No More Casual Flings
Aug 11th, 2008 by Lauri
It always surprises me when I see how a lot of people make their beds. In most homes, the bedding is pretty, especially in the master bedroom but, usually, the queen or king-sized linens are not elegantly arranged. A comforter is casually flung over the top of the sheets, the pillows are lined up and it’s “done.” Well, not in my book, I mean, bed.
It’s not only because I am an obsessive decorator that I love a beautifully made bed: It is because I know that the bed is always the focal point of that room and it should therefore be attractive, literally. If your bed doesn’t look fresh and crisp and make you want to immediately dive under its covers to snuggle and snooze, it’s not living up to its full potential.
Here are 10 steps to help make your bed look and feel lovelier:
1. Start by removing the pillows and duvet-covered comforter.
2. Lift up one corner of the fitted sheet and give the whole thing several good shakes.
3. Re-tuck the corner back under the mattress so that the fitted sheet is then completely taut.
4. After shaking the top sheet, too, lay it on the fitted sheet and tuck in 3 sides, but not the top.
5. Take the quilt or blanket and shake it a few times to air it out and fluff it.
6. Then lay down the quilt or blanket so that it is smooth and as straight as possible.
7. Now, fold the top of the flat sheet over the top of the duvet or blanket and pull it taut. Fold it back once. (Note: The duvet can cover the whole bed or be folded back several times to lie across the foot of the bed. You may want to do the former in the winter and the latter in the summer.)
8. After shaking the pillows, stand them in a row, against the headboard with the edge of each pillowcase tucked back, behind it. Smooth the front of the case.
9. Place sham-covered king size/European square pillows in front of the pillows that are used for sleeping, to conceal them and make the bed look more appealing. If you use a bed skirt, coordinate the skirt fabric with these pillows.
10. For women only: No matter what your man says, add a pair of standard 18” decorative pillows, a pair of neck rolls or a pair of breakfast pillows - just one pair – in the front for a more finished look.
After you’ve done these things a couple of times, you’ll be able to make your bed look beautiful in just 2-3 minutes each morning. Aside from looking a lot prettier throughout the day, a fresh and fluffy bed will reward you with a more comfortable night’s sleep, too. ‘Sounds dreamy, doesn’t it?
Can you please tell me why some people’s dust ruffles look good and others look like a funny skirt. What’s wrong with mine???
dpack,
There are 2 kinds of dust skirts: gathered and tailored. The gathered style tends to be used in homes that are decorated with traditional or country style furnishings. The tailored style, with its flat panels, is used in homes that are more modern and clean-lined.
The main thing to consider, aside from its style and coordinating its fabric with other elements in the room, is that your whole bed skirt skims the floor, evenly, all around. Check to see if yours is too short or too long. Chances are, your “funny skirt” is suffering from unevenitis.
I am on a mission to get my bedroom DONE or started???? So I am looking everywhere for insirpation. Thank you-I’ve seen a few things on your blog.
I agree that a made bed is beautiful, but my hubby and I use separate blankets (comforters, actually–and there are 3 of them), so making the bed in the morning and unmaking it at night is a total pain. And it never really looks that good. Any suggestions?
Wendy,
When you make your bed with three comforters, try using one quilt to cover the whole bed and the other two folded up, one on top of another, at the foot, during the day. Arrange the pillows as I described in my post and make sure everything is taut and smooth. This will keep the bed looking neat when you are not in it and the duvets will be easily accessible when you want to climb in at night.
Thanks!! We’ll give that a shot. Love the blog, by the way.