Pillows are fun. They are soft and comfy and of course excellent for a little tussle here and there. Pillows are also a statement of ambiance for any bedroom, not just the master bedroom. Selecting pillows for the bedroom is just as much about comfort as it is about creating a look.
Imagine stacking your pillows on your bed, from the most useful (and largest) to the least useful (and smallest.) Some people like so many pillows that half of the bed disappears under the pile. Others simply add one accent pillow over their sleeping pillow arrangement.
Very few people sleep with only one pillow. For every guest in an average hotel, over 89% call the front desk within the first several hours of check in to ask for additional pillows. Thus, for the sake of addressing the majority, we will assume that we need 4 basic sleeping pillows in the bedroom.
The four initial pillows should be tailored toward the individual who will be plunking their head on them every night. Guest rooms should be equipped with pillows that land in between the flat to fluffy range, or one of each. For the master bedroom and bedrooms of others living and sleeping in the home full time, everyone should be encouraged to pick out their own sleeping pillows. Sleeping with the wrong pillow can give a person a headache.
Covering these pillows should be done with pillow cases. Shams are more for decorative pillows and can even be ruined by sleeping on them. Thus, the safest bet is to pluck neutral pillow cases with a slight decorative scalloping along the edge, or a simple plain cut bold color. Bold colors show things. Dog hair will become very obvious against a bold color. As will the other normal bodily functions we all like to pretend don’t happen to us in our sleep. Heavy droolers should definitely stick with a lighter shade. When bodily fluids dry, they give the pillow a crusty look. Of course, you can purchase enough to change the pillow case every morning, but that becomes an intense hassle. Who wants to add one more chore before they slip out the door in the morning? Of course, the one morning you don’t change the pillow case will be the day that someone somehow manages to see your leftovers from the night before. Better to just stick with lighter shades.
The next set of pillows should be a bit smaller, like you are constructing a pyramid of pillows which you will then lay on its side. Naturally, since we’ve probably gone with comfortable sleeping pillows, the next set which begins the decorative pillows should also be a bit puffier.
This set you can either cover with pillow cases or a sham. From a practical standpoint, a sham prevents the pillow from slipping out of the case while also signifying that it is a decorative pillow rather than a sleeping pillow. From a decorative standpoint, shams can be much more intricate than pillow cases, often bringing embroidery, lace, or delicate needlework as a contrast on the bed.
When selecting pillows for the bedroom, you want to compliment the rest of the room. This means that if you have a décor that lends itself well to a high class bed with a delicate and fancy exterior, by all means go for it. A formal bedroom can be very appealing while simultaneously being perfectly livable. However, if your décor screams out contemporary, or even casual, trying to dress up the bed too much is going to throw off the balance of the room. You can use the bed décor to step the room up a notch, but you really shouldn’t try to change the entire ambiance of the room with the bed. The name of the game is compliment.
The use of contrasting but unique colors can make a room interesting while using contrasting but bold simple colors can actually make the room appear more formal. Choose a color that definitely works with the room while trying to avid matching every color in the room. We are going to figure on starting with a pale, neutral color for the sleeping pillows, thus we might slip the next set of pillows into a deep burgundy, a bold blue or navy, or even a soft rose. Either way, contrasting really makes the decorative pillows stand out. It’s an automatic attention grabber.
While there is no set standard for the number of pillows one can use on their bed, the most common and safest bet is a set of sleeping pillows covered with a smaller set of decorative pillows topped off with an even smaller second set of decorative pillows. When selecting pillows for the bedroom, remember that you can always add another set of pillows along the way. It’s okay to play with color schemes and even patterns while decorating a bed to compliment the rest of the bedroom. Most of all, you simply want to have some fun, use your intuitive decorating skills, and figure out what works best for you.