How to Make the Perfect Bed

Introduction

One of our most frequently asked questions is how to make a bed that achieves that luxurious, hotel-like look. This week, we’re excited to give you DGI’s guide to making the perfect bed. We’re including everything you need to know, from styling tips to a shopping list of our favorite bedding pieces.

The Guide

There are quite a few ways to make a bed, but if you ask any member of the DGI team, they’ll tell you the most important thing to do is make “hospital corners”. And while the name may not sound the most appealing, the end result gives you a perfectly neat and tidy, hotel-like look.

Here you can see a bed that we’ve styled with “hospital corners”. The loose ends of the duvet are folded tightly along the foot of the bed at both corners to create the perfect pleat. In short, you want to start with the foot of the duvet tucked under the mattress. From there, take the loose corner and pull it back on top of the mattress towards the headboard, creating a 45 degree angle. Tuck the excess overhang under the side of the mattress, then fold the remaining piece down in a diagonal line and tuck, tuck, tuck! To really maximize the plush, hotel look, fold the top of the duvet back about 18-24” with the top sheet with it, and tuck the sides under the mattress as well.

Here are a few of our top picks for sheet sets and duvets:

This is our go to sheet set when we’re going for a silky, luxurious look. Plus, it’s an eco-friendly option!

When we’re opting for linen bedding, we almost always go with this durable and breathable sheet and pillowcase set.

Your duvet cover is super important - it will be used every single day! It’s important to select a high quality option, and this is our go to linen duvet cover. It’s super soft and comes in a variety of colors, but white is our favorite for that hotel look. The best part about linen, is the more you use it, the softer it will get.

We love this duvet cover when we’re looking to add some light and airy texture to the bed!

This is a great option for a complete bedding bundle. It’s great quality and super soft, and it includes all the inserts and pillows you’ll need to make a perfect bed.

Once the sheet and duvet are neatly tucked, it’s time to begin styling the bed with pillows and throws. For a king bed to give a fuller, taller look, you can style three euro pillows across the headboard, followed by two king-sized pillows, one in the sheet set pillow, and one is a sham. In front of those, toss two decorative throw pillows…20”x20” is a good size. (Don’t forget to chop them!) Finally, we love to drape a decorative throw blanket across the foot of the bed for an added touch of color and texture.

Euro pillows along the back of a bed are a great way to add height and softness.

Here you can see our favorite way to style and stack pillows on a king bed. It looks neat and luxurious, without overwhelming the bed.

Here are a few of our go to pillow covers for both Euros and decorative throws:

This has been our go to linen Euro pillow cover because it’s great quality and looks super sophisticated on the bed with it’s tailored trim.

Similarly to the sheet set, if we’re looking to add some light texture we look to this Euro pillow cover for the perfect airy touch.

This pillow cover will look great on just about any bed! It’s neutral, but adds a subtle pattern for a more decorative look.

This is also a great neutral option that adds a bolder accent to the bed without being overwhelming.

We love this option if you’re going for a more minimal look and avoiding patterns. It still adds a subtle texture and warmth to the bed.

We love our neutrals, but a throw pillow can be a great opportunity to add some color to the bedding. We love this velvet throw because it adds a luxurious, plush feel to the bed.

These are our go-to pillow inserts for both euros and throws because they come in a variety of sizes in both feather and down alternative options. Our tip to get the perfect “chopped” look, it to go with a feather insert and order it one inch bigger than the pillow cover.

Here is just another example of a perfect pillow stack. Plus, you can see the added color and texture a simple throw blanket adds to a crisp and clean bed.

Here are a few throw blankets that will look great draped over just about any bed:

We’ve been loving this throw blanket for a lightweight, casual look! It’s a neutral mix of black and white that introduces a subtle touch of texture.

We also love this heavier, tweed throw to add some deeper contrast and texture to all white bedding. It’s super cozy and high quality, so you can’t go wrong with this one.

In some cases, we like to swap the two throw pillows for a singular lumbar pillow across the front of the stack. It gives a simple, minimal look to the bed, and in this case it added the perfect touch of texture and warmth.

If you’re looking for a more luxurious feel, we highly recommend opting for a faux fur throw blanket across the bed. It adds a really plush and sophisticated touch to the bed.

Here is our top pick for a faux fur throw blanket:

This is our go-to when we’re looking to give the bed an ultra-luxurious touch. It’s incredibly soft and plush, plus it looks super chic on any bed. Definitely worth the splurge in our opinion!

That completes our guide to making the perfect, hotel-look bed. Be sure to give our process a try, because who doesn’t love to crawl into a luxurious bed every night?

-dgw