Lengthen the Life of Your Linens Questions Answered Bedroom Buzzwords

Bedroom Decorating Tips

• A gorgeous new bedding ensemble can completely transform a lackluster bedroom. Luxurious texture and pattern will make your bed the focal point of the room, taking attention away from ordinary architecture or unappealing carpeting.
• Your first purchase should be a comforter. It's the starting point for your color scheme. If your comforter is reversible, you have more style and color options.
• Warm up a room and give it a feeling of intimacy by adding pillows or shams in colors that are complementary to one of the room's main colors.
• A duvet cover -- a "pillowcase" for your comforter -- can personalize a comforter by adding instant pattern and color to the bed. Just make sure that the cover's color is darker than the original comforter so that deep colors or bright patterns don't show through.
• Duvet covers can be changed to suit your mood or the season. Or you can display them all at once. For example, you could use one duvet that is lighter, and more summery (like one made of seersucker) and another that is heavier and more wintry (like corduroy and velvet).
• Double-layer your bedskirts to achieve an abundant, more decorative look (besides, you'll be able to conceal things under your bed at the same time!) Just pin a second bedskirt over the first one, leaving 4 -6 inches of the bottom skirt showing.
• As we enter the new millennium, the trend is toward a simpler, cleaner, less embellished look that goes hand in hand with furniture that is more sleek and pared-down.
• Pillow shams are meant to be decorative. Keep two sets of pillows -- one set on which to sleep and an extra set in your shams. Just think of the time you'll save by not having to pull your pillows out of the shams each night!
• When making your bed, you can place your pillows either in front of or behind your shams. Vary the positioning from time to time for a new look.
• Place heavier throw rugs, such as Oriental and needlepoint carpets, by your bedside and in heavily trafficked areas.
• Keep your comforter or spread turned down to show the pattern on its reverse side and to show off the colors of neatly tucked sheets.