Dear Laurel,
Please, oh please, do a blog post about bed making. What’s the best way? What linens and bedclothes do I really need? How do I get a duvet cover on and stay in one place? Do I need a duvet? What about bedspreads and bed skirts?
Thank you so much,
Maka Yurbed
***
Dear Maka,
Forgive me, but I think you might have me confused with someone else. For me, bed making is like taking medicine. It isn’t very pleasant while doing it, but it makes one feel better afterward. It’s not really my thing. Although, I do love a beautifully appointed bed.
Now, I’ve written about this before. One is a very old and brief post from 2014 with one self-explanatory shot of my version of bed making.
A much better post is still pretty old and goes into greater depth about bedrooms and how to make a bed. As I recall, many of you understood my difficulty making my bed. However, a few of you seemed perplexed, bordering on indignant.
I imagine that’s because, for you, making your bed resembles how I feel about wearing lipstick.
Lipstick, for me, is a given, not an option. Bed making? Well, let’s just say it’s been a lifelong struggle unless someone’s watching. haha
However, I know others also struggle.
So how do I make my bed?
I’ve created the easiest system possible. (short of having a full-time housekeeper) :]
But, for many years, when Peaches, my darling paper-eating kitty was alive, I had a duvet cover, but after he passed near the end of 2014, I took the cover off and, from then on, I sleep with the sheet between me and the duvet and folded over it so the duvet stays relatively clean. Then, when I wake up, I fold the duvet with the sheet completely over it.
That is how I make my bed.
I like the lightness of the duvet without the cover. I wash it two or three times a year.
Of course, there are far more elaborate ways to make a bed. However, for me, the minimalist approach works best.
Don’t you like extra pillows, Laurel?
Yes, I do, but I can’t do it all.
It’s as simple as that. However, I enjoy other people’s pillows and pillows I see in beautiful photos.
Still, it occurred to me a few weeks ago that I was about to move into a studio apartment that, according to the owner, “lives larger than it is.” He’s right about that. One reason, I believe, is because of the Murphy bed. A month before I moved in, I was given instructions on how to work it.
In the meantime, I figured I better get used to making my bed daily.
The Murphy bed unmade is like me going out without lipstick. It never happens.
Still, there is a bit of a learning curve, as I am about to explain.
Every day I get up, use the bathroom and have a drink. But, before I’m allowed to eat anything, I must make the bloody bed.
And, not to complain, but morning for me usually feels like someone bonked me over the head.
So, this is what my unmade bed looked like this morning.
Because of the Murphy bed sitch, bed making in the morning means unmaking it. Well, unmaking it even more than it already is after a night of duking it out with my sheets.
I tried putting the bed away with the sheets, duvet, and pillows, but it didn’t close all the way. So, I realized I could keep the sheets on, but everything else has to go, elsewhere.
The first couple of days, I put everything in one of the storage compartments underneath the sofa cushions.
That’s brilliant; storage under the cushions. However, not-so-great for putting my duvet and pillows in there, removing cushions, putting them back… Then, I realized I could just stuff everything into the smaller of the two closets.
Pretty clever, huh?
Yes, I also brought my own sheets and towels, too.
However,
Before putting the duvet/pillows away, I must maneuver past the unyielding, ridiculously-sharp bed corner and then slither along, like a duvet-carrying snake, along the teensy pathway between the bed and sofa.
The realization is clear; maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but one day before my six months are up, I will bang the hell out of my shin(s) or crush a toe. I’ve already had one or two close calls.
Can’t you move the sofa closer to the door?
Yes, a few inches, but then it’s the opposite problem. Besides, I’m sure that’s bad Feng Shui, and I have enough problems as it is.
Once everything is secure in the closet, I have to make my way back to the bed to finish my bed making.
After smoothing out the sheets, the fun part is next.
Yes, I have to lift the Murphy bed and, while doing so, push the legs back into their tucked-in position. While many Murphys come with remote controls and an electronic mechanism, this one is fully womanual.
First, I get into my best bent knee clean and jerk position, and carefully begin lifting the bed. When the bed is up to my shoulders, I reach around to the right side and fold the leg in. And then, I have to hold the bed and make my way to the left side to fold that leg in. And yes, I held the 20 lb bed with one hand while taking the photo.
