‘Cozy’ is as much a feeling as it is an aesthetic. When the temperature drops, we seek comfort and warmth indoors. Being cozy is about feeling comfortable, warm, and relaxed. When something is cozy, it looks and feels soft and warm.
How we feel about our home is connected to how we feel when we’re inside of it. A thoughtfully planned bed will be experienced, felt, and noticed. Learn how to make a cozy bed with the design tips below.
6 tips to style a bed for winter
1. Use warm colors to brighten your bedroom.
Textiles are a simple way to update your home decor seasonally. Softer, warmer shades and mid-tones such as spicy yellows, reds, and burgundy look cozier in the winter than white or steely blues. Natural light in the winter is almost blue and these warm colors brighten your bedroom, appearing to extend the short daylight hours.
2. Experiment with textures for a styled bed.
After you choose your color palette, contrast textures for a put-together bed. A dimensional woven blanket will stand out against the subtle sheen of cotton sateen. You can contrast materials, like cotton, linen, or alpaca, or contrast different weaves like percale, sateen, jacquard, or flannel.
3. Layer your bed with soft materials for a 'warm' look.
What is a ‘warm’ interior? When designers talk about a warm room, they are referring to how inviting the space is. Textiles add color, texture, and warmth to hard surfaces by softening the defined lines of your furniture. By adding a throw and a pillow you can warm up an interior, making it feel more welcoming.
CAMILLE dark grey duvet and pillowcases
4. When layering bedding for warmth, heavier isn't always warmer.
If your bedroom is chilly, you want your space to look cozy and be warm. Adding a duvet cover to your duvet will make a difference, especially if the cover is made of a warm material like flannel. Sateen bedding is warmer to the touch and slightly softer, smoother than a percale. Brushed cotton surfaces and blankets woven from alpaca fleece are more insulating, despite being lightweight.
5. Put your comfort before trends when dressing your bed.
When we think of ‘cozy,’ we think of heavy blankets, fluffy duvets, and mountains of throw pillows. If your body temperature rises when you sleep, the cozy layered bed look can be achieved with materials that are better suited to your comfort. Cotton percale sheets are cooler to the touch than other weaves, like sateen. Forgo the duvet and opt for a quilted coverlet and a cotton blanket or throw. These thinner layers can be easily cast aside if you’re feeling too toasty.
6. When it comes to layering bedding, less is more.
Just like a bookshelf or a console table, a bed can start to feel cluttered when you add too many elements. If you’re not big on making your bed every day and prefer to just straighten a duvet and fluff a pillow, then a sea of decorative throw pillows might not be your thing. Instead, consider adding a pillow to a nearby chair to make your space feel cozy and inviting. A thoughtfully selected throw or extra blanket will achieve a layered bed look and still be practical, easily thrown aside when not in use. Beautiful should still be functional.
