Bedroom Soft Furnishings

The bedroom is a room that should be comfortable and relaxing because it is where you go to sleep. A bedroom with no 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 are things like the window dressing, bed linen and any fabric accessories that you use to accessorise the room. The sort of look you want for your bedroom will influence the items you buy, as will the money you have available to spend..

There are a few places in the bedroom where soft furnishings are essential. For the windows you need some sort of netting 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 old fashioned but of course if that is the look you want there’s no reason not to have it. Modern netting can have many designs and you should look at a few different ones to see what you like. There’s everything from lace to voile and plain to embroidered.

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

Bedding is really important because you will be in physical contact with it on a regular basis. Try and get the best 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 manufactured from man-made fibres, cotton, a combination of polyester and cotton, or silk. Silk is obviously the most costly but feels great on the skin.

If possible, purchase all your bedding as a set, and make sure that you wash it all together to prevent colours mis-matching over time because 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 achieved but it’s not easy.

Whilst window dressings and bed linen are necessary for the bedroom, there are extra soft furnishings that can bring a bit of luxury or character to a room. These are things such as bolsters, decorative cushions 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 festive spirit.

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 choose wisely.