Beautiful Bedrooms: Layered Bedding Looks We Love

Wake up your bedroom's style with our tips for pairing patterns and combining colors for a dreamy sleep space.

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March 30, 2020

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By: H. Camille Smith

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Room Designs Bed Linens Bedrooms Home & Garden Products

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Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Contrast Colors

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Pair Similar Shades

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Be Savvy With Scale

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Play With Pattern

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Add Style With Sheets

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Pretty Pillowcases

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Checks? Check!

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Say Yes to Stripes

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Reversible Quilts: Double the Fun

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Pillow Layering 101: Bed Pillow

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Pillow Layering 101: Euro Sham

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Pillow Layering 101: Decorative Sham

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Pillow Layering 101: Skip the Sham

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Pillow Layering 101: Lumbar Pillow

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Pillow Layering 101: Decorative Pillow

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Cue the Quilt

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Love Your Layers

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Think of Texture

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Don't Skimp on Storage

Photo By: Brittney Gazaway; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Carry Pattern Throughout

Photo By: Sarah Busby; Styling by H. Camille Smith

Layer Your Look

What's the #1 trick designers use when making the bed? Layers and lots of them — from cheery colors to pretty patterns to textures you can't wait to touch, layering the bed allows you to flex your creativity for a look that's anything but a snooze.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Embroidered Lumbar Pillow

Embroidered Indigo Floral Pillow

Opalhouse Easy Care Sheet Set

Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Shams

Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Quilt

Oversize Check Pillow

Contrast Colors

Another way designers add visual interest is by using contrasting colors, which are hues that are opposite each other on the color wheel; for instance, purple and yellow, red and green or orange and blue. For our bed, we paired navy bedding with a plush velvet pillow in terracotta tones.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Jardin Toile Shams

Audree Pom Pom Euro Shams

Garment Washed Chambray Linen Sheets

Buffalo Check Quilt

Velvet Lumbar Pillow

Pair Similar Shades

This bed features four distinctive shades of blue that vary in saturation but are tonally similar so they work together for a cohesive whole. Contrasted with a soft blush via the floral sheets, the blues feel both cheery and serene.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Lombard Natural Silk Pillow

Rumi Velvet Quilt

Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Shams

Opalhouse Performance Sheet Set

Lockley Trellis Quilt

Be Savvy With Scale

When picking patterns, varying the size — small, medium and large — is key. For instance, we mixed a small print, via the sunny dotted sheets, with a medium pattern on the diamond-stitched quilt and Euro shams, and brought in a big graphic punch with the large-scale floral pillow. Each pattern adds interest on its own but combined, they create a layered look that works without being matchy-matchy.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Hand-Screened Lined Florals Pillow

Opalhouse Easy Care Sheet Set

Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Quilt

Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Shams

Oversize Check Pillow

Play With Pattern

In addition to pairing patterns in a range of sizes, also mix all-over patterns, like this scrolling floral duvet, with geometric options, like the zigzag pattern on the blush lumbar pillow or diamond stitching on the linen Euro shams.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Shams

Valari Printed Pillow Cover

Reversible Printed Duvet Cover

Pureloft Synthetic Down Comforter

Pink Geo Lumbar Pillow

Garment Washed Chambray Linen Sheets

Add Style With Sheets

Don't overlook patterned sheets. A playful print, like this lovely large-scale floral, is an easy way to pop in a lot of pattern with just one swap.

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Opalhouse Performance Sheet Set

Rumi Velvet Quilt

Pretty Pillowcases

Sweet with just a bit of playful tartness, this lemon-themed sham has all the charm of a vintage-style print but features bright, look-at-me colors. Consider swapping out just your pillowcases or shams to change up your bedroom's look for less.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Capri Lemon Tree Sham

French Blue Striped Sheet Set

Checks? Check!

Large-scale patterns, like buffalo check, are perfect for pairing with other graphic patterns, like florals and stripes. To prevent pattern overload, select just one dominant color (we used shades of blue) for a pulled-together look.

Learn More About This Timeless Pattern: : Trending Now: Buffalo Check

From: H. Camille Smith

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Buffalo Check Quilt

Audree Pom Pom Euro Shams

Jardin Toile Shams

Garment Washed Chambray Linen Sheets

Velvet Lumbar Pillow

Say Yes to Stripes

This most versatile of patterns pairs well with florals, geometrics, solids, checks and even other stripes — just vary the size. Striped sheets are an especially good investment because their ability to work with all other patterns means you can swap up the other layers with changes in season or whim.

