How to Have a "Best Dressed" Bed

Power Shopper

by Nicole D. Smith

May 2, 2008

Bed linens are one of today’s top trends for fine living. In fact, luxurious bedsheets and accessories are becoming symbols of prestige and icons of wealth. Designers pay close attention to the fine details of their couture bed linens before selling their posh sheets, reminding us that when you have the itch to feel luxurious, everything from the fabric to its trim must be of the highest of quality. Here are a few trends and tips to remember when shopping for fine bed linens.

Chocolate in Bed
Instead of chocolate being the main color of your bed linens, this season designers are all about mixing chocolate trims with vibrant hues, allowing bright tones to serve as the main color. “ Crisp, white sheeting or bright
colors mixed with chocolate is always great for spring and summer, especially in the South,” says CeCe Easter, owner of Belle Chambre couture lines in Buckhead. According to Easter, some of the popular shades you’ll see surfacing in fine-linen stores are oranges, purples, bright aqua and even hot pink for the young.

Put Plaid in the Past
Patterns on sheets, such as plaids and busy lines, are considered to be outdated and aren’t as popular in bedding in the higher-end market. For a more elegant, sophisticated look in your master bedroom, it’s all about simplicity and minimalism. “It’s still more the mixing of solids,” Easter says, “even if it’s two solids that come together to give a more sophisticated, classic look.” Elvie Vado, manager of Heirloom Iron Bed Co. in Roswell, agrees that the consumer should stick with the clean, elegant simplicity of a monochromatic sheet. “We’re not seeing a lot of stripes and floral. [Designers] aren’t doing a lot of mixing and matching. They are doing very simple designs.” Remember, patterns should come from the colors and not from the actual fabric on the bed.

Birds of a Feather Sleep Much Better
When shopping for a comforter, many linen gurus suggest getting one that’s filled with down feathers. Even though you’ll find many different levels of down when looking, Vado suggests consumers buy comforters with Hungarian goose down, which she considers among the best. “That’s going to feel like you’re sleeping on clouds,” she says. Even though Hungarian goose or other down is a natural insulator, Vado says there’s little need to worry about sweltering at night. “It’s going to be very breathable. So, you’re not going to be overly warm underneath all those layers.”

Rest Like an Egyptian
Consumer guidelines for buying bedding suggest that cotton from Egypt is superior to other cottons and is a popular material used for couture linens. “You have to be careful when they say Egyptian cotton. It can be ten percent Egyptian cotton and not 100 percent cotton and still be labeled Egyptian cotton,” says Vado. Egyptian cotton can be found in several types of materials, including Egyptian cotton satin and Egyptian percale. Bell Chambre’s Easter, agrees only one cotton is king. “The best cotton is Egyptian cotton. It has to say 100 percent Egyptian cotton,” she says. “Anything less than that is not as good a cotton and not as luxurious.” Marla Shavin, a Macy’s spokesperson based in Atlanta, agrees Egyptian cotton is the fabric of choice. “It’s just a wonderful luxury
item,” she says, “because of the way it feels – soft to touch.”

Treating Your Bed Linens with Care
If you invest $1,500 on a sheet set, we’d suggest you take care of your bedroom linens so that they last as long as possible. If it says “dry clean only,” then dry clean only. Although sheets from designers aren’t supposed to shrink, it’s best not to leave washable linens in the dryer too long. Also, according to Vado, regular detergents and cleaners should never touch your luxurious fabrics. “You want to use something that has no added chemicals, no additives, no chlorine and
definitely no dryer sheets.” Stores and shops that specialize in luxury bed linens often sell special detergent to clean your fabric and help keep it lasting a very long time.