When decorating your bed, it’s important to know what each piece is for and how they are typically arranged. With over 100 years selling high quality duvets, quilts, bed sheets, comforters, and more, our team at Pioneer Linens is more than qualified to help you get started on setting up your dream bed spread.
Before deciding on any style or selecting what brands to look for, you should know what you will be using to decorate your bed. Not every item listed in this blog will be needed to ‘complete’ your bed spread but are all good options to consider for the final design. Being in the business for as long as we have, you learn what a bedspread typically needs. First, let us start with the essentials before diving into the more decorative pieces.
Bed Covering Necessities
Starting with one of the most basic necessities, we have two types of bed sheets, the flat sheet and fitted sheet.
The fitted sheet has an elastic band, allowing it to be placed securely over the mattress (or mattress pad should you choose to have one added on top). They offer you a hygienic, easily-washable and removable layer between you and your bed.
The flat sheet is placed over the fitted sheet and serves as the first of multiple potential bed coverings you may be using to provide you with warmth, as well as to provide your bed with an aesthetic should the flat sheet be visible.
Next we have the duvet cover along with its duvet insert.
A duvet insert, sometimes just called a duvet, is a blanket made for keeping you warm, offering an additional layer of comfort. This blanket can come in a variety of comfort levels depending on your preferences, like goose-down or down-alternative. In order to prevent the duvet from getting dirty, it is often paired with a duvet cover as well. The duvet cover is often decorative too, allowing your bed to still stand out without needing to replace the duvet itself.
If you need an extra bed covering for comfort, try a comforter! These thick, sometimes weighted sheets are made to help insulate heat. They come in a variety of thread counts, and like pillows they contain fillings varying in goose down or down alternative.
Decorative Bed Coverings
Now that we’ve gone over the necessities, let’s go over some additional bed coverings to help you decorate your bed even more!
A coverlet is meant to serve as a sheet decorating the very top layer of the bed. Because of their light weight (often lighter than a duvet cover) they aren’t meant to be used in any way, instead their purpose is to greatly enhance the bed’s aesthetic. Pioneer Linens offers several different options, from quilted coverlets to simple blanket covers.
Another type of decorative covering that we offer and recommend here at Pioneer Linens are quilts. Unlike a coverlet, quilts are made up of multiple layers, making them much thicker and usable for sleeping. The top layer consists of the aesthetic design, the middle layer contains padding, and a thin bottom layer to seal the middle layer.
Should You use Pillowcases or Shams?
While there are still more bed coverings to discuss, one of the last necessary additions to your bed’s design are the pillowcases and shams. While most pillowcases and shams should match the size of the bed (depending on whether the size is queen or king), you may also choose to style your bed with a Euro pillow too.
When using both, it’s important to know what their purposes are. Shams are typically more decorative than pillowcases, as they usually have embroidery that stands out more. Shams are not meant to be used for sleeping, so they are often better being placed in front of traditional pillowcases while the bed is made.
Should Decorative Pillows be Added?
That depends on your personal preference! If you feel that normal pillowcases or even decorative shams won't add the aesthetic you're looking for, decorative pillows are a perfect bed topping to use. While they aren't generally used for sleeping, they're purpose as a bed topper will merely be to put your room together.
As far as any other suggestions and general 'rules' for what you can decorate your bed with, you can talk to our wonderful staff for some assistance. They have decades of experience putting together bed ensembles, including every display visible within our store. Our goal at Pioneer Linens is to give our customers the best service possible, getting them what they need and helping them with their home decor!
Questions We Sometimes Get
What's the difference between coverlets and quilts?
Coverlets are made a lot thinner and only cover the very top of the bed without stretching to the sides. Quilts cover the entire bed and are draped along the sides. In other words, if your bed already has a busy design, you might want to go for a coverlet, but if you want something to be the main piece of your bedspread, decorative quilts can be a much more impactful design choice.
What is the purpose of a duvet cover?
While often included in bed collections, those unfamiliar with bed ensembles might assume a duvet cover is just another sheet. Instead, it serves as a fabric protector for a duvet insert, otherwise known as a comforter. This way, you can have a comforter with a high thread count and not have to worry about it getting filthy or risk ruining it in the wash. You can even have the duvet cover matching the rest of your bed set!
What's the difference between down and down-alternative?
Like other luxury linen vendors, we offer pillows and comforters in down and down-alternative. A pillow with "down" means it has either goose or duck feather fillings, which is typically softer and warmer than down alternative, which is made from synthetic material instead. If you have allergies or you're too hot at night for a warm pillow, down-alternative may be the choose for you.
Ask if You Have Any Other Questions!
While these are our guidelines for each bed covering’s purpose and how they are typically used, don’t let that stop you from putting together your dream bed. If you are looking for ideas, check out our many bed collections for inspiration. If you are a local resident or visiting West Palm Beach, feel free to stop by and ask any of our friendly staff for some advice!
Call us at 1-800-207-5463 if you have any questions.