Style at Home: Bedding secrets -- tailoring and textiles

 Since January is a month for new resolutions, I thought I would share one of mine with you. After a busy day in the shop and an evening of family fun with my husband and 3-year-old, I crave few things more than crawling into a beautiful and cozy bed for a good night’s rest — which is easier said than done.

I love coming home to an enticing and tidy bed. It not only energizes me in the morning to accomplish the small task of making it, but a well-made bed is a thing of beauty. I’d like to revamp our bedroom this year, and lucky for me, there are countless gorgeous beds to inspire me.

Many bed owners have asked how we get them to look so full and luxurious, so I’ve collected a few secrets from our bedding experts who create our second-floor masterpieces (thank you, Paula and Kathy).

Much like clothing, sizing matters when it comes to bedding. You wouldn’t wear an outfit that is two sizes too big; your bed doesn’t want to either. Having a tailored fit for your duvet makes a world of difference in volume and comfort. One thing I find interesting (and slightly hard to believe) is there is no industry standard for duvet sizing. So if you order five inserts from five different places, they may be all slightly different sizes despite all being called a queen.

This is why we take such care in getting our measurements correct so we can order our covers to fit the duvet fill, not the other way around. When we order inserts for our standard duvet covers, we go for the Super Queen (96 by 98 inches) and Super King (114 by 98 inches) to ensure a full and fluffy look that extends all the way to the edges. If a customer prefers to keep an existing fill, we recommend measuring it so we can adjust our cover dimensions for the perfect fit. This prevents the annoying problem of a sliding insert that bunches and creates flat spots.

Once the sizing is figured out, it’s time for textiles. We typically recommend a double-sided duvet cover. This provides flexibility if you want to switch up your look periodically without completely new bedding and gives the option of an unexpected pop of pattern when you fold down your cover. Nothing adds texture like pattern mixing.

Another area where size creates a big difference is in the pillows. Throw pillows give height, depth and elegance to your bed and are important in creating a fully decked out final product.

Typically we design with three layers of decorative pillows, starting with two 27-by-27-inch Euro pillows (three if it’s a king bed) to create the perfect backdrop along with the headboard. Our next two layers are rows of 24-by-24-inch pillows to create the depth that makes a bed seem cozy and inviting. If you want even more flair, a front accent pillow in the middle is the perfect cherry on top.

When choosing pillow textiles, have fun with it. Personal preferences dictate whether you even use the same fabric as your duvet cover — it’s not mandatory. We are constantly switching and rearranging our pillows upstairs to create new and exciting combinations. As a rule of thumb, it can be helpful to start out with a calm and neutral Euro pillow to create a strong backdrop, but then let the creativity flow. Your front rows of pillows can be swapped for a breath of fresh air whenever needed.

Katie Laughridge is the owner of Kansas City interior design destination Nell Hill’s. For more information, contact Katie at info@nellhills.com.