If ever there was a season that invites more time spent in bed, it is fall—with winter close behind. As the days grow shorter and darker, and temperatures drop, there’s nothing quite like knowing there’s a warm, welcoming bed awaiting you at home to usher in a cozy night’s sleep, and long, languorous mornings when time allows. But how to make the perfect bed?
“You want the bed to welcome you upon walking into the room,” says Patrick Williams, founder of Berdoulat. “I believe there’s a balance to be struck between considered juxtaposition of fabric and color, and an inviting, relaxed, laissez-faire look.”
Here, Vogue enlists the help of top interior designers to uncover what works, what doesn’t, and how to make your bed sing now.
How to Style a Bed, According to Interior Designers
A bedroom at a home in San Francisco designed by Katie Monkhouse.
Photo: Courtesy of Katie Monkhouse
Consider forgoing a duvet—but layer up
The prospect of a bed without a duvet may seem like a step too far—no matter how good it might look—but Heidi Caillier insists it’s worth reconsidering. “I do not use duvets or comforters,” she says. “I don’t like how lumpy they are and personally find them uncomfortable to sleep under.”
Her secret lies in layering: start with a crisp bottom sheet, then build warmth and texture with quilts and blankets in a mix of colors and patterns. “It feels more collected and less perfect,” she says—creating a bed that is not just beautiful, but invitingly lived-in.
If you’re not yet willing to part with your duvet, then layering is still a good port of call. Katie Monkhouse keeps things minimal with one large lumbar pillow and a throw on the end of the bed: “This combination is usually enough to make it feel stylish but inviting,” she says.
