“For each person at every age, there is a bed, a place that is harbor to our most intimate of moments…our moments of abandon,” Diane Von Furstenberg wrote in the intro to her 1991 tome Beds. For DVF (and maybe anyone who spends much time in bed), the bed is where you settle down into yourself—where body and mind finally find time and space to communicate.
How, then, to make up such a refuge? AD PRO turned to some masters of the well-made bed—from devotees of monastic spreads to champions of the more-is-more look—and asked for their takes on the ideal sleeping setup. Topics ranged from bed-making trends that pop up again and again to the methods tastemakers are pioneering now.
So, is there a right way to make a bed? What can we learn from the pros about how to approach designing for this important chunk of everyday life? Here are five interesting bed-making methods to consider, broken down and explained by some of today’s top interior designers.
1. The S.B.P (Simple But Personal)
A recent article by AD senior design editor Hannah Martin dove deep on what New York–based interior stylist Colin King calls the “grandma-style” bed—a spartan approach to bed-making that focuses on utility. The steps to creating such a bed are, as one might expect, straightforward: “a flat coverlet is laid across the bed, folded down a little at the top, and then back over a pair of standard pillows,” Martin advises. Traditional and pure to the point of near-religious affect, this look is appearing more and more in luxe hotels, perhaps because its rigidity implies a certain cleanliness post-pandemic hotel-goers find particularly comforting.
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If you want clean but not cold, we suggest the Simple But Personal (a.k.a. the SBP)—an equally simple but slightly warmer approach embraced by AD PRO Directory designer Liz Caan, among others. Caan believes bedding should be as personal as the process of going to bed itself. To balance any sense of sterility or anonymity, she incorporates heirloom linens and other subtle, deeply personal touches like bespoke coverlets, hand-embroidered sheets, or appliquéd monograms for meaningful, textural accents. “If cared for properly, these things can be handed down from one generation to the next, gathering layers of meaning along the way,” she says.
Marie Trohman, principal and cofounder of the LA-based studio Proem, says her process for determining the right balance for each client has evolved. “We used to go really hard at the bed story: fitted sheets that are a different color than the flat, flat sheet of a different material than the pillowcases, add in Euro shams, three quilts, nine gorgeous pillows, and it’s a wrap,” she explains. Not anymore. Today, she says there’s a litany of questions to consider first: Is the homeowner a hot or cold sleeper? This factor will inform the type and quantity of sheets chosen. What are their feelings on flat sheets? (Admittedly, a subject of mild controversy.) “I’m a firm ‘yes’ on that,” Trohman says, “but some people feel otherwise.” As for another touchy subject—the volume of throw pillows, bolsters, and other top-of-bed accessories—she makes an educated guess: “We assume no one wants a million pillows unless we hear otherwise.” A safe bet, since the key to this bed is editing: Resist elaborating until the final steps. Keep it simple, easy, and neat, then incorporate thoughtful details based on the individual who intends to sleep there.
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2. The Cozy Onion
The designers we spoke with agreed that when self-care is a client priority, comfort comes before anything else. AD PRO Directory designer Byron Risdon explains that this could mean sourcing organic bedding, specialty pillows, or hypo-allergenic materials. “There’s a ‘right’ way for everyone,” he says. “I like to keep my bed tailored and simple, because I feel less stressed at the end of a busy day when I come home to a neat and tidy bed. I only use pillows I actually sleep on, and reserve decorative pillows for sofas and chairs.” His simple approach, however, is enhanced by the layering of quilts, coverlets, and duvets across the bed, in order to give the nest a sense of depth. This cozy, accessible style also offers the sleeper multiple options for regulating their temperature throughout the night.
“I always love beds that include several layers and lush textiles,” says Veronica Solomon of Casa Vilora Interiors. “I think the layers matter.” To recreate Solomon’s look, “start with a mattress protector to help keep dust away from your mattress,” she advises, “then add a mattress pad for an extra plush level of comfort.” For the upper bedding, she likes to lay down a good set of luxury sheets (fitted, flat, and pillow cases), then add a coverlet in a textured, lightweight but plush material like quilted velvet or linen, which offers warmth during the night’s cooler temperatures. Then add a heavier duvet or thick comforter, folded in half and ready at the foot of the bed. Finally, top off the look with textural shams, a few decorative throw pillows, and maybe a throw blanket or two, and you’re good to go.
3. The Matchy-Matchy
Malone Detro, founder and creative director of San Francisco design firm Malone, acknowledges that designers are clearly in a more minimalistic bed-making mode at the moment. But she predicts an eventual return to the fun and flair of maximalism—which, in some cases, never really left. Detro advocates for old-school matching floral and geometric prints across bedroom furnishings—curtains, throw pillows, upholstered divans, bedspreads, and so on.
