Using Soft Furnishings For The Bedroom

Your bedroom is a room that needs to be relaxing and comfortable because it is where you sleep. A bedroom without soft furnishings isn’t going to be comfortable or relaxing. 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 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 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 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 voile to lace 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 proper deep sleep. There are many types of fabric that can be made into curtains and blinds. Heavy velvet will keep out the cold and light 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 at different things and see what you like. Home magazines are a good place to get inspiration.

Bedding is really important mainly because you will be in close 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 manufactured from man-made fibres, cotton, a combination of cotton and polyester, or silk. Silk is obviously the most costly but it feels amazing on the skin.

If you can, 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 well - there is an art to it! The look can be achieved but it’s not easy.

Whilst window dressings and bed linen are essential 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 spare cash, 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.

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