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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Emma Henderson

8 best bedspreads to give your room the luxury finishing touch

Once you start making your bed with a bedspread on top, you won’t go back - (The Independent)

No longer something that’s only suitable for your grandma’s house, bedspreads are an interior lover’s dream for easily adding texture, colour and patterns to your room, without having to do anything permanent, or too expensive.

They’ve made a comeback with some of our favourite interior shops (think Toast and Habitat) making great options for keeping cosy. So, think of it like an upgraded throw or blanket, which also isn’t as practical as a duvet. Much like decorative cushions, you might think you don’t need one on your bed, but once you try it, you’ll think your bed will look unmade without one.

Some are huge in size which when laid out properly cover the entirety of your bed, while others are smaller and are more oblong in shape which look best draped or folded across the bottom part of the bed, working as an extra layer in dressing your bed.

How we tested

We tried linen, cotton and velvet bedspreads over our king-sized bed (Emma Henderson)

We put a range of bedspreads to the test, from linen to cotton and velvet bedspreads, as well as different sizes, on our own king-sized bed. We were looking for quality materials and finishes, decent weight, overall aesthetic appeal and good design, as well as good value. These are the ones we’re adding to our shopping baskets.

The best bedspreads for 2024 are:

Habitat Morris & Co. pimpernel quilted throw

The pimpernel William Morris pattern was designed in 1876 and clearly has real longevity as it’s still a firm favourite in the design world, which we can’t see going anywhere anytime soon.

Though it’s one of the smaller bedspreads we tested, we still think it packs a punch. It’s double-sided and features the pretty pimpernel floral pattern with swirling leaves and blousy flowers in hues of blue, green, yellow and pink on one side. The other is made from a soft greyish-blue velvet dotted with brown stitching and the whole thing is edged with simple white and black Morris & Co branding on cotton edging. It feels and looks far more premium than its sub £60 price tag suggests. We also like its mid-weight, where it folds up fairly neatly and tightly so it doesn’t take up too much space when it’s not in use.

Buy now £58.00, Habitat.co.uk

French Bedroom Anika stripe floral cotton bedspread

As the only bedspread to come in its own block-printed drawstring bag, this number already won brownie points before we’d unwrapped it. The bag also has handles to easily carry it, and we love how easy this makes this bedspread to stash away when it’s not in use. Though we’re not sure how often that will actually be, as it’s just so beautiful to look at.

The French Bedroom Company has us hook, line and sinker with its gorgeous bedscaping photography and a huge range of bedspreads, but it’s this hand-printed number that is top of our list. With an all-over pretty hand-block print that was made in Jaipur, we love the petrol blue colour and how it’s finished off with a sweet nautical blue and white stripe frill. The reverse side of the bedspread has the strip pattern all over too, so it’s a two-in-one number.

It’s quilted all over too, but isn’t too thick making it a great one to keep on the bed throughout the warmer months too. It’s huge, and covers the entire bed, with plenty of drop at the ends, while the sides touch the ground nicely.

Buy now £180.00, Frenchbedroom.co.uk

M&S x Fired Earth cotton with linen bedspread

Fans of neutral tones will adore the simplicity of this bedspread, which is part of the M&S x Fired Earth collection, the British interiors brand, which has just launched this autumn.

Made from a cotton and linen blend, it has a natural linen look and its only decoration is a simple cross-stitch detailing in a taupe colour, which gives it a bit more texture. The plain design makes it easy to fit with most bedroom styles and isn’t too loud.

It comes in three sizes: the medium is designed for a single bed, the large fits a double and the extra large is best for a king-size bed. We tested the latter and liked it doubled up and layered at the bottom of the bed.

Buy now £119.00, Marksandspencer.com

Secret Linen Store green Vivienne quilted throw

Though it’s made from cotton, this bedspread looks like it’s made from linen, which is known for its ‘well-loved’ and naturally crumpled (yet chic) look, which is exactly what this bedspread looks like. What we like most though is the stitching at the edge which has been slightly gathered, adding to the dishevelled look.

The moss green has a slight grey hue to it, and it’s super soft. Pair it with neutral linen colours, like creams and pale tones, to make the best use of it. We also love the reversible side, which features a light cream background with a double light grey stripe all over. Though it’s not thick, it’s one of the heaviest bedspreads we’ve tested. It’s made in Portugal, which is known for its high-end textile industry, pointing to its great quality. It comes in two sizes, single/double and king/ super king, as well as six other colours.

Buy now £109.00, Secretlinenstore.com

Toast hand stitched organic velvet quilt, pomelo

This is one of the most gorgeous coloured bedspreads we’ve seen and we love the deeply rich pomelo colour, that’s also slightly mustardy and looks even better in real life. It’s made from organic cotton velvet, while the other side features a contrasting neutral linen.

Inside is filled with organic cotton wadding and it’s one of the thickest we’ve tested. It’s been hand-stitched in India using a simple stitch which gives a pleasing ripple effect to the topside of the bedspread. It’s super soft material, it easily injects colour to your room and is best used draped over the end of the bed.

Buy now £260.00, Toa.st

Piglet in Bed berry linen quilt

Piglet in Bed is best known for its luxurious linen bedding and PJs that both come in plenty of earthy tones. Since it began life in 2017, it’s also championed the natural material for its benefits in helping promote good sleep health. Linen is naturally thermoregulating, lightweight, strong and durable, as well as being breathable as air can circulate through the fibres. If that long list wasn’t enough, it’s also absorbent and the linen gets softer over time too.

The bedspread’s topside is made of linen and comes in this season’s favourite mulberry hue and a gingham print that reminds us of picnics in the park, while the underside is 100 per cent cotton. It’s also available in a mushroom tone, or pale sky blue and also feels really good quality, owing to also being made in Portugal.

Buy now £309.00, Pigletinbed.com

West Elm Gemma reversible print mix bedspread

West Elm is usually all about its modern take on mid-century design, along with neutral and earthy colours and natural materials. But it’s branched out from its usual design realm with this Indian hand-quilted cotton bedspread.

The terracotta shade has an all-over dinky floral pattern which uses traditional Indian block-printing techniques and instantly adds warmth to the room. It feels very autumnal and will go with neutral shades of bedsheets and the reverse is a pale cream pattern which gives a pretty contrast. It’s big enough to cover the entire bed, and if you want to complete the look, West Elm also has matching pillowcases in the same design too.

Buy now £179.00, Westelm.co.uk

White Company Millfield print scallop bedspread

The White Company never disappoints when it comes to luxurious bedding and interiors, and bedspreads are no different. If you’re a white bedding purist and don’t like steering too far from what you know, this design can add interest without adding any bright colours. We love its simplicity which has detailing from its quilting pattern and its large scalloped edging on all sides. One of our favourite things about it is that it comes in a matching tote bag too, which is very cute and also makes it look really gift-worthy.

Made from pure cotton in India, it’s super soft and is the exact same on both sides. It’s also quite lightweight for its large size, as it can cover the entire bed. And if you love it as much as we do, there’s also matching cushions.

Buy now £270.00, Thewhitecompany.com

The verdict: Bedspreads

We love the colours, print, design and price tag of Habitat’s William Morris pimpernel bedspread and think it’s a real all-rounder. It’s also the most affordable on the list, at under £60 which is at least half the price of most of the others on the list.

If it’s linen you’re after, we really like the muted tones and the artfully crumpled looks of the Secret Linen Store green Vivienne cotton quilted throw.

White bed linen purists will love The White Company’s pretty Millfield print scallop bedspread for adding interesting shapes and textures without using colours or prints.

Looking for more interior decor recommendations? Read our edit of the best washable rugs

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