“I find the best looking beds and bed-making trends to be the least functional,” she says. “I absolutely love the look of the beds of the ’60s and ’70s with the fitted bedspreads that match everything else in the room: the pillows, headboards, wallpaper, carpet…I also predict fitted bedspreads will make a comeback at some point. They’re just so interesting, and matching them to the rest of the room can really bring the whole design together.”
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One thing to consider when choosing a bed-making style: How complicated will it be to make and unmake this particular bed on a daily basis? The fitted, retro-patterned, flouncy features that make the Matchy-Matchy so attractive can also be this style’s downfall. Highly decorative bedding often needs to be removed and carefully stored each night, so check with clients before going this route.
4. L’Imparfait
Life isn’t always perfect. What if your bed could reflect that truth, sans guilt or worry? What if you made it that way on purpose? “While I do believe that making your bed is an everyday necessity, I don’t subscribe to the idea that making your bed in the morning sets a permanent tone for your day,” says Jasmine Sims of Charlotte-based design firm Sims & Co. “That idea, while very noble and inspiring, can create undue pressure, especially if your morning is hectic and a bit chaotic,” she says. Sometimes life happens, and you end up making your bed in the middle of the day, or only making it up halfway.
Cue lightbulb moment: Meet the “unmade” bed, a style we’re calling L’imparfait, or “The Imperfect” bed-making technique (after the French verb tense used to represent ongoing past activities). Think clean but messy—low-key and slightly askew. The general idea here is to fiddle gently with an assortment of monochromatic or neutral covers and accents, pulling the sheets up and folding them back down loosely, to create a sense of movement and freedom—almost as if the sleeper might return at any moment. This style has been gaining traction among top designers recently, and its imperfect appeal makes perfect sense. It’s the same idea behind that perfectly tousled bedhead look that’s so hard to nail…but for your bed.
Trohman is also a fan of this low-pressure look. “The first bed that made me stop in my tracks was one by Rose Uniacke,” she says. “It’s subtle, refined, and completely approachable…For us, this is a perfect example of how a home should feel—both approachable and aspirational.”
5. The Seamless Order
“I have always done it one way,” says Caan. “A fitted sheet, a flat sheet folded over a tight blanket (wool in winter and cotton in summer). Then a folded duvet at the end. Sleeping pillows in back and shams in front. A fun toss pillow thrown in for fun. The bed is tight and crisp. Sheets are pressed.” When applying this seamless style to a twin bed, she loves to top things off with a king-size pillow. “It fits perfectly, and looks clean and neat. When we design bedding for lower and more modern beds, we forgo the European shams and do a simpler bed design.”
Atlanta- and New York City–based designer Andre’ Jordan Hilton sees the bed as an ideal space to experiment: “I’m always converting from one bed style to another based on how I feel. I don’t like for things to be the same for too long,” he says. Despite his experimental approach, his biggest piece of advice when it comes to bed-making is simple: Be neat. “As a designer, the most ideal way to make a beautiful bed is to be neat about everything you do with your bed. As long as it’s neat, it’s beautiful.” According to Hilton, the seamless trend is not new—it’s an older, very minimal European style. “I’ve seen a bed covered with a blanket that drapes to the floor and tucked underneath the sleeping pillows, with no accent pillows. I find it to be appealing to most people who don’t want to spend a lot of time making their beds but still want a chic look.”
Pro Tip: In a stark environment, texture is hyper-noticeable—for better or for worse. Risdon’s go-to bed-making tool is the iron. “I always iron all the bedding when changing my linens,” he says. “It really elevates the experience of getting into bed when the sheets are clean, crisp and pressed.” His take on the seamless bed involves choosing a modern bedspread design that looks sleek and clean, but cut short on the sides, so there is no overhang.
Ingredients
- 1 fitted sheet
- 1 flat sheet
- 1 comforter
- 2 sleeping pillows
- 2 24" square down pillows with shams
- Accent and bolster pillows, to taste
Directions
- Put on your fitted sheet, then tuck it nice and tight around all corners. Be sure to smooth out any wrinkles.
- Put on your flat sheet, making sure the fabric is even all the way around the bed. Hold the end of the sheet at the foot of the bed, then take your hand and tuck the sheet under to create a folding crease similar to an envelope, then tuck all sides into the side of the bed rails.
- Fluff your sleeping pillows and make sure the stuffing is even, then place your pillows on each side of the bed, with an opening to the inside. This will create a clean look once you place your accent pillows on top.
- Place your comforter on the bed, with all sides even. Pull the comforter down from the top of the bed, then fold back half way, and pull along each side of the comforter to get rid of any wrinkles.
- Add two 24x24" down pillows, standing one up centered in front of each sleeping pillow, and chop each down the middle. (This lends a crisp, semi-formal look to the bed.)
- Play around with a few more accent pillows or bolsters, and set them up in a way that is unique to your taste and comfort. Think of this final step as more of an art project. Make a statement.
