I love my bed. Even more so on these longer winter nights where combined with cat cuddles and a good book it is the peak of snuggledom… To me, having an inviting looking and feeling bed is super important and so the bedroom has fast become one of my favourite areas in the home to style.

Plus, given that on average around one third of our lives is spent in bed, I think it’s only fair to roll with this love and make it the most desirable place possible!

So. How do we make the most attractive and practical bed possible?

Well, it all starts with getting those good 8 hours…

As you will already know from my previous post about when and where to save vs. splurge around the home, every great bed begins with a quality mattress, pillows and sheets.

Across these three areas, what you decide on is always going to be a personal preference, but it really does pay to try a few out (yes- I fully encourage you to sleep around!)… then buy once and buy right. A great quality mattress / pillow combination will provide you with the ultimate in beauty sleeps for many years to come…

Top that bad boy with a fluffy and full duvet inner shroud in crisp linen, a throw at the bottom of the bed for additional style + warmth, plus a smattering of colourful scatter cushions at the top and you my friend, are good to go.

OK. Now to styling. Let’s start at the top and slowly work our way down…. * wink wink *.

1. HEADBOARD

In my opinion, a headboard in the Master bedroom is a must-have. Visually they add to the overall grandeur of the room and help set it apart as a more luxurious space to retire to at the end of the day. Headboards in the other bedrooms?! BONUS.
Practically, headboards make for a comfortable backboard to lean up against if you’re an in-bed reader or morning coffee drinker. They also help to protect the wall behind from marks and dents otherwise caused by the oils in our hair and the dyes in our clothing.

2. EUROS

Headboard or no headboard (even more useful if in the no headboard club!), next up are Euro pillows, AKA “The big square ones at the back”. These are perfect for long lazy weekend mornings sat in bed, as they provide a nice big squishy prop for sitting up to read or watch TV and drink your morning coffee.

3. PILLOWS

We’re in serious Goldilocks preference territory here, so I’m just gonna hit you with my personal preferences for both style and practicality.

Personally I like to provide 2 pillows per person. One being a plain-covered ‘sleeping’ pillow and the other with a textured / patterned cover that can also either be slept on for additional volume, or for body-snuggling up against (my personal fave!)
Design-wise, layering up varied colours, patterns and texture across the top of the bed adds interest and being fuller-looking, looks more inviting! Two pillows in cahoots with Euros is plenty for achieving this look.

4. THROW / SCATTER CUSHIONS

From a design point of view, cushions help to set the tone for the room; once more adding texture and depth to the head of the bed which in turn increases visual appeal, though they can (yes, really!) also serve a functional purpose too.
Bolster cushions in particular (The little sausage ones at the front) are your Euro pillows ultimate wingman- helping to provide a little extra lower back support. They are also great to sleep with! Popping a bolster under your knees at night can help with posture correction.
As for how many to use… is there really such a thing as too many?

5. DUVET COVER & SHEETS

I personally love a good white textured duvet as my blank canvas to layer upon, though being the largest surface area available to you, this is definitely the place to stand out and make your statement if blending in just ‘aint your thang!

If opting for a print or patterned duvet to compliment or contrast with your wall colours and other elements in the room, pick out a colour or colours from the design and introduce them into your sheet / pillowcase / cushion additions!
PRO TIP: Sheet sets in NZ often come with both a fitted and flat sheet & two pillowcases, which gives you a great foundation to start from; picking a set to compliment the rest of the decor in your room.

6. THROW / COMFORTER

Especially useful for breaking up a plain duvet cover, a throw or comforter folded or thrown over the end of the bed breaks up the white expanse, adds layers of texture, and bumps up the look of the bed, making it look more full and ‘jump-in-able’.
A light throw works well in the summer, while switching up to a more dense coverlet in the winter also adds an additional layer of warmth.
Bonus: if you’re a midday napper (LOVE that for you!) or have a chair in the bedroom that you like to cuddle up on, having a throw handy is always useful for crawling and cuddling up under!

7. VALANCE

Much like with a headboard, unless you have a framed or feature bed base, OR a storage bed that requires accessibility, then especially in the Master, a valance or bed skirt is a must for the ultimate finishing touch on your stylish bed.
By taking the fabric of a valance or bed skirt right down to the floor and hiding the plastic feet that beds so-often come with, the whole room instantly feels more complete.
Being able to select from various different colours and styles also allows you to tie in the base of your bed with the rest of the rooms décor so that from the ground up, your bedroom always looks its loveliest self.

7 Top Components for Making the Perfect Bed