How to Dress a Bed
Words by Emma Hughes
August 28, 2025
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6m
Your bed is the centrepiece of your bedroom, and since it’s such an important part of your daily life, you want it to be as comfortable and good-looking as possible. There are plenty of opportunities to use your bed to give your bedroom’s design some added depth, whether you’re looking to keep things minimal or going all out with soft furnishings and decorations.
Our bed dressing ideas will show you how to style the perfect bed to suit your preferences, with advice on following the latest style trends, as well as handy tips to help your design reflect your personality. By the time you’re done reading, you should be ready to dive into the best night’s sleep possible!
Find your ideal bed as a base
Your bed dressings will only be effective if they’re used with a great bed as a foundation, so make sure you don’t skip the details when buying your base. A stylish bed frame goes a long way when designing your bedroom, but finding the right mattress, pillows, and duvet is a crucial step to enjoying luxury comfort while you sleep.
Mattresses come with a range of fillings and firmnesses, so make sure to test your options to find your perfect match and get the most out of your bedtime. You should also choose a tog rating for your duvet that matches the conditions of your room – light 2 to 4.5 tog duvets are preferable for warm rooms and summertime sleeping, while a tog rating of 10+ can help you stay warm through cold winters.
How to arrange cushions on a bed
Layering up on soft furnishings like cushions and throws is a trendy way to give your bed some character, but how should you arrange them? It’s mostly up to your personal preference, but try to follow a few important rules.
Adding too many cushions to a bedspread can limit your space and make your sleep uncomfortable, so try to limit yourself to 1-5 cushions, depending on the size of your bed. You might want to opt for one extra-wide cushion to cover both sides, go symmetrical with two medium pillows, or layer up for ultimate luxury.
You also want to choose a bed cushion arrangement that reflects your tastes. If you prefer a neat and efficient design for your room, go for symmetry and simplicity. However, if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can play around with different textures, patterns, and colours.
Cushion size also matters, as you don’t want to overwhelm your design with too many large furnishings. Keep your larger cushions to the back of your design so that you’re not covering up other elements of your bedspread, while bringing smaller cushions towards the front.
How to style a bed on a budget
If you’re looking to keep costs down, you can still give your bed a luxurious look without breaking the bank. Even cheap bedding can look beautiful with the right arrangement, so if you want to create a beautiful budget bedroom, try a few simple techniques to make the most of what you have.
Instead of buying plenty of cushions, try arranging a small number effectively to get the most comfort possible with a tight budget. Wide cushions are perfect for this, as just one or two can help achieve the same effect as an ornate arrangement. These options also leave ample room for basic pillows while still giving them a style boost.
Additionally, you can try using your blankets and throws wisely rather than layering up. An easy way to give your bed a neat look is to fold a blanket, place it along the foot of the bed, and tuck it in at either side. This makes your bedding look smart, custom-fitted, and luxurious.
A smart use of colour can also help elevate even the cheapest of bed designs. Try looking for cushions and blankets that match so you can give your bedspread an eye-catching accent colour to stand out from the neutral shades of your duvet and sheets.
Different ways to dress your bed
When choosing how to style your bed, it all comes down to your design tastes, as there’s no one-size-fits-all technique to nailing your bedroom décor. Here are just a few bed dressing ideas to inspire you:
Modern, minimalist style
To give your room a smart and efficient edge, try keeping things simple. A smooth metal or wooden bed frame with sleek edges and straight lines can help give your bedroom a sophisticated, urban look.
When dressing your bed for a modern minimalist room, try cutting down on your soft furnishings and focus on neatly arranging the few that you have.
A well-aligned throw and some symmetrical cushions go a long way in keeping your room’s organised appeal intact, while still adding some comfort to let your design feel a little warmer and more welcoming.
Lean into shabby chic trends
Perfectionism isn’t for everyone, so if you’d rather go for a rustic but inviting look, try giving your bed some shabby chic flair. Light neutral colours, rugged cushion arrangements, and a mix of textures can help you make your space seem lived-in and well-loved. Pair with a vintage bed frame or an antique headboard to maximise the effects.
You can also add to your shabby chic design with thrifted, multi-functional furniture. Using a second-hand chest of drawers as your bedside table is a neat bedroom storage hack to flesh out your design while still letting you keep clutter at bay.
Layer up for a luxury hotel feeling
If you love to travel and you’re looking to experience the joys of a five-star getaway from your home, why not use some hotel bedroom ideas to inspire your bed dressing?
Ironing out the creases of your bedding can give the illusion of quality room service treatment, while layering soft furnishings like cushions, throws, and blankets can bring out the luxury in your sleep. You could even arrange your toiletries, towels, and other trinkets to give the impression of a new arrival at a deluxe suite.
Getting the details right
When it comes to arranging the best bed possible, there are plenty of things we don’t think about that influence our sleep. It’s important to cover these details if you’re really looking to optimise your rest, or just trying to bring the best out of your room’s design.
Try giving your bedding a ‘signature scent’ that can help you relax at night. Whether you’re adding scent sticks to your bedside table or using a spritz of fragrance to keep your pillows smelling perfect, you can engage more of your senses and give your room a friendly feel.
Your choice of bedtime clothing can also play a role in how you sleep. We all have our preferences when it comes to how we cover up at night, but keeping your pyjamas or night-time clothing on hand can let you settle into a steady sleeping routine.
Ambient lighting can also get you in the mood for sleeping. Strong blue light – the type emitted by screens – can fool your eyes into feeling more awake, so avoid watching TV or browsing your phone before bed. Instead, try adding some subtle, layered lighting to your room to draw attention to key parts of your design without appearing too bright.
Whether you’re giving your bedroom a fresh new look or using your spare room to house guests, we hope our guide has inspired you to experiment with different ways to dress your bed! You can read more of our blog for style tips and trend guides to get the most out of your home.