HAPPY 2024!! This is the first post of the new year and I’m excited. We have a whole year to adopt some healthy mindsets and habits that support our wellbeing. First up–bed making! The issue I have with bed making is that we have made it so darn complicated. A million throw pillows that one must karate chop, and then where do they live when not on the bed? And where do the sleeping pillows go? I have so many unanswered questions because to me, all this fluff (pun intended) is unnecessary. So today, let’s talk minimalist bed styling, shall we?
They say making your bed first thing is an important thing to do to set yourself up for the day by accomplishing a task. I don’t know who “they” are making these demands, but I think it’s a good idea so here we are. Starting the year and the morning off doing something good and productive seems healthy and positive. It’s a gift to yourself. So in this new year, let’s start small by just making the bed.
Minimalist Bed Styling Tips
This post was a client request (hey Eliza!!)–she wanted to know how to make the bed easily but also stylishly (is stylishly a word??). I was also very inspired to make this as sort of a PSA after seeing this Arch Digest tour on instagram. For context, Carine Roitfeld is a Parisian fashion icon, but she sleeps *in a sleeping bag* because she admits that making her bed is too complicated. No judgement, just an interesting talking point.
Here is a woman of means who can most likely afford some of the most luxurious fabrics in the world. If 10 million thread count Egyptian cotton existed, she could have it. And yet, she is sleeping in 2 sleeping bags–one for winter, one for summer–because she has overcomplicated decor. This isn’t a life hack, friends; this is a failed lifestyle design that isn’t meeting her needs.
So, let’s fix this conundrum so many of us have and hopefully I can win you over with minimalist bed styling. This is a strategy I’ve been using for years now with my clients.
My signature strategy is simple: use the bed style to support your lifestyle. That’s it. Let me show you what I mean.
Tip 1: don't hide the sleeping pillows
I live in a teeny tiny 1 bedroom in NYC. Our bedroom doesn’t have a closet (it’s prewar), and there is approximately 1 foot between the end of the bed and the radiator. Needless to say, we don’t have an extra square to spare (Seinfeld reference–name that episode). So where, pray tell, am I supposed to store all these pillows??
Hands up in surrender, I went on a rabbit hole trying to find styles that confirm that the best idea is minimalist bed styling that’s easy to do and looks fabulous every time. And I found it.
The solution: work with what you have, how you have it. No more futzing with the daily deluge of pillows. Just leave them be.
Tip 2: match the sheets and pillowcases to the bed covering
Just like we don’t hide our sleeping pillows, we don’t hide our sheets! We choose a color or pattern that complements our bed color palette and we let what’s necessary be part of our overall design. This is a fun one because you can play with different colors and patterns depending on your mood without breaking the bank because they are just sheets. Be creative and explore!
Tip 3: use only 1 accent pillow, and make it a lumbar
Ever work in bed? Read in bed? Snack in bed? Concern yourself with the daily NYT crossword even though you’ve been at it for months and won’t be able to finish? Ok that last one was projecting. But still, you need some lumbar support, pal.
The great lumbar pillow is the unsung hero tying our minimalist bed styling together. A lumbar effortlessly connects both sides of the bed for ultimate cohesion and style, while also being incredibly functional should you use your made bed.
Pro tip: opt for an oversized lumbar that’s 36″+ wide if you have a queen or king bed.
Tip 4: drape a large unfussy throw blanket
Studio Ashby | styling: Anna Sheridan
This is another thing that bothers me about perfectly styled beds that cannot be used, lest you mess it all up: you can’t touch the blanket. I prefer to casually drape a large throw blanket on a bed corner and call it a day. You can use the throw and then drape it back in 2 seconds when you’re done. There’s no fussing, no straightening. You’ve got places to be, you mover and shaker, you.
I’m tired of interiors that hide our lives. I would love for us to give ourselves so much more grace in our space in 2024. Your home is not a magazine; it is a growing thriving thing that molds to your everyday life and supports your needs. You are the most yourself in your home. So let’s create a haven instead of something that’s not even realistic and then be forced to live up to it. Let’s make that our goal this year: we will only pursue the real. Starting with our bed:-)
I hope you enjoyed these minimalist bed styling tips and maybe feel encouraged that it IS ok to simplify. In fact, it’s far preferable! Let’s make our interior designs work for our lifestyle and not make things complicated and unhappy. Let us have freedom instead:-) Whose with me?!
More bedroom inspo: