Have you ever looked at a hotel website, magazine, or TV show and wondered why those high end destinations have such amazingly inviting looking beds?

You know the ones I’m talking about: one super fluffy duvet, perfect sheets, and tons of pillows? Uh hmm, that’s the one. Well, if you have company coming to stay in your guest bedroom and want to spruce it up, or if you just want to have everything necessary for guests year-round, this post is definitely for you. I’m going to teach how how this designer dresses her guest rooms. Don’t panic, you don’t have to go custom on this one. Many store- bought items can be used to make your guest room magazine-worthy.

First, pull everything you have. Excess bed sheets, pillows, blankets and throws. Odds are that if you’re worried about what will welcome your guests, you may not have everything you need. What I like to do is prep the room for a year-round visit. This means dressing the bed for the summer and the winter months because you never know if your home’s indoor temperature may be perfect for one person or too chilly for another. Getting everything on that bed for the year will ensure that your guests won’t have to ask you for an extra blanket or extra pillows when they are really ready to go to settle down for the evening.

The key is to start with a feel.

This relates to color which leads to a theme. If you want it to feel like a spa, use cooler neutral colors. If you want it to feel fun and cheerful, use warmer, bolder colors. Try not to go for a feminine or masculine look unless you’re single or if you’re just doing this for one person such as your sister that’s coming to live with you or even your father, or a niece or nephew.

 

Here are seven things you need for the bed…

 

1. Find a duvet set or comforter set. This is a great starting point because  these are the key pieces to a great looking bed. The shams and the duvet/comforter will be the focal point on the bed so what you choose is vital to the room’s final appearance.

2. Find oversized euro shams. These are larger pillows that will add height to the bed and will be placed at the headboard.

3. Find bed sheets. Purchase the entire set, not just a flat sheet nor the fitted sheet. Buy the whole set.

4. Find a blanket. Check the finished dimensions of the blanket against the duvet or comforter. The blanket should be larger based on how you will be dressing the bed later on.

5. Find decorative throw pillows. These will add a little umph to the bed as well as make it look cozier.

6. Find a lumbar pillow that is wider than it is higher. This ties the two decorative pillows together.

7. Find a plush throw. We often forget a throw which helps your guest keep warm without disturbing the bedding altogether. It is a great thing to have readily available at the foot of the bed.

 

Now, get started!

 

Here are 12 steps to dressing the bed:

 

1. Apply the fitted sheet.

2. Lay the flat sheet on top of the mattress, aligning top edge of flat sheet three inches past the seam of the mattress that meets the headboard. Why? Because there is always a takeup when we fold bulky items as we are planning to do now. Smooth out the sheet but do not fold your sheet  back yet.

3. Lay the blanket on top of the fitted sheet, aligning the top edge of the blanket two two inches below the top edge of the flat sheet. Smooth out your blanket but do not fold it back yet.

4. Lay comforter or duvet on top of blanket, aligning the top edge two inches below the top edge of the blanket. Smooth out your comforter or duvet.

5. From the head of the bed, take all layers and fold back half the length of the bed. This will give you the room necessary to place your pillows.

6. Take your Euro shams ( the large pillows that are usually square) and prop them up against the headboard.

7. Take your Comforter or Duvet set’s shams with inserted pillows and prop them in front of the Euro shams.

8. Take your pillow cases with inserted pillows and prop them up in front of the shams.

9. Prop one decorative pillow in front of each sleeper pillow.

10. Prop your lumbar in front and between  both decorative pillows.

11. Adjust the folded bedding layers we previously worked on. You can either pull them back line up just where the pillows end or to where the sleepers are. If you choose this position, remove the decorative pillows and lumbar, fold the bedding back and place your deco pillows on top of the fold, followed by the lumbar.

12. Fold your throw and lay it across the foot of the bed, smoothing it out properly.

 

Viola!

Congratulations! You’ve just dressed your first and complete ready-for-guests bed! It wasn’t that hard, was it? 🙂  If you are wondering why there is no mention of a dust ruffle or bed skirt, it is because most beds do not accommodate one. However, if yours does, I suggest you always dress the boxspring first, of course. And in the event that you do not want to use a dust ruffle because you can’t or just don’t, the solution for hiding the boxspring is using another fitted sheet!

There you have it. This is how I dress a designer bed. I hope you enjoyed this post and if so, please share because sharing is caring and it helps get my business out there to help those that are looking for designer solutions.

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