Life is full of small pleasures, and snuggling down into a comfy bed after a long day is one of them. Few things compare to the feeling of cocooning yourself in your bedding and sinking down under the covers as you fall into a deep slumber, but there's something about hotel beds - the crisp white linen, the plump pillows, the beautifully arranged throw - that seems impossible to emulate.
Besides the comfortable mattress and the rich, sumptuous materials, hotel beds always look aesthetically beautiful, something that plays an important part in how we feel when curling up into one. The problem is, no matter how hard you try, recreating the same luxuriously serene bedscape in your own home just always falls short.
Styling your bed instantly elevates your modern bedroom and makes an important morning ritual, but if you want to achieve the hotel-worthy level of luxury we all love, there's one trick you ought to know. It's so simple to do, but it really does make all the difference in making a bed that looks plump, crisp, and oh-so 'clean'. Here's what you need to know.
How do you style a hotel-worthy bed?
According to bedding experts, the key to a tidy and clean-looking bedscape is as simple as tucking your comforter or duvet into the mattress. It's a really easy trick to incorporate into your bed styling routine, but it has a transformative difference on the overall of your bed. 'Not only does it lend a cleaner silhouette, but this stylistic choice is particularly favored by those aiming to emulate the neat ambiance of a luxury hotel,' explains the team at luxury bedding brand Frette.
This bed styling technique has been a secret weapon of interior designers for decades, but most of us have yet to cotton on to the idea. When you see a beautiful bedroom with a plump and sumptuous-looking bed, it can be hard to place your finger on exactly why it looks so good but, on closer inspection, you'll likely notice this tucking technique at play. Like tucking a shirt into a pair of pants, it just makes the whole room look smarter, cleaner, and more sophisticated.
'Tucking a duvet or bedspread into a bed frame is a technique I highly recommend as it elevates the overall aesthetic of the bedroom,' explains Alexander Shepel, founder of SHEPEL’ studio. 'From a styling perspective, this method creates a sleek appearance, giving the bed a more tailored and luxurious look. By concealing the edges of the bedding within the frame, it creates a "finished" look from which you can embellish with pillows, throws, or runners.'
How to tuck your bedding into your mattress
It might sound simple enough but to truly master this bed styling method you'll want to hear from the experts to learn exactly how to get it right. The difficult part comes when you tackle the corners, and if you fail to get a nice clean fold your bed will only end up looking even more untidy than it did when you first rolled out of it. Here's how to perfect the tucking technique in just three simple steps.
1. Lay your bedding out flat
As with any bedscaping technique, you should start by laying your bedding flat on the bed. 'To execute the technique effectively, start by spreading the duvet or bedspread evenly across the bed, ensuring it hangs over the edges slightly,' says Alexander. Whether you use a comforter, a duvet, or a bedspread, laying out the entirety of the material and ensuring it's evenly spread will make the job ten times easier when it comes to tucking.
'Pull the duvet down from the headboard, about 10 inches, towards the foot of the bed,' add the team at Frette. 'Then, neatly turn over the top sheet from the headboard, over the duvet or comforter.'
2. Tuck the bedding under your mattress
Next, it's time to tuck. 'Carefully tuck the excess fabric underneath the mattress, starting from the headboard and working your way down to the foot of the bed, leaving the sides and corners out,' instructs Alexander. 'Smooth out any wrinkles or creases as you go along to maintain a neat appearance.'
'At the foot of the bed, tighten the two sides of the duvet neatly, making sure to tuck in any excess fabric at the corners,' say the team at Frette. 'Lifting the mattress to create a tight tuck may be necessary to achieve a clean, neat finish.' It helps to have a divan style bed to help 'frame' your mattress, but you can use this technique on virtually any type of bed, ensuring its profile isn't too low.
3. Create crisp folds at the corners
Since you're working with a flat piece of material, you'll need to master a hospital corner fold to complete the tucked look at the corners of your mattress. 'To do this, lift the edge of the sheet at a 90-degree angle and then pull and tuck the hanging fabric under the mattress, keeping the material as tight as possible,' Alexander explains. 'Adjust the corners to create crisp folds, ensuring that the bedding is securely tucked into the frame for a clean and seamless finish.'
'Lastly, along the bottom, fold the remaining duvet fabric under the mattress to create a seamless envelope-like finish,' note the experts at Frette. There you have it - perfectly tucked bedding for a clean, hotel-worthy look.
What finishing touches complete the look for a hotel-worthy bedscape?
But the work doesn't stop there. Another thing you'll notice on any luxury hotel bed is decorative finishing touches that just take the overall look up another notch. According to Alexander, the most effective way to recreate the indulgent feel of a hotel bed after tucking the bedding is to add texture on texture.
'Layer with crisp, high-quality linens,' he says. 'We recommend using a higher thread count for a silkier feel, plush pillows, and a sumptuous duvet. You should also incorporate decorative elements such as accent pillows, throws, and a bed valance to add interest to the bedding ensemble.' The likes of bolster pillows and throw runners are some of the finer features you only tend to notice in the most expensive-looking hotel rooms, so consider adding these to your bed to up the luxury level.
'Attention to detail is key,' the Frette team points out. 'Ensuring pillows are centered, and the overall placement is even, will greatly influence the overall aesthetic of your bed ensemble. We recommend taking a step back to assess the bed's appearance from a distance. This will visually showcase opportunities to neaten the look for a clean silhouette, an important characteristic of luxury hotel beds. For any wrinkles, a quick spritz of water from a spray bottle followed by gentle smoothing can work wonders, leaving your bed looking effortlessly chic and inviting once the water evaporates.'
'Consider introducing statement pieces such as a decorative headboard - they are essentially alternative forms of artwork,' adds Alexander. 'And lastly, pay attention to details such as bedside lighting to create an inviting atmosphere reminiscent of a five-star suite.'
Now you're equipped with all the expert insights to create a beautiful bedscape fit for royalty. These finer details really do make all the difference when it comes to a beautifully styled bedroom, and you may even find they help you sleep better, too - it's the very least we deserve after a long day.