This is bed making on steroids!
No, silly, I’m not juicing unless cherry juice counts. ;]
However, I’ve been doing bed pushups nearly every night before I go to sleep. This is necessary to fend off the sheets attacking me in my sleep. With glee, I have to shove those bad boys into a wooden box every morning. Little did I know my nightly habit was training for the twice-daily bed-making ritual.
But, I’m not quite finished making this beast.
The next stop is taking the Melchior D’hondecoeter Chinese repro away from its nighttime perch in front of the TV and hanging it carefully on the two bed handles.
From last summer when I shared my coffee table styling “talents.” haha
(It’s a fun post if you missed it.)
Above is from my Bronxville, NY apartment, taken ten years ago!
I’m getting faster hanging the art. It’s a little tricky because the wire in the back is too tight, and there’s a vertical center support in the back. The painting is large but weighs nothing.
Gosh, I’m still not quite finished with the bed making.
The Chinese Chippendale stools I got last December are in their sleeping position.
There, my bed is beautifully made and I can go make breakfast.
And, above, is my little home away from home. Sorry, I didn’t style it because morning is not my best time.
How long does all of that bed making take, Laurel?
I haven’t timed it, but I would say about three minutes from start to finish (when I’m not also taking pics.)
Of course, I have to do everything in reverse before bed.
I reckon after 180 days of this, the bed making habit will be well ingrained, and my old routine that takes maybe 30 seconds will be automatic. Or, maybe I’ll take everything to the closet and dump it there during the day. lol
So, aside from Matouk’s tutorial (in this post),
Martha Stewart always has great ideas about bed making.
As for the best places to buy bed linens?
I’m assuming you don’t have a Frette budget. (Gorgeous, please check it out)
I don’t have the budget for that either, but many of them are on sale here.
My sheets are from Bed Bath & Beyond. I got them in the summer of July 2020. They’re very comfy, but they do wrinkle easily.
However, I have other sheets I got from Target in 2012 that are still going strong.
They were by Isaac Mizrahi.
Please don’t ask me about thread counts and all of that crapola. I haven’t the foggiest.
As you can see from the earlier photo, sheets almost always give me a hard time. Okay, fine. It is me giving my sheets a hard time, but I assure you, it’s not my intention.
After all, the messier they are, the more work it is to make the bed. And, as I’ve made it abundantly clear, bed making ain’t my thing.
I hope you enjoyed my light-hearted bed making blog post.
To finish off, I’ve created a big widget full of some of my favorite linens at various sources. Many of them are currently on sale. And, all the bed linens from Serena & Lily are on sale, but only through June 13th.
There’s no code this time, and they aren’t advertising the discount, but I checked out a few things, and they were off by 25%. So, now is a great time to get some of their beautiful linens if that’s in your budget.
Please enjoy the widget from a number of my favorite brands.
xo,
PS: Please check out the latest edition of the HOT SALES!
And, you’ll find the newly updated Father’s Day Gift Guide, here!
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All you need to do is click the link above and forget about it if you’re not ready to shop now.
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32 Responses
Schweitzer Linen of New York City!
Great Italian percale, 100% cotton.
The best sheets are at Tuesday Morning. Peacock Alley and wonderful Italian brands. Our Tuesday Morning is going out of business, don’t know if it’s nation wide. Tuesday Morning has the best towels, sheets, wrapping paper and paper napkins. Check it out !!
oh my goodness that’s an ordeal! i’m so dopey surely i’d lose a kneecap or a toe in that situation. i can’t imagine doing that everyday. i’d cry.
Hi Tina,
I’m getting a lot faster now. I’d say it’s about 90 seconds. It’s not the worst. And there’s no way I could’ve stayed in my apartment. I went back last Sunday, and no one was working, of course, and couldn’t wait to leave.
Boy you’re gonna be in good shape hoisting that Murphy bed! Hang in there just remember it’s better to hoist a bed than live in the remodeling site!
(To Kris) YES!!!!!!!
Oy! But I’m thinking about the lipstick: What are your favorite brands and colors?
