The perfectly cozy bed of your dreams is just a shopping trip away.
By Lauren Phillips, Real Simple
Building a cozy bed is easier said than done, especially when there are thousands of options out there for blankets, pillows, sheets, mattresses, and more. To make the process of getting a cozy bed a little simpler, we’ve broken it down into three major categories—and picked our favorite finds for complete relaxation. We've drawn our inspiration from three beautiful bedrooms in the Real Simple Home, a penthouse in Brooklyn, New York, that we transformed with the help of designers and professional organizers.
Cozy Bed Must-Have #1: A Good Foundation
Every good bed starts with a good base. If you’re going for a complete bedroom overhaul, start with a sturdy frame that won’t shake when you toss and turn or sag under the weight of the mattress. One with a good headboard allows for maximum coziness by giving you a place to lean back while you sip coffee or read one of this year’s best new books. It also gives you a starting point for assembling your bedscape, but more on that later.
The master bedroom (above) features a canopy bed with no footboard, so your legs have room to stretch out—and so there’s plenty of room for all the throws, duvets, and more you’re going to want to pile on it for your coziest bed ever.
Once you have a bedframe, you need a mattress. You may be replacing your whole bed set or just the mattress (or you may just want to skip ahead to Cozy Bed Must-Have #2: Solid Bedding), but either way, you want something that will improve your quality of sleep. Leesa’s mattresses use three premium foams, and the company donates one mattress for every 10 it sells.
After the mattress, you need a mattress protector. (Yes, you really, really do need one. A mattress topper, on the other hand, isn’t necessary if you have a good mattress.) This bamboo protector is breathable and thermoregulating, with moisture-wicking capabilities. It’s also organic, with TPU backing that protects against spills (a.k.a. sweaty sleepers).
Cozy Bed Must-Have #2: Solid Bedding
Now that you’ve built your cozy bed foundation, it’s time to carefully consider what you want from the part of the bed you actually touch nightly. You’re going to want something cozy, but you also don’t want anything that will be so cozy that you’re burning up all night long. This set from Brooklinen includes a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two pillowcases and has an ultra-luxurious, smooth feel thanks to its sateen weave. And if white sheets aren’t for you, there are 16 other color options.
Once you have your cooling sheets, pile blankets and warm duvets on top for chilly nights (and for curling up in your oh-so-cozy bed). Waffle weaves make great blankets, both because they’re warm and because they bring texture into your bedscape. This one is intentionally oversized so it will shrink (and get thicker and fluffier) with every wash until it’s the perfect size for your bed.
Next, you’ll need a heavy-duty topper, such as a quilt, comforter, or duvet. This duvet insert from Casper is humidity-fighting and specifically designed to help keep sweaty sleepers cool. Pair it with a duvet cover from Casper to take advantage of the duvet insert’s clever corner snaps, which prevent bunching.
Cozy Bed Must-Have #3: Fluffy Accessories
Don’t think we’ve forgotten pillows. They’re arguably the most important part of any bed, after the mattress, and there is an amazing variety out there. Memory foam fans will fall head-over-heels for this one, but if you’re not sure what kind of pillow you like, Pluto Pillow’s clever quiz can help you find your perfect headrests.
Now that you have the basics, it’s time to decorate with cozy bedroom accessories. Start with euro pillows (those big square ones) at the back, and then move forward with progressively smaller pillows, propping everything up against that essential headboard. These linen shams from Parachute feel breezy and effortless, and can be used in any season—though they have enough fluff factor to make any bed feel a tiny bit cozier.
Base how many pillows you pile on top on how much support you like when you’re lounging in bed—and on how much patience you have for removing them every night and replacing them every morning. One decorative pillow helps unite the look; any additional pillows (like a long, narrow lumbar pillow) simply polish off your coziest bed ever. (In the master bedroom, two decorative pillows are used.)
Finish your impeccable bedscape with a throw blanket. It’s great for curling up with for casual, on-top-of-the-covers naps, plus it adds a little color to the end of your bed. This chunky knit adds a little extra texture and is supremely indulgent—the perfect cherry on top, so to speak, for your coziest bed ever.
See more at: Real Simple
