Orlando Sentinel

To find the perfect bed,

- By Cathy Hobbs Tribune News Service

work from the ground up.

Dressing your bed is a great opportunit­y to bring your bedroom to life. In search of sumptuousn­ess and relaxation, it may sound basic, but so often homeowners don’t know where to begin when it comes to making an actual bed.

The basics

Building from a solid foundation is the best place to start, and that begins with your mattress selection. A mattress is not only important to touch, feel and lie on, but what materials a mattress is made of may also be important to you. Since mattress costs can dramatical­ly vary in cost, be sure to ask the following questions:

Where is the mattress made?

What specific materials were used to fill the mattress?

What is the cover of the mattress made of?

How should you care for the mattress?

How long should the mattress last?

These days there are a host of healthy, eco-friendly options.

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The essentials

When you are looking to make your bed as comfortabl­e as possible, there are some basic design ingredient­s that one should look to purchase.

Quality sheeting. Look for high thread counts and all-cotton.

A featherbed. This is a hotel secret that creates a sumptuous bed.

Year-round duvet insert. You are not going to want to have multiple duvet inserts. Instead, choose one in a weight that will keep you comfortabl­e year-round.

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Dressing the bed

Dressing the bed is all about creating layers for a finished look. Here are my top tips.

Begin with a featherbed placed directly on top of your mattress.

Purchase a bottom flat sheet one size larger than your mattress. This will allow room to tuck in the extra sheeting but still create a snug fit.

Place two additional flat sheets on top; you can

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use these like an envelope to enclose your duvet insert. Or use a single sheet and then add a duvet cover with duvet insert inside.

The icing on the top: toss pillows and a throw. Instead of having sleep pillows potentiall­y crowd your bed, place them in a closet in the morning, dressing your bed with only decorative toss pillows.

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 ?? TNS PHOTOS ?? Toss pillows and a faux fur throw go a long way to make a bed look more inviting. Save regular pillows for sleeping.
TNS PHOTOS Toss pillows and a faux fur throw go a long way to make a bed look more inviting. Save regular pillows for sleeping.
 ??  ?? Partially tucking in your duvet cover can create a crisp, clean look. Choose a duvet that’s comfortabl­e year-round.
Partially tucking in your duvet cover can create a crisp, clean look. Choose a duvet that’s comfortabl­e year-round.

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