Design Ideas,Soft Home | February 27, 20081 Comment

Peter’s Bedscapes

My friend Peter is a master of the bedscape. By that I mean knowing just the right style, number and placement of pillows on a bed. I was thinking about this last week when my mother and I toured some model homes at Lakewood Ranch, in Florida, where I took these photos. I thought I’d explain Peter’s theory while we take a tour of some interesting bedscapes. Ready?

Peter says that, “Beds are like desks. Too much stuff on your desk and you can’t find anything. Not enough stuff and you can’t get your work done.”

This is my favorite of everything I saw that day.
I could slip right between those sheets and go to sleep.
It looks really inviting.

Peter says NO to a mountain of decorative pillows. “They’re annoying and serve no function,” he says. However, he’d make an exception with the bed, above, because the three European shams take the place of a headboard (which he’d prefer). Next come two king-sized pillows and one little guy. The matching duvet looks nice with the sheets. Peter suggests staying away from a mountain of throw blankets, too. “You just have to throw them on the floor.”

Peter goes on to say that each bed needs two pillows per person for actual sleeping. Then you need an assortment of rolls, and boudoir pillows for different functions. But not too many. The type of pillow depends on what you do in bed.

“Rolls and small pillows are good for supporting your head while you read or watch TV in bed. But please don’t over-do it,” adds Peter. “Figure out what you need and leave it at that.” It’s nice to mix up the patterns to keep things from looking too matchy-matchy. Oh, and don’t forget to iron everything. If you don’t iron your sheets, at least do the pillow cases.

Okay, so what about the covers? Peter has some tips there, too. He likes a coverlet over an ironed, turned down sheet. Top that with a covered duvet that’s either tri-folded at the foot of the bed, or folded once with the coverlet and sheet folded over it.

“I guess it’s personal,” Peter adds. “But I don’t like those padded quilts you often find in hotel rooms. They don’t allow for comfortable sleeping because they don’t mold to your body.” I’ll add that they feel horribly synthetic – even when they’re topped with cotton fabric.

This room looks really fresh and inviting.
I don’t think I could ever talk Arthur into a canopy like this.
But it looks so pretty. I guess it’s a girl thing that will have to wait for the right client.

If you live in a warmer climate Peter suggests a light-weight duvet as well as opting for a light-weight coverlet. He likes seersucker. “Personally,” says Peter, “I like the feel of covers, so I always have a duvet. Others might prefer just the coverlet and maybe a blanket folded at the bottom.”

One final thought concerns throw blankets. Peter says throw blankets are for sofas and chairs not beds. “You’re always talking about scale, and that’s the problem with throw blankets on beds. They’re too small. Buy the big one and you’ll thank me.”

Simply put, here are Peter’s rules for the perfect bedscape.

• Limit the use of decorative pillows. He prefers a padded headboard.
• Two pillows per person for sleeping.
• Use small boudoir pillows, or rolls, for specific purposes such as reading.
• Mix up the pillow patterns for visual interest.
• Layer your bed with a top sheet, coverlet and covered duvet. Fold each over the other, or…
• Tri-fold the duvet cover and fold the top sheet over the coverlet.
• No throw blankets.
• Iron your sheets, or at least the pillowcases.

What’s your favorite bedscape tip?