According to interior designer Nina Campbell, your bed should be a “work of art.”
speaking to the TelegraphNina, who has worked with the Duke and Duchess of York, as well as members of the Jordanian royal family, shared her tips for creating a beautiful bed.
It also addressed the age-old question when it comes to bedding: are duvets poor quality and should you use a blanket instead?
Lovers of their fluffy duvets can breathe a sigh of relief: while it’s true that several royal residences (including Windsor Castle and Balmoral) are made with a flat sheet topped with a blanket, according to Nina, a duvet is fine.
Her concessions are to use a lightweight one and then cover it with a blanket (she likes old tablecloths to look like old lace or embroidery) and tuck everything in neatly.
Do you want your bed to be fit for royalty? There are a number of tips and tricks you can follow to create a beautiful sleeping place (stock image)
Describing her bed layout, she said, “(First I use a) fitted sheet, then a flat sheet, then a light comforter (instead of a blanket), then a blanket cover.”
Nina uses three pillows: a square one at the bottom, topped with an Oxford pillow, and topped with a Porthault baby pillow.
She explained: ‘The square pillow is a little harder and allows you to sit up in bed and read. At night I just leave it, sleep on the Oxford and then put the baby pillow somewhere around my neck.
Another important issue when it comes to bedding is the thread count of the sheets.
The general idea has been that the higher the thread count, the better.
However, this is not necessarily the case, according to Ruth Douglas, CEO of Heirloom Linens.
The company makes bespoke bedding for the royal family, which it has done since the late Queen Elizabeth II granted it a royal warrant in 2005. King Charles recently renewed its charter.
According to Ruth, simply looking at the thread count of linen doesn’t show the full picture when it comes to quality.
There are different types of fabrics used for bedding, with their pros and cons, and their own qualities (stock image)
Thread count refers to the number of threads per square inch. A very fine thread, for example, may have 1,000 threads.
Ruth explained that what is important is the quality of the thread used, adding that she has seen high quality bedding with a 1000 thread count that is of lower quality than Heirloom Linens’ 300 thread count.
This, he explained to the Telegraph, may be due to several factors.
While a higher thread count should technically correspond to a softer, silkier feel, there are other things to consider.
In addition to the quality of the yarn, the length of the fibers is important. For example, manufacturers can create high thread count sheets at a lower price by mixing shorter pieces of thread with longer ones.
While this increases the thread count, it will not create a smoother finish or a more durable fabric.
Looking for long, extra-long fibers is important when it comes to finding bedding with a softer feel and more durable wear.
Another topic Ruth Douglas addressed was the type of fabric used for bedding, the three most common being percale, cotton sateen, and traditional linen.
Experts recommend ironing your bedding (or asking someone else to do it if possible) for a truly elegant finish (stock image)
According to Ruth, percale requires more care when washing and ironing, but in exchange, it has a soft hand (which gets softer as the thread count increases) and has natural cooling properties.
Another fabric with natural cooling properties is linen, however, it is very prone to looking wrinkled and wrinkled. To try to counteract this, Ruth recommends ironing before it’s completely dry, but you’re unlikely to completely avoid the wrinkled look.
While cotton sateen requires less effort when ironing and can be washed at higher temperatures, it is thicker.
As for ironing, a step many people avoid when it comes to bedding, designer Nina Campbell compares unironed sheets to an unmade bed, adding that “the thought of getting into an unmade bed is very unpleasant.”
Sending your bedding to be commercially cleaned and ironed is one option, but for most people who can’t save on expenses, one option to keep your sheets looking sharper is to avoid trims and details.
Daniel Browne, managing director of dry cleaning and laundering company Blossom & Browne’s Sycamore (which also has a royal warrant), said that if you choose bedding with “lace trim”, they will never look good unless you can have them commercially. wash and iron them.
When it comes to washing your bedding, according to Daniel Browne, if you don’t send it to a commercial wash, you should make sure to follow the care label when cleaning.
While it is traditional to use blankets instead of duvets, and some royal residences do, experts agree that it is okay to use one (file image)
When drying, it is recommended to use a high spin cycle to prevent the sheets from coming out of the machine wet.
And if you dry them outdoors, she recommends spacing out the sheets.
Finally, a tip from Salomé Orr, executive head housekeeper at the Lanesborough Hotel in Knightsbridge, is to use a mattress protector under the fitted sheet.
And although most people use fitted sheets as a bottom sheet, to make the bed easier and speed up its appearance, Salomé recommends using a flat sheet.
You need to stretch it over the mattress and then tuck it in using the corners of the envelope for a truly majestic finish.
