Smart Shopper Winter bedding.
Textural and tactile, warm and welcoming: this season’s most irresistible beds are dressed to layered perfection, writes Alexandra Kentmann.
As the weather turns cool and the sun rises later, wanting to hit the snooze button a few times is completely understandable. To maximise enjoyment of your extra time under the covers, it’s worth making your bed the cosiest place it can be. During summer, an all-white bed can feel as refreshing as a swim in ice-cold water, but in the depths of winter, it’s worth changing to a more cocooning palette, with cosy layers and tactile textures creating a room that won’t make you dread the dawn.
Interiors stylist Heather Nette King has the right idea. “The best winter bedding is made from natural fibres such as cotton, linen or wool. This year, I’m opting for linen sheets in a deep forest green. I like a minimum of two wool blankets so I have options depending on the chill factor. A cloud-like down-filled quilt is essential too.” For the ultimate luxury, opt for blankets made from alpaca fleece or cashmere, says Heather. “I adore the Natalia blanket from Abode Living. It’s Australian-made in the finest Italian cashmere and an absolute dream.”
Traditionally, people would swap cotton sheets for flannelette come winter, but Nicolle Sullivan, founder of bedding retailer Cultiver, recommends linen sheets. “Linen works beautifully on the bed all year round. Good-quality linen is both light and substantial, which makes it ideal for a winter-warm bed. As a natural fibre, it’s breathable and helps regulate body temperature, so it’s healthier to sleep in too.”
Sheet-weight linen – typically 150-170 grams per square metre (GSM) – is usually used for quilt covers, but heavier fabrics (about double that weight, with more texture) make beautiful blankets, bedcovers and throws that can be layered on top of quilts on the bed to create a cosy winter look and feel, adds Nicolle.
Layering from the bottom up is important when creating a cosy refuge, and don’t forget about including electric blankets and natural-fibre quilts, says
Christina McFarlane, manchester product and marketing manager at Harvey Norman. “Slipping into a toasty bed is the ultimate luxury, and easily achieved with an electric blanket – turn it on about half an hour before bedtime and off once you get in. Be relaxed in the way you style your bed, creating a casual and inviting feel.”
Interiors stylist Jillian Dinkel says she likes to recreate that luxurious hotel feel in her own bedroom. “I prefer cotton-sateen sheets with a high GSM, ideally tailored and pressed. For a king-size bed, keep pillows to a maximum of six – four sumptuous pillows teamed with accent European pillows. To ramp up the cosiness, use layers in a variety of textures; this technique is visually interesting and gives you plenty of versatility to adjust the level of warmth to the weather.”
Bedrooms certainly act as a retreat from the cold, but they also function as a decompression zone from the world – so pertinent after this summer’s bushfires and now a pandemic. Whether you’re turning in early or enjoying a weekend sleep-in, this is a space for solace, a cocoon-like experience to recalibrate and rejuvenate.
When it comes to expressing personality, Briony Delves, founder of bedlinen retailer Society of Wanderers, recommends plays with colour and pattern. “Gingham and checks are trending this year. I predict that people will look to re-energise their homes with bold colours and interesting prints too,” she says. “I’m really excited by the ‘mixnot-match’ trend. I love layering textures and patterns in every room – for everything from bedlinen to wallpaper and floorcoverings. I think that’s the ultimate representation of design success: spaces that are truly bespoke and represent you and your family yet feel inviting and homely.”