Although guests might not see your bedroom regularly, the importance of designing a stylish sleep sanctuary shouldn't be underestimated. As we all know, making your bed is crucial to that, and a decorative bedscape with throws and pillows can do wonders to elevate your space. However, there's one simple insider trick that you're probably missing when styling your bed, and it's arguably one of the best-kept secrets of interior design.
Coziness and comfort should be a top priority in the bedroom, but that shouldn't mean sacrificing on style. If you want the sort of luxe bedding that's reminiscent of a five-star hotel, the quality of the material is only the start, and this genius design secret is the icing on the cake. Not only does it instantly elevate your modern bedroom design, but it also makes for a comfier sleep and helps small spaces seem bigger. The trick in question? Upsizing your bedding.
What does it mean to upsize your bedding?
So, when it comes to how to style a bed, what does it actually mean to upsize your bedding? Essentially, all it involves is using larger bedding components - pillows, comforters, duvets - than your bed is intended for. If you had a double bed, for example, you'd use a queen (or even a king) comforter on top for a cozier, more plush look.
'This is actually an industry secret,' explains Parima Ijaz, a bedding expert and founder of Pure Parima. 'We call it the Cloud Bed Hack and it’s what soft stylists do in photoshoots to give beds that filled-in cozy upscale look.'
According to Parima, there are actually two methods to achieve the idea. 'One approach is to upsize the duvet insert while using a duvet cover that adheres to your bed size,' she explains. 'If you have a queen mattress, you would insert a king duvet insert inside a queen duvet cover resulting in a luscious cloud bed.' For an ultra comfort-inducing bed during colder months, she also suggests inserting two duvets in one cover.
The second method simply involves using a larger comforter or duvet than the bed itself. 'An easy rule of thumb is to buy a quilt and quilt cover at least one size bigger than your bed,' says interiors expert Kate Conrad of Madison and Mayfair. 'If you have a double bed size, cover it with a queen. If a queen is your bed of choice, upgrade your quilt to a king or super king, and if you’ve gone all out on the king-size bed of your dreams, a super king quilt has you covered.' This causes your bedding to hang lower over your frame for a fuller look that makes your bed extra inviting.
What are the benefits of upsizing your bedding?
Besides the aesthetic advantage of giving your bed a plusher, more buoyant appearance, there are other benefits heralded by designers that result from upsizing your bedding. One of those is maximizing comfort.
'One of the benefits is that you instantly have a more comfortable, cocooned space which you can snuggle into at night,' explains Kate. 'And, if you're sharing your bed, you won’t be fighting over the duvet!' Of course, this only works if the edge of your bed doesn't sit against a wall as you'll need room on either side for the bedding to hang. If this is the case, it's best to opt for Parima's method of a larger insert inside a regular duvet case for the same amplified cozy feel.
Upscaling your bedding can also have illusory effects on the size of your room, too. Although sticking to proportionate furniture - or even downsizing - is recommended to help make a small bedroom look bigger, opting for bigger bedding can make your space feel larger without overwhelming the room. The overflow of material will make your bed seem larger which, if you have a small bedroom, will help draw the eye to this primary focal point, detracting from the size of the room itself.
@mrphoenixgrey ♬ Honeypie - JAWNY
