Bedroom Decorating
With Beautiful Linens

Bedroom decorating with your choice of linens is an easy way to create a certain look to the bedroom, be it dramatic, comforting, relaxed or sophisticated.

There are endless ways to dress a bed with a minimal investment of time and a lot of creativity.

It doesn’t need to be opulent. Sometimes the beauty is in the simplicity.

A plain bedframe can make a beautiful statement and become the focal point of room. Or, you could really set the bed apart with your choice fabrics and the treatment of trims, embroidery, and fringe to transform a plain simple bed into a luxurious retreat.

Bedroom Decorating Bedding Basics

• A dust ruffle or box cover that dresses the railing and box spring.
• Top with a feather bed to the mattress making the bed look really inviting while providing luxurious comfort.
• Fitted and flat sheets, a blanket, comforter or duvet, which can be down or fiber filled, combined with neck rolls, boudoir and accent pillows.

In fine linens, quality is measured per square inch of the fabric. A 180-200 thread count is standard, while a 350 and higher count is considered luxurious. Luxury bed linens are linens made from the finest fabrics, like Egyptian cotton, Italian linen, and silk.

The higher the thread count the more soft, comfortable and longer lasting.

Lavish embroidery, beading, monogramming and trim often embellish these fine linens. Monogram linens are a classic and elegant way to add a personal touch to a bed. Bedroom decorating using a muted color palette and tone on tone patterns allows you to combine linens to play up different textures.

• Simple colors and repeated motifs unify bedding.
• Quilts mix well with different styles and add a layer of texture and warmth.
• Use a double sided comforter for an alternative look when it is reversed.
• Mix different shape and textures with the accent pillows, limiting the pattern. The bed wants to look inviting, not busy.
• Sleek pillows look nice in a more contemporary setting, while the tasseled and fringed versions work well in a French or Old World style bedroom.
• A throw at the foot of the bed offers texture and color.

Yarn Quality

Egyptian cotton is considered the finest cotton. It is a combed cotton which strengthens the fabric making it softer. Cotton is the most popular, but pure linen is one of the longest lasting natural fibers.

The more linen sheets are used and washed the better they get. They become softer and more supple, are mildew and moth resistant, nonstatic and lint free, but are more costly than cotton and requires more care.

Mercerized cotton has been treated to add luster to the fiber and conditions the fabric for dying.

There are different type of weaves:

• plain
• sateen
• jacquard

The price differences depends on the complexity of the weave. The jacquard weave is the most expensive, but its really a personal choice.

When buying linens pay attention to the finishing details, like deep hems, mitered corners and neat stitching.

Nothing compares to the way it feels against the skin. Try to request a sample if ordering from a catalog

Relying strictly on thread count can be misleading. The fibers used make a big difference in the softness and drape of a sheet.

Caring for Bedding

Silk and some of the other fibers will always need to be dry-cleaned, but Egyptian cotton can be laundered at home.

• Using only mild detergents, put a little in the machine first so it is not directly on the fabric.
• Wash on a warm gentle cycle with similar colors, and no chlorine bleach or detergent with chlorine.
• Don't use fabric softeners as they can build up on the threads leaving them brittle.
• Use low setting to dry and take them out when damp to finish air drying.
• Iron sheets when slightly damp to the touch and press monograms face down with a towel to avoid flattening.




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