Hi Nina,
Lipstick is very important for those of us folks who find the extra pale powder is almost too dark. Cover Girl makes a very nice stay on for hours lipstick. It comes with a silicone based gloss. You can’t use regular lip gloss over it, but you will want to because the lipstick on its own is quite dry. Butttttt, it stays on even while eating.
I started using it during Covid.
Revlon makes one that stays on well, but not quite as well. I’m very fair, but with a warm tone, so anything blue-based looks ghastly on me. However, most people have the opposite problem. They can’t wear the warm reds. So, those shades can be more difficult to find.
I do not buy expensive makeup. I do buy expensive moisturizer, however, but use it sparingly. And sometimes mix it with some neutrogena (shhhh) to make it last longer. La Mer. Whenever I find it on sale, I link to it. But, do not buy that one on Amazon. There are too many reviewers who say it’s fake. Most likely, that is the case.
That is not true of everything, but if the price of something is too good to be true, that’s usually because it isn’t true.
Hi Laurel –
You really should not make your bed as soon as you wake up. Let it breathe. Good for the covers and the mattress. And, yes, I take my bath at night so I’m all clean.
Don’t know why but when I moved I started sleeping on the floor. I’m 80 years old and it made my back feel better. Now, I have switched to the sofa as my sciatic nerve starting giving fits to my left leg. I’ll get a wedge pillow and put under my legs and the floor will welcome me back.
No mattress or pad, just a comforter on the floor and a sheet over me. Easy to clean up and I know my bed misses me but I don’t miss it at all.
Enjoy your time in your small abode and remember it isn’t a burden, it’s a gift.
Hi Diana,
Well, if I don’t make it as soon as I get up, it doesn’t get made. However, two things. The current bed requires unmaking. Everything gets thrown in a closet. And also, when I do make my bed, I fold the sheet back over the duvet and so the bed is able to air out.
I like making my bed, bc if I make it, my whole house feels calm & clean. For you Laurel, it looks like the absolute truth! But I’m with Joanne…I’d probably curl up on the sofa. In college, it was not uncommon for me to fill my bed with all my class work, and then pick it all up in its piles and layer it all around my bed at night, or when I was late, to just sleep on the floor. My poor roommate!
Thanks for all the bedding recommendations in the post. I can’t wait to order my next new sheet set, to go with my ( hopefully) re-painted bedroom. We’ll see if my bedroom gets painted before your reno is finished…I think with all the other things on my plate, your project will end miles ahead of mine, but your reno posts keep me motivated! Here’s hoping all your plans are followed correctly, promptly, and if there are any glitches…no, no glitches! Slow, steady progress!
Thanks, too, for posting the picture last week of the roses! I caught lilacs & and a butterfly in Wisconsin last week..delightful!
This post brought me back to the year we lived in a small apartment in Germany while my husband was on a research grant. We had more kids than the university housing expected, so DH and I slept on a sofa bed that we had to set up and put away every day.
Could you avoid the treacherous path to the closet by just dropping the duvet and pillows on the sofa until the bed is up out of the way?
Hi Anne-Marie,
I took your advice and yes, that definitely helps and makes it go faster too.
Hilarious! Loved the step by step description.
bery nice bed
Thanks for letting me know I will never put a Murphy bed in the guest room/home office. Ugh.
When I had my first apartment it was a studio. I slept on a sleeper sofa. After a few weeks of pulling it out every night & folding it back up in the morning, I started just sleeping on the sofa.
I was young & my back hadn’t started turning against me yet. So I didn’t mind sleeping on the sofa.
Now I love a beautiful made bed. I make mine every morning right after I shower. It takes me 2 minutes…tops.
You made me laugh this morning :)) As usual. But reminded me that I want to look into Murphy type beds for my guest room. I’d probably end up on the sofa like Joann says too. You know I’ve always loved that Melchior you’ve been posting (the colors!) but never looked closely at it before. Is that a dead bird hanging down from the urn? And a weird little head in the hand? I might have to Google – see if I can figure out the meaning of all that :))
I pretty much make my bed as soon I wake up or it won’t happen. I discovered Brooklinen sheets several years ago and I won’t buy any other sheets. If you like crisp cotton percale that stays cool, their core bundle is for you!
