I like fluffy beds that make you want to fall into them the second you see them. Duvets that seem to call out from across the room, "Lay with me, snuggle with me, love me!"
Luxury is key. Nobody wants to snuggle up with a scratchy blanket and a flat pillow.
Usually, the more luxurious you want a look, the more money it costs you. But that doesn't have to be true. The key to an inviting spread is layers, and separates add a custom touch. Here's what I mean.
This bed is ridiculously soft and cozy, and I swear, not a single person who comes into this room can resist sitting/laying/plopping on it. Now, obviously, I am an advocate of reusing old pieces and buying used, but when it comes to the bedroom, it's time to take it up a notch. That does not mean it has to be super expensive, though. Let's break this down by look and price.
The bed frame is all metal and was a floor sample at a furniture store that I picked up for $150. And it's a king - now that's a good deal! Floor samples are a good way to go when you want new, but can't afford the full price. I like a foot-board - it keeps blankets from falling on the floor and gives the bed a completed look. However, if you want to save a few bucks, foregoing the foot-board might do the trick.
The bedding is a mix of two different sets and a few stand alone pillows. The first thing to start with on any bed is the duvet. If you're not allergic to feathers, get a feather duvet. There's no reason not to. They're long lasting, super comfortable, lightweight, and hold in heat like you wouldn't believe. And it's a natural material, which is always better than synthetic mystery fabric.
I picked this one up at Marshall's for $90, and it was a really high quality brand. Remember, this is for a king; if you have a smaller size bed, these prices will be lower. Also at Marshall's, I got the duvet cover - white with an embroidered taupe triple-box outline - with two matching pillow shams for $40. and they are super soft, high thread count Egyptian cotton.
At TJMaxx, I bought a bag set that had a dust ruffle - which oddly had the same embroidered double stripe style as the duvet cover but in green instead of taupe - 2 shams with embroidered flowers on the end, a large white embroidered comforter, and 2 small accent pillows in dark green. All for $60.
Then I bought 2 accent pillows, also at TJMaxx, separately. The large white and green square one, and the oblong green with pink flowers. The first was $14 and the second $20. I almost didn't buy the oblong silk one, but I absolutely loved it and it was totally worth the $20.
The two white square pillows I had from an older (also white) bedspread set. Mixing and matching sets can give the bed an unexpected feel and a personal touch that is custom instead of cookie-cutter. The key is layers.
First, the duvet goes on. Then, folded up at the end of the bed is the uber-fluffy comforter. I folded mine in such a way that it can easily be pulled up at night if you need the extra blanket. You can also reverse that and put a thin blanket spread out then the duvet folded at the end. This works particularly well if you are using a quilt or thin, heavy- or lightweight bedspread.
The pillows are layered from largest to smallest. First, the "heaviest" (most visual weight) shams go in the back, in FRONT of the pillows you actually rest your head on - those should never be displayed. Think of sheets and pillowcases like the undergarments of your bed. You only show them to intimate friends or on very special occasions. (more on that in the bed making post)
Then come the "lighter" (less visual weight) shams, followed by the large throw pillows, and finally the small accent pillows. Play around with the pillow arrangement until you find one you like. You don't even have to stick with the same one every day. When I want a clean, streamlined look, I lose the green and floral pillows and just go with the white.
If you don't have nice artwork, or just art that you like to hang over the bed, consider something simple. This is a small sign that reads, "Always Kiss Me Goodnight." I got it at Hobby Lobby for $12, and I think it might have been half price that day. I tied a piece of white ribbon to it and hung it up. The simplicity of it works in the space, partially because it is a very small room, but also because the bed itself is so ornamented and textured, and the ceiling has something, too.
This particular room was in a rented house, so the walls were the everyday beige/cappuccino that rented walls often are, and changing the light fixtures was not an option. The light was a bland little thing, not ugly, but not interesting either, so I spruced up the ceiling a bit.
This is simply 3 foam balls from the floral department of the hobby store. I bought flowers I liked and stuck them in, attached a ribbon at the top with a push-pin, and hung the ribbon from the ceiling with a tack. This drew the eye away from the sad little fixture and toward the head of the bed, where I wanted the attention focused.
Now, in a different house, those floral balls have found a new purpose, but that is for another post.