From: H. Camille Smith

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French Blue Striped Sheet Set

Capri Lemon Tree Sham

Rumi Velvet Quilt

Reversible Quilts: Double the Fun

Bedding styles that feature a pattern on both sides offer up double the looks for just one price. With trendy buffalo check on the face and timeless ticking stripe on the reverse, you need only fold down the top to create a pretty pattern-on-pattern effect.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Garment Washed Chambray Linen Sheets

Buffalo Check Quilt

Pillow Layering 101: Bed Pillow

Layering pillows isn't just fun, it's also practical with each pillow serving a different purpose. With so many pillows, what order do they go in? First, next to the headboard, place the pillow you sleep on each night. Don't worry if it's wrinkled from use; it'll be covered with the following layers so it's tucked safely out of sight.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Garment Washed Chambray Linen Sheets

Audree Pom Pom Euro Shams

Jardin Toile Shams

Pillow Layering 101: Euro Sham

Generously sized at 26" square, these oversized pillows are perfect for adding a cushy layer to solid-wood headboards or for popping in just a bit more pattern.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Audree Pom Pom Euro Shams

Garment Washed Chambray Linen Sheets

Pillow Layering 101: Decorative Sham

Although often sold as part of a set (think: comforter, shams and bedskirt), designers usually skip the set and instead pick a pretty patterned sham that complements the bedding as a whole but isn't matchy-matchy. Take their cue and pick patterned shams that relate to the bed's other patterns and colors but aren't necessarily just more of the same.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Jardin Toile Shams

Audree Pom Pom Euro Shams

Garment Washed Chambray Linen Sheets

Pillow Layering 101: Skip the Sham

On a guest bed which doesn't see nightly use, swap pillows in decorative shams for standard bed pillows in pretty pillowcases — no need to tuck the bed pillow behind the Euro as you would on your own bed.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Opalhouse Easy Care Sheet Set

Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Shams

Embroidered Indigo Floral Pillow

Pillow Layering 101: Lumbar Pillow

Long and low, lumbar pillows add extra pattern without visually blocking the pillows behind them. Plus, they add extra cozy support when tucked behind the small of your back — hence their name.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Embroidered Indigo Floral Pillow

Opalhouse Easy Care Sheet Set

Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Shams

Oversize Check Pillow

Pillow Layering 101: Decorative Pillow

The final flourish on a well-made bed is a decorative pillow that pulls the disparate colors and patterns together.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Embroidered Lumbar Pillow

Embroidered Indigo Floral Pillow

Opalhouse Easy Care Sheet Set

Cue the Quilt

Speaking of finishing touches, a quilt folded across the foot of the bed is another favorite of designers — both as an extra pop of pattern and as a cozy snuggle accessory.

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Lockley Trellis Quilt

Trillium Pillow

Rumi Velvet Quilt

Opalhouse Performance Sheet Set

Belgian Flax Linen Diamond Shams

Love Your Layers

With bedding this beautiful, why not show it off? We paired a duvet cover that's printed with a reverse pattern on each side with a blush-toned blanket and chambray sheets, then folded down the layers so each was visible. Design tip: Knit blankets tend to stretch with use; to prevent messy sides, select a blanket that's one size smaller than your bed. For instance, we used a twin blanket on our queen-size bed to ensure the blanket would stay neatly tucked under the duvet.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Reversible Printed Duvet Cover

Pureloft Synthetic Down Comforter

Sweater Knit Blanket

Garment Washed Chambray Linen Sheets

Think of Texture

When selecting colors and patterns, don't forget texture. This stitched velvet quilt brings in pretty, plush pattern via an oh-so-touchable texture.

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Rumi Velvet Quilt

Trillium Pillow

Opalhouse Performance Sheet Set

Don't Skimp on Storage

An abundance of layers = the need to stash items when not in use. A large basket at the foot of the bed is a handy place to store pillows and throws each night.

From: H. Camille Smith

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Large Woven Basket

Plaid Throw Blanket

Yellow Geo Lumbar Pillow

Oversize Check Pillow

Carry Pattern Throughout

When layering patterns, more is more. So, don't skimp on style by limiting pattern to just the bed — spread it throughout the room via pillows, draperies, throws and even the rug.

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