Making It 101
You either make it, or you don't. If you don't, there's still hope for you. I have converted my husband into a bedmaker, but my boys could argue against it until the cows come home. Much to my delight my daughter has started making her bed more regularly now that she is in college. There are lots of studies about the benefits of making your bed each morning. Admiral William McRaven, author of "Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe The World," explains how making your bed every morning can have a positive impact on your well-being and behavior throughout the rest of the day. My day doesn't officially start until the bed is made. I will even make it in the middle of the afternoon because getting into a unmade bed at the end of the day doesn't work for me either.
This is a photo that I include in all of my home staging reports that shows a good basic way to make your bed. Not only will it show well in real estate photos, but it will make you feel like your bedroom is a relaxing sanctuary creating restorative energy.
Seriously, when is the last time you bought yourself new bedding? That means sheets, pillows, comforter, duvet, blankets, shams and mattress pad. I'm talkin' the whole shebang! Concentrating on that one element of your bedroom can really change your outlook on each day from beginning to end. If you are getting ready to put your house on the market and you have not bought yourself new bedding in the last 5 years please add new bedding to your list of to-do's. I tell clients that they won't regret it. They will be happier in their bedroom space and can take it with them to their next home. That equates to a 100% return-on-investment.
Making your bed is all about layering. Start with a neutral base, white or off-white, and build up from there. The neutral base is worth the investment. Get the best quality that fits into your budget. Like a good mattress, you use it everyday! You can change the color accent pieces easily, reasonably and even seasonally.
Pottery Barn has a great How to Make A Bed page with a video. It may sound silly but the video really helps. Later in my blog are their very clear illustrations on layering and building style.
Speaking of shams. What are they? Good question and one that my husband can now answer after 25 years of moving multiple layers of pillows off the bed each night and placing them back on the bed each morning in just the right order and orientation. They are another layer of pillows on your beautifully made bed, but the sham has a decorative pillow cover that is made of fabric similar to a duvet cover and usually opens in the back. It typically is used for support for reading or watching TV in bed but not slept on. Therefore, they do not have to be laundered as frequently as your sheets do.
Euro Shams and king size pillows are important with a bed this big, 76"x80". A king bed is huge and standard size pillows just look silly. Now what are Euro Shams? They serve the same purpose as a standard sham but are larger and square. Those big square pillows are great space fillers.
A queen size bed is the norm for most master bedrooms, 60"x80". It takes a big bedroom to accommodate a bed any larger. A full, or double, size bed is 54"x74" and is usually for one person by today's standards. It's okay size for two people if it is short term like in a guest bedroom. The Euro Sham can be substituted with a 2nd standard size pillow sham.
A twin bed is most common in a kid's bedroom, 36"x74". Try a set of two twins in a guest room. This gives you more flexibility as to what combo of guests you can host in the same room. Anyone who is not a "couple" and is over the age of slumber-party-days is not very likely to feel comfortable sharing a bed, but a sharing a bedroom space is acceptable. The Euro Sham can be substituted here as well with a 2nd standard size sham.
Are you exhausted from thinking about your bed? Create a welcoming and comforting bed for your mind, body and spirit which in theory will make you more productive during the day and sleep better at night. I hate to be a nag, but...make your bed!