed, whether platform or not, that doesn’t require a bed skirt.
The next important thing to remember when choosing a bed is to pick out a fabric that won’t get dirty. I chose black, which never shows the dirt, but if you chose a light color, which I love, make sure you’re choosing a material that’s forgiving and easily cleanable. Maybe one upholstered in a performance fabric? Or make sure that the bed has a texture or pattern that won’t show dirt.
Initially, when I started designing this room, I used only hotel bedding. It’s a crisp, clean white and made of thick, plush cotton. But I also wanted to layer the bed in some fun way, which is why I decided to do a video and blog on bedding. As you know, I’m an ambassador for Anthropologie. This video is not sponsored, the products are literally ones that I love and own.
The very first thing I like to do when I’m dressing a bed is to iron the sheets. I know it’s a lot of work, but if you don’t have the time to iron the sheets, at least iron the pillowcases and shams and your duvet. Take two minutes to iron them and your shams, which cover the pillows in front of your sleeping pillows. The next thing I recommend for styling your bed would be to bring in two 24 inches by 24 inches or 18 inches by 18 inches decorative pillows that sit up in front of the sham pillows. This is a queen bed with standard-size pillows and shams, so either of those measurements would work. Then I love putting pillows that are 14 inches by 14 inches or 16 inches by 16 inches in front of them. The ones I have are fun and have so much texture. I love all the tassels and fraying and the natural fibers that a lot of designers are using currently.
The trick to achieving the hotel, stylized look is to layer your bedding with a lot of different things, but you want to do it in a way that’s balanced and makes sense. So I decided to put this comforter on top of the duvet to give a texture it lacked and also to give my guest the option to sleep under just a blanket or with a duvet.
At the end of the bed, I decided to throw this blanket because it’s fun and matched back to the pillows. I also put a blanket in that position so that if my guests decide to lie on the chaise lounge and look at the beautiful view, if they get a little chilly, all they have to do is grab this blanket and throw it around themselves. Very cozy!
One note to remember is, make sure your nightstands are the height of your mattress. You don’t want to reach up or down to get something to drink or turn your light on. If your bed is low you’ll want to find low nightstands. I found these in an estate sale. And don’t forget to read the description to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need.
Most of my pieces are vintage. That’s because I love estate sale hunting. If you want me to take you along I can. You have no idea how many wonderful pieces I’ve found over the years.
Three pieces in the room – the art, the console table and the chair were all estate sale finds. You won’t believe how much money you can save and how great it is for the environment to be able to upcycle and recycle items that have been discarded but are still great.
For those of you who don’t know what else to add to a room, consider the Kartell Ghost-style acrylic chair, which goes with everything because it’s transparent and doesn’t take up much visual or physical space. I use this chair as my vanity chair in my bathroom and I love it!
