Bedscaping: How to create a stylish bed scheme at home

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From headboard to foot

The warm weather is here, which means ditching your heavy winter duvets in favour of more heatwave-appropriate bedding in cooling cottons and linens. But why stop there? A few extra touches can do wonders when it comes to creating a truly chic bed scheme – and it seems we’re becoming more enamoured with the idea of creating a sleek hotel-style look, replete with plush cushions and sumptuous layers of texture, at home.

In fact, in the past three months alone, there has been a 250% increase in searches for ‘bedscaping’ in the UK on Google, while ‘bed styling’ has seen a 456% increase. "By following a few tried-and-tested steps you can create a stylish sleep sanctuary that will work for almost any space," says Kate Salmon, Head of Homeware Buying at Oliver Bonas. "You want to create an environment where you can switch off and relax completely, so choose soft furnishings that make you feel great and bring you joy."

Before making any purchases, you need to pin down your colour palette. Interior stylist Sam Griggs says it's best to keep your scheme simple with a maximum of three to four colours to help maintain a feeling of calmness. "This doesn't mean your bedroom can't be full of colour – just keep an eye on which ones you combine," she says.

If you’re not sure where to start, Sam suggests taking inspiration from your current scheme. "Perhaps you have a rug or some artwork with a mix of colours that you love," she suggests. "Someone has already done the hard work combining colours that naturally complement one other. Use this palette as the basis for your scheme."

Next, it's time to choose the big furniture pieces; those that can't be switched out easily, like your headboard and frame. Choose wisely as you should have them for years to come. "Rattan headboards are super versatile and look amazing with both bold, tropical print bedding or more neutral bedding in natural fibres," says Kate. "Velvet headboards in jewel colours create a real wow factor when paired with other bright colours, patterns and interesting textures. Green or orange paired with pink is set to be a popular colour pairing this season."

Once that's sorted, it's time for the really fun bit – choosing a bedding set to dress your furniture (and mattress) the way it deserves. There are a wealth of textures and materials to choose from available but, as we transition into the warmer seasons, we’re looking to switch heavier thread-counts on our Egyptian cotton bedding for breezy linen or more lightweight sets instead. "Choose crisp, soft sheets with a print if you’re going bold," says Kate. "For a minimalist look, opt for an interesting texture like linen or waffle in just one colour to elevate the look."

A colour-pairing tip from the experts? "One of my all time favourite combinations is olive or khaki green with earthy pinks and a splash of ochre," says Sam. "All of these shades are found in the natural world so they sit beautifully together; calming yet uplifting and very easy to work with against a variety of wall colours."

But don't worry if you’re not ready to let go of your grey interior scheme yet, or simply prefer a crisp, cool white look. Instead of colour, you can use texture to create interest in your scheme instead. "This can be as subtle as using a crinkled white waffle bedding set, a pillowcase with a broderie anglaise trim or a white boucle ottoman bench at the foot of the bed," suggests Sam. "These little details will bring interest and help your room feel like a cocooning, comforting space as opposed to a colder, more sterile one."

Now the bones of the bedding scheme have been fleshed out, it's time to layer with accessories, like a bedspread or quilt, throw and some cushions to add that je ne sais quois that will elevate your scheme into something truly Pinterest-worthy. "If using both a quilt and a blanket, fold a quilt at the bottom of the bed and then drape the blanket on top to add another layer of inviting texture," says Kate. "As a general rule, if you opt for patterned bed linen choose a plain quilt or blanket in a complementary colour, and vice versa."

Sam agrees, explaining that you can avoid your bed from looking too ‘blocky’ by mixing up patterns and textures for your bedspreads and throws. "Combine a couple of the colours from the headboard or choose a throw that's a few shades lighter or darker than the duvet," she suggests. "The point is to avoid everything from feeling too over-coordinated and 'matchy-matchy'."

Finish with a couple of pretty cushions to pull everything together. "Cushions are the fun part where practicality doesn't count!" says Kate. "Sumptuous velvet will add a luxurious touch whereas linen adds a relaxed natural vibe."

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