Have you seen beds in interior design magazines that look so luxurious and enticing, you can just imagine how wonderful it would feel to slide under the covers? Beautiful bed linens are like icing on a cake; they’re a wonderful finishing touch for a well-designed room, and can set the tone for a great night’s sleep.
Regardless of budget, there’s an amazing selection of colors, patterns, fabrics and trims to choose from when it comes to bedding. To start, think about the kind of environment you want to create for yourself. A calming, peaceful haven? A fun and stylish hangout? Or a bold reflection of your personal style?
Color can have a dramatic effect on the emotional appeal of your bedroom. Light, simple tones are great for creating a relaxing, tranquil effect, while dark colors project a sense of warmth and tradition. According to Southern Accents, blues, whites, neutrals and greens are the most widely used bedroom hues.
But remember to consider all of your senses! Your bedding should represent a strong marriage of form and function. Take into consideration the feel, color, texture, and even the sound fabrics make when moved or touched.
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Sheets:
Once you’ve chosen the look and feel for the top of your bed, don’t forget about what’s underneath! Selecting the right sheets can make all the difference in how well you sleep.
• What’s it made of? Cotton is by far the most popular fabric for sheets because it’s natural, and feels soft and cool to the touch. Blends of polyester and cotton are also popular because they are more wrinkle-resistant.
The highest quality cottons are Sea Island, Pima, and Egyptian. Considered the best cotton in the world, Egyptian cotton boasts the longest and strongest fibers. This means less linting, more durability, better luster and a softer feel. But check labels carefully! Products that are made with just a small percentage of these high-quality fibers can be deceiving.
• What’s the thread count? Thread count represents how many threads there are, vertically and horizontally, per square inch of fabric. Generally speaking, anything over 250 makes for a soft, comfortable sheet, but thread counts can range as high as 750 or 1000.
Take thread count into consideration when selecting linens, but more importantly, evaluate how the fabric feels to the touch. There is a delicate balance between thread count and the weight of a sheet. The more threads there are per square inch, the heavier the linen will be - without necessarily being any softer. Sheets should be light in weight so that they “breathe” throughout the night.
• How is it woven? Two popular choices for sheets are percale and sateen. So what’s the difference? The answer is in the weave. Percale is a plain weave fabric, meaning that it has an equal number of horizontal and vertical threads, resulting in a smooth finish that stays cool to the touch. Because percale threads are tightly woven, these sheets have a fine, silk-like texture and finish.
Sateen is a dense weave with a very slight, satiny finish. Sateen sheets look and feel a bit more luxurious, because their weave has more yarn surface on the face of the cloth, resulting in a smooth, softer hand and more lustrous look.
Are you looking to create the bedroom of your dreams? Our Design Consultants can help personalize your space, and even put the icing on the cake! For more information, or to contact a Design Consultant, click here. Or, to see what kind of difference great bedding can make, check out “Don’t Forget the Finishing Touches! Part 1: Linens”.
