I’m a hotel junkie. Among my favorite things about traveling is collapsing in the end of a busy day onto a king-size mattress layered with smartly folded coverlets, heaps of cushions arranged just so and smooth sheets pulled tight as a drum. It is a lavish change in my bed making in home (despite my best efforts, the artwork of this hospital corner eludes me).
However, as I frequently remind myself, that’s no reason to settle for sloppy quarters. Here’s a step-by-step guide to some well-dressed, pretty and polished bed. If you’ve got another fantastic tip, share it in the Comments below!
1. Gather your bed linens. The type and quantity of linens that you use is based on the style of the room and your bed. But, most contain the following:
• Mattress pad with elastic edging
• Fitted sheet
• Horizontal sheet
• Pillowcases
• Blanket (lightweight or heavyweight, depending on your climate and the period)
• Quilt, comforter or duvet
• 2 standard pillow shams
• 2 European pillow shams (optional)
• Accent cushions (optional)
• Twist or coverlet (optional)
• Bed skirt or box-spring pay (optional)
Amy Lau Design
2. Break the iron out. If you are anything like me, you would rather walk through Death Valley at high noon in a parka than place your iron into its planned use. (Full disclosure: The last time I discovered mine, it had cobwebs on it.)
But pressed linens are crisp linens, therefore face your nemesis. A typical ironing board is too small to handle sheets with ease — cover a cheap folding dining table, or maybe a huge sheet of plywood, with heatproof batting or foam to provide you more surface area to work with. Don’t forget that the bed skirt and shams while you’re at it.
3. Center and straighten the bedskirt. If your bed style does not demand a skirt, then you can skip this step, although you may want to put money into a box-spring cover if your box spring is exposed.
If you are using a bed skirt, then center it in place, making sure that the edges are in the sides and foot. Use unobtrusive pins to anchor it in place.
Liz Williams Interiors
4. Pull the mattress pad smooth. Nothing destroys bedtime relaxation quicker than a lumpy bottom layer, and pads are notorious for bunching in the middle of the bed.
Elastic advantages assist, but for additional insurance, hold them in place with safety pins around the bottom edges. Or use corner fasteners, found at tub retailers and major bed.
Croma Design Inc
5. Tuck the sheet tightly. For optimal match, use an extra-deep sheet when you’ve got a pillow-top or a especially tall mattress; differently a typical size should work good. Pull it taut and tuck the edges.
Much like the mattress pad, corner fasteners can keep the sheet from creeping inward.
Terrat Elms Interior Design
6. Drape the flat sheet. Now the tricky part starts. Center the flat sheet on the bed, with equal overhang on either side. Align the top edge with the upper edge of the mattress.
Atmosphere Interior Design Inc..
7. Add the blanket. If your blanket is slightly shorter than the sheet, pull it down in the surface of the mattress instead of up from the bottom. You want the side and bottom edges to be even with the sheet as possible.
8. Tuck in the flat sheet and the quilt together. Make your best attempt at hospital corners in the bottom. Hold the long edges of the blanket and sheet away in the bed and pull them beneath the mattress to form a 45-degree angle in the corner. Lift the foot of the mattress slightly and use your hand to slide the draping floor edges of these bed linens beneath it. Make sure you smooth out them as much as possible to prevent the “princess and the pea” effect.
Now tuck from the side borders so they form a sharp crease. Can’t get the corners just right? Don’t lose sleep (ha ha) above these; just do the best that you can.
Tobi Fairley Interior Design
9. Turn the sheet and the blanket tops. Twist the flat sheet and the blanket approximately 12 to 18 inches (roughly the diameter of a cushion). Then tuck the long borders under the mattress across the sides.
10. Add your preferred topper. Whether you go for a comfy duvet, a comforter or a downy duvet, spread it over the bed and center it so that it hangs evenly. Leave the folded-down blanket and sheet exposed at the top, but be sure to cover their bottom borders.
Living Stone Construction, Inc..
11. Layer the cushions. Start with the cushions you’ll sleep on — slide them in their instances, tag ends first, and align the pillowcase seams with their borders. Plump up them and prop them against the headboard or wall. If you are using European shams, that are usually between 26 and 32 inches square, add those. Then come standard-size shams, and ultimately, throw and bolster pillows (three are usually a lot).
Dreamy Whites
12. Top it off with a coverlet or throw. Twist the coverlet so it’s about 18 to 24 inches round, and place it graphically in the foot of their bed. Or think about rolling it for a fresher twist.
Su Casa Designs
13. Bounce per year. Can’t do it? Start over. Just kidding … after all of your work, you’ve earned the right into some little nap in your luxuriously outfitted nest. Sweet dreams!
Too many steps for you? How to Make a Minimalist Bed