How to dress a bed

Credit: @inside.no.five

Your bed deserves more than just being “made” – it should be dressed. Here‘s how… 

Never underestimate the power of a beautifully styled bed. It’s the focal point of your room, and when dressed well, it can completely transform the look and feel of your sleep space. 

From hotel-level tucking to coordinated cushions that always look picture-perfect, there are so many ways to achieve a designer-inspired bed, regardless of individual taste or tight budgets.  

In this styling guide, we’ll show you how to dress a bed beautifully and functionally, covering everything from selecting the right mattress toppers and bedding to clever layering techniques, coordinating colour palettes, picking plump pillows, and adding those final luxury touches that are sure to elevate your entire bedroom space. 

Consider this your bedscaping masterclass. Students, class in session…  

If you want to dress a bed like a designer, it’s best to start with the basics: choosing the right bed linens. In terms of materials, look to breathable, natural fabrics such as high thread count cotton or linen, which can be used in any season.

When it comes to colours, choose shades that complement the rest of your bedroom design for a harmonious feel. If you’re nervous about going too bold, start with a muted bedding colour such as white, cream, grey or beige, and darker accent shades on your throws and cushions for a pop of vibrancy.  

Credit: @hoppyeveleighafter_

Next, and equally as important, is picking a high-quality mattress topper for an extra bit of luxury. Not only do mattress toppers bring plush cushioning for added comfort, but they can help you sleep better, too. Plus, by heightening your mattress, they create a super plump and luxurious aesthetic, which is an added bonus… 

What’s more, they can even regulate your temperature! Take our innovative TheraPur ActiGel® Cool Mattress Topper, which adds a breathable layer to keep you cool and refreshed all night long – perfect for warm sleepers.

Now, it’s time to make your bed. The secret sauce to creating a designer-level bedscape is thoughtful layering.

The first layer (after your mattress and topper) is a fitted sheet. Make sure it’s the right size for your mattress to eliminate any lumps or folds – the tighter the fitted sheet, the better the night’s sleep! Then comes your pillows, duvet, blankets, throws, and finally, your decorative cushions. This layered effect is our go-to formula for a warm, inviting bed.

Credit: @@handmadehome

Choosing the right duvet cover

Think about your wider colour scheme in your bedroom to help inform which colour (or print) to choose for your duvet cover. One foolproof method of creating a cohesive bedscape is by taking the shade of your walls and picking a darker tone of the same colour family. For instance, if your walls are sage green, choose a dark green duvet cover. Got dusty rose bedroom walls? Dress your duvet in a rich, deep pink shade. 

Or, if you dread changing your duvet cover every time the task rolls around, why not opt for a coverless duvet?! Yep, that’s right. With our innovative Night Lark x Dreams Coverless Duvet & Pillowcase Set (available in navy check or a sweet forest sprigs pattern), you don’t have to! It’s squishy, squashy, but most importantly, home washable! Simply pop in the washer and it dries in 90 minutes – so you’re never caught out on laundry day…

Utilising quilts and throws

Quilts and throws make for fantastic styling tools for a gorgeous bed – especially if you don’t want the fuss of dealing with hundreds of scatter cushions when climbing into bed every night.  

So how do we use them? Quilts and bedspreads should be folded neatly on the bottom half or third of your bed. To keep things looking lovely, make sure to place the folded end at the top of your bed and the edges of the quilt closer to the floor to keep things nice and tidy. Throws can be a little rougher around the edges. Loosely drape your throw over the end of your bed for a relaxed, casual feel. The hint is in the name: you can ‘throw’ it on and job’s a gooden’.  

However you style your blankets, pay attention to the colour and textures and tie them in with the rest of your bedding. Try a shade lighter or darker than your bedding for a tonal look or find one colour from your bedroom that you can match with, be it your cushions on the bed, your walls or other accents around your space. Coordination is key.

Credit: @_athomewitholivia_

Crafting a complementary colour palette

Choosing a colour scheme for your bed is all about setting the scene – and the tone. Here are our favourite colour pairings: 

• In a cream bedroom, use warm beige and brown accents 
• In a light blue bedroom, go for white or navy for a nautical feel  
• In a pink bedroom, use deep red or burgundy as an accent shade 

If you need help with colour combos, our clever colour wheel tool can lend a helping hand…

Now, our favourite part: picking and arranging your cushions. This is what can make or break your bedscaping, so listen carefully to our next few tips… 

Stacking pillows from large to small

The best way to arrange your cushions is in size order, starting with the largest at the back and smallest at the front. This approach not only adds visual depth and structure to your bed but also draws the eye naturally toward the headboard.

An easy formula for dressing a double bed is placing two large square cushions in front of your main rectangular pillows, then two smaller square cushions in front of those. For extra flair, consider adding a bolster cushion, like we’ve done here with our Deacon Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame, for an easy, elegant finishing touch.

Choosing stylish pillowcases

When deciding on the right cushions for your bed, don’t overlook the impact of cushion shapes and textures – these are the subtle details that can make a big difference. Try playing around with pillows featuring fringe, tassels, or embroidered elements that can introduce a hint of preppy playfulness or boho charm. Or if you’re after something a little more refined, how about a beautiful, scalloped edge like the one on our Adwell Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame? Simple yet so effective! 

An oldie but a goldie, bed skirts are a timeless feature that are sure to add instant elegant charm to any bed. Think sweet cottagecore vibes for a cosy, rustic feel. Not only do they look romantic and classy, but they also conceal your bed’s base and legs, and any underbed storage you have – keeping your bed area lovely and neat. Win-win.  

A classic for a reason, it’s easy to see why so many hotels, showrooms and designers opt to dress beds in crisp white sheets. There’s just something so inviting about white bedding that’s perfectly pressed and ready to be dived into. 

Plus, white sheets go with everything. So, if you’re someone who likes to switch up their decor from time to time, white bedding makes for the perfect base to experiment with different blankets and cushions every other month – or as often as you want!

Gone are the days of boring headboards. With so many different colours, textures and finishes on the market, headboards offer more than just being a comfy place to rest the back of your head as you flick through your bedtime read.

By considering the colour and texture of your headboard and weaving it into your entire bedscaping design, you’ll create a cohesive look that is super coordinated. Take our Sleepeezee Maple Headboard in Wisteria, for example. We’d pair this lavender headboard with sage green bedding and beautiful lilac and lavender-toned cushions. The result is soft, serene and extremely stylish.

Fancy that luxury hotel feel? Start with Egyptian striped cotton bedsheets and fluffy pillows for an effortlessly refined foundation. Limit your palette to just one accent colour across the bedspread and cushions. This classic combo never goes out of style and delivers that “just checked in” feeling every time. 

It’s the small touches that make a big difference. Your designer-worthy bed is just a few final steps away… 

Our Interiors Expert, Whinnie Williams, offers her insight:

Now’s the time to rethink your bed as the true focal point of your bedroom. By adopting even just a few of these tips, such as thoughtful layering and symmetrical cushion placement, you can elevate your sleep space to be totally Instagram-worthy, one that you won’t be able to resist showing off to your friends and family.