Beautiful Bedrooms: Layered Bedding Looks We Love

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.

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.

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.

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.