Decorative fabrics, pillows can wake up your bed

Sisters Kathy Sledd and Paula Cavender have spent their lives working as a team. As little girls, they shared a bedroom, and they always got along.

Now, these almost-twins still get along famously. (Except that Paula is always eager to point out that Kathy is the older of the two, and Kathy is quick to retort that at least she is the natural red head.)

At Nell Hill’s in Kansas City, Missouri, they have joined forces to design bedding ensembles for our inspiration beds and for customers.

The sisters share tips for how to make beds inviting.

Cover the box springs

If your bed frame has attractive sides, you don’t need to cover them up with a dust ruffle. But you do need to cover up the exposed box springs. Consider boxspring covers to add a dash of texture, or use a fitted sheet.

Fold down the top sheet

The sisters are wild about sheets with a pretty finish. To show off the lace or embroidery detailing, we put the top sheet on the bed upside down, then fold it back over the coverlet. Beautiful pillowcase sets and sheets that have embroidered or lace edges can take your bedding to the next level.

Add the coverlet

We like to add a light coverlet to our beds because they are nice to sleep under when you’re not yet ready to dive under a warm duvet. They add some delicate detailing, such as a trellis pattern or diamonds. And the best part, the more you launder them, the softer and cuddlier they become.

Stuff the duvet

Getting the fill neatly inside the duvet cover is not as easy as it seems. It can be hard to get the fill into each corner and then get it to lay cleanly. Kathy and Paula have figured out a foolproof system, which works best if you have two people, one on each side of the bed.

First, grab the corners of the fill and slide them in to the end corners of the duvet cover. Hold the corners in place while you pull the duvet down over the fill. Shake it out, then smooth it down.

The custom duvets usually have different fabric on each side so all you need to do is flip them over for a whole new look. Fold the duvet over the sheet and coverlet just a bit, so the buttons and contrasting fabric on the This inviting bed features decorative pillowcase and sheet sets, along with pillows of various sizes and shapes. duvet’s back both show.

The duvet fills have a little ring sewn on the corners. So when making custom duvets, the seamstress sews a little tie in the inside of the duvet corners. When sliding in the insert, the sisters tie it in place so it does not move. Add decorative pillows

Our inspiration beds, which are all queens, usually have seven decorative pillows. The back row features a set of 27-by-27 square pillows. If you have a king bed, we recommend you have three of these. We rest this back row of pillows on top of the sleeping pillow.

Our accent pillows all have a high-quality down fill. That makes them fluffy, yet dense enough to hold their shape. To get the fill into the pillow, Kathy and Paula give the fill a good chop to fold it in half, place it in the sham, then unfold it inside the sham, making sure it extends to each corner.

We like to finish with a focal point pillow. Sometimes it’s made of a zippy contrast fabric. Sometimes it features a monogram or great trim.

For a queen bed, the smallest size we use is 16 by 30, and sometimes we go as large as a queen or king sham.

Modify to fit your style

Stacks of pillows aren’t for everyone, so definitely tweak the look to fit your style. Use a bedspread instead of a duvet. Add extra layers, folding a duvet or coverlet, or both, at the bottom of your bed. Tailor the look to achieve your bedding bliss.