How to Design a Bed

Making a beautiful bed is both art and science. Learn what it takes to make a bed that stops you in your tracks.

Making the bed is not as simple as pulling up the sheets. From the sheeting and shams to the throw blankets and pillows, there’s an art to creating a perfectly layered bed. Read on to discover the secrets to making a stylish bed.

How to Make a Beautiful Bed

A beautiful bed all begins with the perfect mattress. If you’re in the market for a mattress, our curated collection of Simmons or Robin mattresses is a great place to start. Equip your bedroom with a comfortable, supportive mattress, and then it’s time for the fun part: building a beautiful bed.

The foundation of every bed is a soft and elegant sheet set. In addition to a fitted and flat sheet and standard of set of pillowcases, you may want to purchase additional pillowcases, especially if you like to double up on pillows. You can’t go wrong with an all-white sheet set, but colors and patterns are also great for layering underneath white duvets.

Next, and especially if you live in a cold-weather climate, you’ll want to layer on a blanket or coverlet. Like a light jacket, a coverlet is the perfect blanket to toss on solo on warmer nights or use as a layer on cooler evenings. It also makes a great all-seasons base layer. If it gets extra chilly in the winter, you may want to invest in a warmer winter blanket, as well as a summer-weight blanket instead of a singular coverlet.

On top of your base layer blanket, you’ll want to layer on a quilt or duvet and duvet cover. Both come in a wide range of colors and seasonal patterns and add a fluffy, inviting layer to the bed. They can be folded at the end of the bed as decorative layers and easily pulled up at night to keep you warm.

To top off your quilt or duvet, add an additional decorative layer for any bed, such as a throw blanket or a sheepskin throw, which also makes for a snuggly retreat for lounging.

Selecting Bedroom Pillows

The icing on the cake of a beautifully made bed is your decorative pillows. Topping off your standard pillowcases, you’ll want at least a couple more pillows for that finishing touch, but the number you choose will depend on how formal or casual you want your bed to be, and how many pillows you will actually use. 

For a twin bed, a good equation is one Euro, one standard, one pillow with a sham, and one small decorative pillow. For a full bed, a good lineup is two Euros, two standard, two pillows with a sham, and three decorative pillows. For a queen, try three Euros, two standard, two pillows with a sham, and three decorative pillows. For a king or Cal king, try three Euros, two king standards, four pillows with a sham, and three to five decorative pillow. Mix, match, and change the configuration as your style evolves.