Bedroom Decorating: Bed Sheet Basics

When it comes to bedroom decorating, the bed itself is often the focal point of the room. The selection of bedsheets and comforters can bring the style of a room together.

Luxury is Now Affordable

In recent years, high thread count sheets have become very popular and the price has come down enough that luxury sheets are within reach of almost everyone. Thread counts of 200 are considered mid-range quality, while thread counts over 300 are considered luxury quality.  Egyptian cotton and Pima cotton are considered the best quality cotton sheets you can buy. Bamboo sheets have recently entered the luxury market and are renowned for their softness.

Patterns or Solids

If your bedroom is decorated following a theme, consider selecting solid colored sheets and comforters that pick up on one main color of the pattern. This will keep your room from looking too busy. Bringing one color from your pattern into your bed sheets will add a finished look to the room. If, on the other hand, your bedroom is decorated with mainly solid colors consider a pattern for your sheets and comforters. The pattern should pick up on one of the main solid colors that is already in your room. You want to avoid having your room be too busy by trying to pattern everything or too boring by only using solid colors.

Picking the Right Size

There are many different styles of mattresses available today, and many of them require special sizes of sheets. Pay close attention when you’re buying sheets to make sure that they will fit your mattress. Pillow top mattresses require sheets with deep pockets, but if you do not have a pillow top deep pocket sheets will not fit well on your mattress. Some manufacturers put the pocket depth on the packaging in inches so it is a good idea to measure your mattress before you go shopping.

Buying a Complete Bedding Set

Many manufacturers have complete bedding sets, often called bed-in-a-bag. These sets usually include a full set of sheets, pillow shams and a comforter. They come in both solid colors and patterns. If you are starting from scratch and need everything, these sets are a good option.  If you are only looking to replace the sheets, you can buy them individually.

Caring for Your Sheets

Good quality sheets will last several years with proper care. Before you buy sheets for your bed read the care instructions so that you understand how to keep your sheets in good condition. There are sheets that are dry clean only and some that require ironing after every wash in order to look good. If you don’t want to deal with dry cleaning or ironing make sure that the sheets you buy can be put on the bed straight from the dryer. All sheets will wear out over time so if you have a pattern or a color that you particularly love consider buying an extra set.