Bed Linen or Bed Cotton?

Although we talk about bed linen, sheets and duvet colors in pure linen are prohibitively expensive and difficult to launder so we are mostly looking for good quality items in pure cotton or polyester cotton when we buy bed linen.

The quality of fabric is important as it must stay looking and feeling good after it has been in the laundry over and over again. That means that the colors must stay true and the sheets must maintain some body and substance and feel smooth wash after wash. Dark colors will inevitably fade a bit so if it bothers you that the colors may fade before the bedding is worn out then choose white or pale shades of bedding.

If you don't like ironing choose poly-cotton sheets and bed covers as they are easier to launder or choose specially coated easy-iron cotton sheets which cut down on ironing.

Do not choose all synthetic fabrics for your sheets as they slip and slide all over the place and do not feel comfortable next to your skin.

Quality Bedding

You are not going to have a well dressed bed if the buy the cheapest of the cheap bedding. I was looking for new bedding at the store yesterday when I was doing my shopping and I saw bedding for sale which was hardly more than the price of a cup of coffee. The colors were faded looking before you even start to launder it and it felt thin and starchy as if the starch was the only thing keeping it together. Put that on your bed and it immediately goes down a notch.

If funds are tight you can get decent quality bedding by buying own brand bedding - the ranges that good departments stores put their name to - rather than designer sheets and pillowcases.

Use good quality, non designer basics and then spend your money where it shows on the nicest duvet cover and top pillow cases you can afford to make your bed into something special. Save the extras like cushions and throw for later if necessary.

Bedding Strategy

According to this article on bedding ensembles, you can have a beautiful bed in one of two ways - either by thinking about how you want your bed to look from scratch and buying the different elements of bedding which make up that look or by looking around for a bedding ensemble or coordinated bedding range which has been out together by an experienced designer.

Of course you will have more fun designing your own but it is a lot more hassle. And there's no need to do it unless you can't find what you are looking for among the ready made bedding ensembles out there.

If you really can't find what you are looking for I think there is a third option which is to make or have made bedding to suit your requirements.

You will find bedding patterns at the back of the large pattern books in stores which sell dress fabrics and you will find a reasonable selection of fabrics suitable for bedding online and in specialist stores. Most stores which make curtains to your specification will also be able to create bedding and other accessories upon request.

Start with Your Bed!

When thinking about dressing your bed, start by thinking about what you have to work with - your bed!

If you have a simple bed without a fixed headboard then you have an easy task to dress your bed in any way you choose.

But any element of a bed which will be on view after the the bedding is on the bed has a built in style and character of its own so take care to buy bedding which suits the style of your bed.

This will avoid the very odd effect of an antique bed frame with ultra-modern bedding or a romantic four-poster "adorned" with a cartoon character design. I exaggerate of course (but I have seen everything in my time).

If the bed head is not in keeping with the look you want to achieve see whether it is removable and buy a different one. (Often headboards are attached via screws at the back of the bed.)

But if you have a bed frame made from metal or wood it is not so simple. Either buy a new bed if you can or simply design around what you have and choose from the huge range of bedding available to suit it.