Bedroom Soft Furnishings

Your bedroom is a room that should be comfortable and relaxing because it is where you sleep. A bedroom without soft furnishings isn’t going to be either. Even designer furniture in a room won't save of from a lack of textiles.

Soft furnishings include the window dressing, bed linen and any fabric accessories that you use to finish the room. The sort of look you want to achieve for your bedroom will have a bearing on the items you buy, as will the money you have available to spend..

There are several areas of the bedroom where soft furnishings are essential. For the windows you need some sort of covering for privacy, unless of course you have the luxury of living in an a house that's not overlooked. Netting doesn’t have to be anything like your granny may have had but of course if that is the look you want there’s no reason not to do it. Modern netting can be in many designs and you should look at a few different ones to see what you like. There’s everything from lace to voile and embroidered to plain.

Of course simply putting netting at a window might not be enough because it won’t keep out the light and most people need darkened rooms to get some decent sleep. There are many types of fabric that can be used for curtains and blinds. Heavy velvet will keep out the light and cold but may not suit the look of all rooms. A calico Roman blind could work in some situations because blinds are a different style of window dressing from curtains but you really have to look around and see what you like. Home magazines are a good place to get inspiration.

Bedding is really important simply because you will be in physical contact with it on a regular basis. Try and get the best quality that you can afford. With sheets, look at the thread count. The higher the thread count, the higher the quality of the product. Sheets can be made from man-made fibres, cotton, a combination of polyester and cotton, or silk. Silk is obviously expensive but it feels amazing on the skin.

If possible, purchase all your bedding as a set, and make sure that you launder it all together to prevent colours mis-matching over time which will happen if one item has been washed more than another. If you want to go for a mis-matched look make sure that it is done properly - there is an art to it! The look can be pulled off but it’s not easy.

Whilst window dressings and bed linen are essential for the bedroom, there are optional soft furnishings that can bring a stamp of character or luxury to a room. These are things such as little decorative cushions, bolsters and sequinned throws.

If you have enough money, consider getting some seasonal soft furnishings. A velvet throw is lovely in winter with a few Christmas motif cushions to get you in the mood.

It's the furniture in a room that gives it structure, but it’s the soft furnishings that make it a place that you want to spend time, so buy wisely.