My Go to sourcEs for bedding
There are occassions when I’m designing a bedroom that I’m not just tasked with selecting the bed frame or headboard but everything else needed to make it sleep ready - from the box spring to pillow protectors, including washing, drying and ironing for that first sleep. Outfitting and dressing a bed for multiple bedrooms at once is daunting when you consider all the components needed alongside the varied choices and price points. Usually if I’m hired to take this on its when everything is needed new from scratch, whether its for a seasonal second home or for a newly designed guest bedroom or primary suite.
What makes the shopping process complex for bed sheets and covers is that when a bed is dressed, often a high priced sheet set might not look any different than a low priced one. Trying to understand what makes for the difference in price can be confusing. The key features of the manufacturer’s quality are the material content and construction (is it cotton, linen, microfibre?) but the perceived quality to the user is in the feel, weight and longevity. This is when price and quality can become disconnected or random because personal preference and level of use can really skew the perceived value/quality of bedding. A 250 thread count cotton percale sheet can be more breathable than a 1200 thread count Egyptian cotton sateen one, thus more comfortable if you sleep hot. Some prefer the smooth crisp feel of percale versus the silkiness of sateen. Excluding the most high end labels, which I’ve never slept in, in my own experience the price of the bedding hasn’t been indicative to how soft or comfortable they are to me, I’ve splurged for $700+ plain white sheets, but my favourites to sleep on (and also some of my longest lasting) were less than $70.
MY GO TO SOURCES
When I lived and worked in Toronto my go to sources for bedding were Aut Lit Fine Linens, Elte and Restoration Hardware, where I often shopped in person. West Elm was also a fave and Pottery Barn bedding is great too - always a client fave. All these options require a significant spend as I wouldn’t categorize their bedding as super inexpensive or for small budgets. Bedding is much more widely available now than ever before with vast and growing online sources. When the priority is for simple comfort and essential white or neutral pieces rather than decadent high investment level bedding (most people are usually not investing at this level, including myself) there ARE affordable and quality options that can create a luxuriously comfortable sleep and beautiful looking bed.
Since living in rural Nova Scotia my options for shopping for bedding in person are limited and my criteria for bedding has also significantly changed. To me few things are worth the over 4 hour return drive into Halifax shops if the same options or better are online with quick delivery to my door. Additionally living on a rural property with well water, our water contains high iron content which even with filters, discolours our bedding leaving a visible orange/yellow tinge on fabrics. I typically have to pre soak bedding in bleach or rust-out to keep them white, but this quickly deteriorates the fibres causing the fabric to breakdown and tear. I won’t even get started on sunscreen that contains avobenzon - even when not visible, if washed untreated it will leave permanent orange stains on bedding, towels and clothing.
I’ve shed tears at the sight of permanently discoloured $700 sheets, and seeing large holes appear in my softest, favourite duvet cover, deteriorated by harsh laundering. It was shocking to witness expensive Belgian linen bedding turn from lovely fog grey to banana yellow in a split second because I mistakenly used some ‘Rust Out’ in the water (never do this with coloured fabrics!!!). Locally my only option when I need bedding in a pinch is Walmart, Superstore or Winners, where I simply look for 100% cotton in a light neutral colour or classic print. Who needs bedding in a pinch you might wonder? We’ve had our share of bedding emergencies (caused from laundry disasters) occurring just before house guests were scheduled to arrive!
Because I also love to touch and feel first, my in person go to sources for bedding in Nova Scotia for my home and clients has been Home Sense, The Bay, Ikea, and inevitably Walmart. At The Bay I’ve really liked Gluckstein Home and House & Home selections. At home Sense I love the Ralph Lauren bedding the most. And although I’ve bought many duvets at Bed Bath & Beyond I find shopping for sheets there just too overwhelming - so many brands having the same description but with wide varying prices. One of the softest sheets i’ve used was from there but I now have no idea which ones they were.
MY PREFERENCES FOR BEDDING
My criteria is consistent, I prefer 100% cotton or linen only. I’m not a fan of bamboo or microfibre or cotton poly blends. I look for duvet covers with corner ties and zip closure or at least button closure. I like light neutral colours especially for duvets and shams, I find dark colours fade quickly from washing or if exposed to direct sunlight, and white is easiest to maintain with bleach or other whiteners. I love a stone washed cotton and stone washed linen also because I love a relaxed wrinkled looking duvet cover and shams - but I’ll always iron cotton pillow cases and top sheets (if I use a top sheet on guest beds). I prefer percale sheeting over sateen, percale is crisp and smooth like a button down shirt. Some sateens (not all) can look too shiny or feel too satiny to me however I do love the Ralph Lauren Dunham sheeting (Home Sense!) a long time personal favourite, which is a sateen but not shiny.
For colour & patterns I avoid busy and bold patterns for duvet covers (especially king size beds) and prefer them in solid light neutral colours, or a classic stripe or check pattern. For sheets I love small and mini prints or accent colours that contrast and compliment the duvet cover. For added detail I LOVE a frayed edge, or a french flange on pillows, a hemstitch detail, and also a classic embroidered stripe or contrasting border/flange detail. For texture, duvets or shams with a pintuck, pleating or sheer sucker stitching can add interesting texture to solid colours. You can’t expect to find these details on lower priced bedding but when you do its really a special find. If you want to add a strong colour, bold pattern or woven textiles I recommend doing this by adding a blanket or quilt layered on top of your duvet, rather than the duvet cover itself.
My linen closet is now quite a mixed collection of high and low bedding. The ‘high’ pieces have been taken out of circulation for day to day use because our harsh laundering will deteriorate them. Once again I’m need of a new duvet cover and willing to explore the online options so I recently took a deep dive to search out the best inexpensive options online. Below is a round-up of the best options I found, and which I’ll continue to add to. I ordered several of these pieces, I’ll be back with an update on which ones I selected, and how I’m liking them. Stay tuned.
CURRENT FAVOURITE ONLINE BEDDING FINDS
You can find a round-up of my current favourite finds on Amazon for sheets here and Duvet covers here. BELOW is a preview of those plus some finds from non-Amazon sources which I’ve saved on my ShopMy page, just scroll through to view and select for more info. I’ve categorized them as under $100, but most are under $75 for King size.
favourite FINDS: SHEETS Under $100
Favourite FINDS: duvet covers Under $100
Our ShopMy page is a new resource I’m using to save, organize and share my favourite go-to products and new finds, in the same way I do on our Amazon store front - but ShopMy lets us do this with items from any source on the internet, and also including Amazon. What I love about this tool is its an open platform, meaning publishers (me) can share links to any website whether those sources linked participate as an affiliate merchant or not. The platform is pubic and free to use, no app or registration is required. Going forward we’ll primarily be sharing these product links on our The Design Shop website, organized in categories to compliment the related virtual design packages.
When it comes to bedding essentials I’m always on the hunt for affordable options but also looking for ways to make the purchasing process less time consuming and more informed. I dived into this search for my own needs and saved it all for future reference, but hope anyone who’s shopping for bedding will find this info helpful and time saving too.
This post contains affiliate links to products I know and/or love, or, are simply inspiring me to want to try them.