I had a Murphy Bed at my old house in the guest room–it worked perfect in there because it was only opened when there were guests. Opening and closing it everyday would be a pain, but does make your place so much more usable.
A friend of mine had a pier de terre that she lovingly called her “shoe-box in the city”-I thought of that when I saw your place LOL! Your apartment will feel like a palace (and look like one) when you move back!!
Thanks for letting us live vicariously through your renovation!!
I just had a murphy bed installed in the lower level of my condo, I love it! Instant guest room. I purchased a queen size bed with book shelves on each side through the Bestar website and the quality of construction is just what I wanted. The mechanisms to lower and raise the bed are heavy duty so even with a bad back, I have no trouble at all opening and closing. They offer lots of storage options for loose bedding if it is desired.
No joke, but you might want to pick up a set of Beddys. It is a top/bottom sheet and comforter all in one. Zippers enable you to adjust the set to the way you sleep. And it all washes in a set so everything stays clean. My 21 yo son has used them since boarding school on all his beds and actually washes his sheets b/c it is so easy!!
Loved this post! You are so funny and I love your sense of humour! I needed new sheets this spring and did some Google research on various types of cotton. I prefer 100% cotton for it’s breathability. I eventually bought long staple cotton from the Nile area in Egypt. After the research it took me a couple of weeks to find the sheets at a price point I was comfortable with. They have a bit of weight to them which I like so if the bedroom gets too hot, I can go with just the top sheet.
I am looking forward to more adventures that you take your readers on! Summer must be awesome there so hopefully you don’t have to spend too much time inside your pied ‘a terre!
As a fellow lipstick devotee….wondering if you’ve found a lipstick that lasts throughout the day? One that is not drying…
Over the past twenty years, I’ve found only one, by Menard. Not available in Canada. Would have to travel to Asia.
Loved today’s post! Can’t stand it either. But, as vacuuming…hat e the job, but love the effect!
Hi Ellen,
Oh sorry, I already answered this to Kate. The stay-on lipsticks are drying but come with a special gloss that moisturizes, but doesn’t remove the lipstick. Brilliant!
Well, here’s one area where you and I differ. Bedding and textiles are one of my great passions in life. I’m a very kinesthetic person, meaning that I relate to things in life by touching them moreso than seeing them. So high quality bedding fabric is vital to my soul. I spend lots of time stalking great deals on ridiculously priced coverlets, shams, pillows, you name it. From silk to velvet to percale and everything in between. I recently managed to empty one of the few closets in my home and turn it into shelving only and dedicate it to my linens. It makes me so happy! But, we do share the hate of making our beds. What makes me do it is because I love to see my beautiful bedding in place.
What an ordeal-and I like making my bed!
I hope your kitchen renovation goes smoothly!
Hi Laurel,
As usual, you brought me the Sunday morning giggles! I only wish you had Cale there to film a short video of the Murphy bed-dance, but I can almost see it in my mind’s eye.
Here’s an idea to avoid the almost inevitable foot bang: first toss the pillows, sheets, and duvet onto the sofa. Put the undressed Murphy bed away. Then fold the pile on the sofa and stash them in the closet. That way you never have to navigate that 6 inch strip with the sharp corner between the open bed and the sofa. Try it and see if it works for you.
Thank you Valerie. I did and it does work, thank you!
Here are some bed ideas I have collected for the bedroom refresh I am currently doing: 1) According to the company All About Down, the cover should be significantly smaller in both length and width than the duvet. I tried this and it works great (comforter is lofty and doesn’t have that “empty” look on the sides). You don’t even need ties in the corners if the duvet cover is sized right; 2) If you have a rectangular headboard, some designers (e.g. Nate Berkus, Amber Lewis) throw a textile or beautiful piece of fabric over it to create more layering and to protect the headboard fabric. You can throw it in the wash when needed or change the look for minimal cost. and 3) Use one beautiful lumbar pillow instead of multiple throw pillows to keep it simple.
I’d end up sleeping on the sofa instead, LOL.
The sofa isn’t even comfortable to sit on!