One Room Challenge: Week 3 Progress

For this week’s One Room Challenge update, I’m going over my bedding choices, layer by layer!

Disclosure: Sometimes I use affiliate links which could earn me a  commission if you buy something after clicking one – all of which I will spend on making sure I’m my dog’s favorite human. (Sorry, Brad.)

Once I finished upholstering our bed last week, I was so excited to get it dressed with bedding. I figured once the bed was done, it would serve as the foundation for the room and help keep the rest of my design choices in line. 

My existing bedding was pretty much all white. I love keeping it simple with white linens because they are classic and easy to care for. Instead of replacing them, I decided to dress them up a bit with a beautiful bed blanket and splurge on some amazing throw pillows that I had been eyeing for a while. These are things I will keep for a long time.

Let’s start with the sheets. Mine are not new but they are sateen and easy to find similar ones (like here and here.) Sateen is 100% cotton and known for being affordable, soft and durable. (Note: If you’re not a top sheet user, Parachute Home sells a set with only a fitted sheet and pillow cases. I am really a fan of their products and will probably get Parachute sheets when I’m ready to upgrade my existing set.)

The next layer is the duvet insert. Duvet inserts are the most important layer on your bed because they are mainly responsible for temperature control. This is one thing I’d recommend not skimping on. Buy the best one you can afford and you’ll have it for a long time. Unfortunately, duvet inserts are also wildly confusing because there are so many options! Generally, you have a choice between real down or a down alternative and then a warmth level. I opt for down-alternatives and the coolest on the warmth scale since we live in a (mostly) warm climate. That way, it works in the summer months and can be easily layered over in the cold months. Since I have a top sheet, it’s not really necessary to have a duvet cover in my opinion. 

Next is a bed blanket. Paired with a top sheet under the duvet, a bed blanket acts like the top of your duvet insert. The great thing about bed blankets is that they are usually far more affordable than a duvet cover or true comforter. And since they just act as an extra layer of warmth, you don’t need to get fancy on this one.

Since I didn’t use up my budget on my other layers, I opted to splurge on a super thin metelasse blanket from Coyuchi and some amazing throw pillows. To maintain that moody, breezy look, I stuck to my blue and white palette and just chose to mix up the shades to break things up and for visual interest.

The pillows (here and here) are so simple but so beautiful to me. They have just the right amount of texture and distressing to standout but also keep things feeling relaxed. Etsy has some wonderful less expensive options (like this one here.) 

The matelasse bed blanket is by far one of my favorite purchases to date. It is made of organic cotton and is buttery soft. It’s subtle striping lends to a cool and casual look and it’s on the lightweight side which is perfect for coastal-esque retreat. 

One thing I didn’t mention was the mattress. I am forever converted from spring to foam (and not the standard Memory Foam you’re thinking of!) We purchased ours from eLuxury and we are still so happy with them. Our foam mattresses are a great balance between the firmness of a spring mattress and the softness of traditional memory foam. Since foam can be shrink-wrapped and sent in fairly small boxes, most brands selling foam mattresses are selling direct-to-consumer which helps reduce costs dramatically. We convert pretty much every guest that comes to stay with us because they are that good.

Here’s a handy little visual for you!

Check out all of the One Room Challenge participants here! And follow me on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes.