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Today we’re launching a new series called #AskBritt, where I answer your burning questions on design, entrepreneurship, fashion, and everything in between.
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The number one question I get when I’m working at the store is this:
Q: “Does your bedroom look like this?”
These days, the truthful answer is “Nope!”
My relationship to bed making has always been more hate than love. Growing up, my mom would withhold our allowance if we missed a day making our beds, and lord knows I wanted my allowance! Clearly the finance nerd in me has always been strong. After my parents divorced, my bed at my dad’s house was a trundle and it had to be made and tucked away every day. I embraced the discipline as a kid, but once freedom hit and I lived in my own apartment after college, bad habits developed. It just never felt like a priority when I was already hustling to make it out the door, coffee in hand, living that go-go-go lifestyle of a city-dwelling 9-to-5-er.
And though my mornings have only gotten more hectic as I’ve become a mother and an entrepreneur, I’ve come to appreciate the fact that all good days start with a well-made bed.
These days, my self-care routine is about taking a mindful moment in the midst of chaos-filled mornings to make my own damn bed. Simple? Yes. But I swear by it. Evidently so does this guy.
All of that said, self-care also means making things easy on myself.
And that’s where my Three-Minute Everyday Bedscape™ [insert winky face emoji] comes in.
My Three-Minute Everyday Bedscape
If you don’t know this already, pillows & textiles are my love language. Creating beautiful layered bedscapes is a form of therapy for me, but I usually save it for the storefront bedroom display. I’m well aware that making your bed to the nines everyday might not fit within everyone’s lifestyle, so I’ve figured out a method that works for me. I cut down on the bed making process and pared down the look so I can wake up and reset the bed in under three minutes. It works so well I don’t resent the fact that I’m the only one who makes the bed!
Today my bed at home looks exactly like this (full disclosure: I did clean our nightstands and finally hang my hats for this photo):
Over the years I learned the biggest challenge in creating a bedscape is that there’s a lot of horizontal surface to cover. There’s a balance to selecting the right functional layers without making the bed look too fussy.
The first thing I do is I stack our sleeping pillows behind two larger shams, which pushes your decorative pillows forward and creates a fuller, filled-out look.
Then I add pillows in front of the large shams. Usually I go with one big lumbar or three pretty pillows.
After you’ve positioned your pillows, my favorite way to finish off the look is with a folded duvet at the end of the bed. Bonus points if your duvet cover has a pattern or contrasting color. If I’m feeling particularly fancy that day I’ll make sure to throw a blanket over the end of the bed. Antonio and I prefer sleeping with a duvet, so my love for this look goes way back!
Q: What does your bed look like in colder months?
When it comes to making seasonal changes to our bedroom for colder months, I prefer to add a quilt and even toss a fur throw at the end of the bed for that little extra hygge.
Remember this throwback from the ORC a few years ago? Not too much has changed!
What my bed looks like now
Spring is in full force in the Bay Area so I’ve already removed a few layers and tried to make things simpler for the warmer months.
I always go lighter with the layers in the summer (for obvious reasons), but I like to keep things interesting with a woven blanket. I’m particularly fond of waffle blankets because they are light and breathable, but still give off some serious visual texture.
Now that truth is out, do you find this surprising?? My bedscape at home looks very different than the bedscape I showcase at the storefront, and I’m totally OK with that!
Shop my bedding essentials!
Additional sources: Cafe sconces // tasseled blanket // vintage rug (similar) // pillows // vertical ship-lap // ladder
Unlike you, my parents never grilled me on making my bed and I have never had the discipline to do so. Now, I want to cultivate that discipline/habit. Enjoyed reading your answer. Thank you for sharing! P.s. Do you wash your duvet at home or cleaners?
My husband had a similar upbringing, he never made his bed! The chores all balance out though haha. We wash our duvet at home, it’s cotton so not a big deal to do so. I probably would avoid duvets that needed to be sent to the cleaners! too much hassle.