Making a bed is like tying your shoelaces: something you’re taught to do at an early age that quickly becomes almost second nature, a force of habit. And yet beds offer so many different options regarding sheets, duvets, pillows, size and so on, so we asked our favourite designers for their philosophies on the delicate art of bed-making. Here’s what they told us.
Daniel Slowik
I’ve always preferred the look of sheets and blankets with a a quilt or similar over the end of the bed, you can adapt this slightly though for modern life by having a duvet covered fully with a bed spread and a flat sheet beneath the duvet turned back over the bedspread – you can then still have your quilt over the foot and it produces the a traditional effect. Tidy but with the opportunity of colour and pattern. Sheets for me are best being white linen as a foil to the rest.
Benedict Foley
I’ve always rather loved the sort of fitted bedcovers you get on state beds – think the green velvet bed at Houghton or Lady Ballie’s bed at Leeds Castle. It can be visually rather effective having a very flat bed and a bolster in the same fabric as the bed cover if you have a small space and you might need to press your bedroom into being a reception room as well at times! Chuck the duvet and pillows in drawers under the bed.
Daniel is quite strict about cushions on beds, but I love them as I often read or write emails in my bedroom in the afternoon – on bed not in bed. Having cushions to prop you up is an old established practice and although people were shorter mostly in the past, early beds are short not for that reason but because people slept half propped up as they thought it had health benefits. Never miss the opportunity to have a favourite pattern as a bed cushion or three!
Lonika Chande
I like to have two square pillows at the back, one on each side of the bed, this makes if extra comfortable if, like me, you like to sit up and read in bed, and then two rectangular pillows on each side, as the regular pillows. I prefer goose down for the pillows and duvet. It’s both light, and warm. I feel the cold at night, and find it cosy, without being heavy.
I like white cotton bed linen best. I get mine from Cologne and Cotton. I find that it washes well and doesn’t fall apart. I always choose pillowcases with an Oxford edge. I love ironed bed linen. I get that this is a luxury, but it makes me feel vaguely put together no matter what sort of day I’m having. Plus, there is nothing quite like crawling into your own bed with freshly ironed sheets.