Bed Styling 101: How To Style & Layer Bedding For A Luxe Look

Bedding plays a key role in any sleep sanctuary. Serving as a stylistic element whilst enhancing sleep quality and comfort, the right bedding can make or break your bedroom. But how can you make your bed at home look like it came straight from the pages of a design magazine?

Mattress Topper
Mattress Protector
Fitted Sheet
Flat Sheet
Quilt & Quilt Cover
European Pillows
Standard Pillows
Throw Blanket
Styling Cushion

Layering bedding is a core aspect of any well-designed sleep sanctuary to create an elevated look and feel. From texture to fabric, colour, print and pattern, our in-house stylists have curated our top tips and tricks on how to layer bedding and how to style a bed like a designer.

Layer One: Mattress Topper

Nothing makes a bed look more luxe than looking comfortable, and the foundation of bed comfort starts with the first layer – your mattress. The secret to ultimate comfort and luxury? Adding a mattress topper to your mattress!

Adding a mattress topper is the perfect solution if your mattress feels too firm or you simply want your bed to feel like you’re floating on a cloud. The key benefit of a mattress topper is you can completely customise your sleep experience to your sleep style. For hotel-like comfort at home, we recommend our microfibre mattress toppers for a cloudlike feel or our premium hotel range mattress toppers. Made from breathable materials and with enough fill to achieve that plush look, these mattress toppers will form the base of your bedding design. If you’re looking to add support, our memory foam mattress toppers can provide added relief to pressure points and joints, so you wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Mattress Protectors

To get longevity from your bedding, we also recommend adding a mattress protector on top of the mattress topper. This will protect both your mattress and mattress topper from spills, stains, allergens and damage over time!

For more information on how to choose the best mattress topper for you, explore our mattress topper buying guide.

Layer Two: Sheets

Sheets are another basic element of any layered bedding design. It plays a core part in the look and feel of your bedding as it peeks out from behind quilt covers, throws and pillows and is the element you will come into contact most often with when sleeping.

Fitted Sheets

Start with layering a fitted sheet over the mattress topper to create the bedding base. Before investing, make sure the fitted sheet will have enough depth and height to fit on top of your mattress topper and mattress!

Flat Sheets

Next, select a flat sheet to layer on top of the fitted sheet. A classic white cotton sheet set is a go-to option for creating a crisp, clean and minimalist looking bed that is also breathable to suit a range of climates. Recently the oatmeal beige coloured sheet set has also become a popular and more modern alternative to the timeless white sheet set. This is due to its neutral tones and elevated palette making it a must-have for creating a curated bed styling look. These classic colours will allow you to add print and pattern later through other bedding elements like quilt covers, blankets and pillows.

Looking to elevate your bedding outside of the classics? Colourful sheet sets are another way to show off your sense of style and infuse different hues, textures and patterns into your bedding look. A timeless striped sheet set in a restful neutral colour such as grey, beige or brown is a bolder way to create visual interest in your sleep sanctuary. So, instead of switching out a quilt cover set with the seasons, you can invest in printed and patterned sheeting to show off your style.

When choosing what type of sheet material you want to use in your styling, it’s important to take your sleep style and climate into account. If you’re a hot sleeper or live in a warmer climate, cotton or bamboo cotton sheets are a great option for a smooth look that’s breathable and temperature regulating. If you like a more relaxed look, linen sheets are also a great option for those in warm climates. If you get chilly at night, or you just like an extra bit of cosy during the winter, flannelette sheets are an excellent choice with their soft and cosy feel.

Want to pick up a fresh set of sheets? Our curated collection of bed sheets is full of luxurious and premium options to instantly elevate your layered bedding and bed styling look. Shop the range today to transform your sleep sanctuary.

For more information on how to choose the best sheet set for you, explore our sheets buying guide.

Layer Three: Pillows

Pillows are another staple piece in layering your bedding and bed styling like a pro. They provide comfort and support but can also be used to incorporate colour, dimension, volume and style to your bedding look.

While how many pillows you should use on a bed and how to style a bed with pillows will depend on personal preference, the basic pillows you will need to achieve a designer look are two European pillows and two standard-size pillows.

European Pillows

European pillows are square and larger in size than traditional pillows. These are typically placed against the headboard before standard size pillows. They are used to provide added support when reading in bed or catching up on your favourite show.

Standard-size Pillows

Next, layer the two standard-size pillows in front of the European pillows. These are the pillows you will sleep on each night so their feel should be customised to your sleep style ranging from soft to medium or firm.

For added comfort and dimension to the bedding look, some stylists will use four standard-size pillows instead of two. This creates the iconic hotel-inspired bedding style with fluffy pillows you can’t wait to dive into!

Pillow Talk has a range of pillows in various sizes and styles to suit your sleep and bed styling needs. Explore the collection to pick up these bedding basics and complete your layered look!

For more information on how to choose the best pillows for you, explore our pillows buying guide.

Layer Four: Quilts, Duvets + Doonas

Top Tip: Stylists will also use a quilt that is one size bigger than the mattress to add volume and create beautiful draping over the bed when made.

A key to getting a luxe feel when layering is to find the right quilt to bring your dream bed styling look to life! In many interior design magazines and photos, stylists will use a cloud-like quilt that adds volume, dimension and depth to your bedding. To achieve this fluffy bedding look, our stylists recommend using a quilt that has a gusset like the ones below:

The gusset in the quilt allows for a lofty look and feel, creating that dimensional, fluffy look. Stylists will also use a quilt that is one size bigger than the mattress to add volume and create beautiful draping over the bed when made. Just make sure if you opt for this method that you also purchase your quilt covers in the size up!

As the comfort experts, our curated collection of quilts is full of options to suit your sleep style. From year-round quilts to summer quilts and winter quilts, we have the best quilt for you at Pillow Talk!

For more information on how to choose the best quilt for you, explore our quilts buying guide.

Layer Five: Quilt Covers

Quilt covers are a simple way for designers to bring colour, texture and pattern back into their bed styling looks. This will be added on top of your quilt and layered on your flat sheet or blanket, either pulled all the way up for a hotel-inspired style or folded neatly at the base of the bed for a boutique, refined aesthetic.

When choosing a quilt cover, consider how it complements the colour of your sheet sets. You don’t need to match everything—contrast is key! For example, crisp white sheets paired with a floral or striped quilt cover can add visual interest and personality. If you’ve gone for neutral-toned sheets, pair them with a rich, earthy hue like terracotta or sage green for a touch of warmth and depth.

Don’t be afraid to mix patterns either. Think striped sheets with a bold floral quilt cover design or a textured design like tufting or waffle. By combining different colours, prints and textures you can bring new life to your bedding with a dynamic layered look.

Searching for a new quilt cover? Pillow Talk has a range of quilt covers in seasonal and timeless hues to complement your bedding. From cotton to linen and bamboo find the perfect quilt cover to suit your style!

Layer Six: Throws + Accessories

The final layer and finishing touch to any bedding look is a throw blanket and statement cushion to tie it all together. Try incorporating a contrasting print, pattern, colour or fabric to your quilt cover to create more texture and dimension to your bedding. For example, for a bed with neutral-coloured sheets and a cotton sage green quilt cover, a forest-green throw blanket could help tie the colour story together with a complementary colour but a different fabrication. This looks pleasing to the eye and creates a cohesive and layered bedding look.

Artfully drape the throw blanket over the foot of the bed for a lived-in yet refined style. Then, with the same colour, print, or pattern of fabric, add a small styling cushion to the centre of the bed in front of the pillows for a luxurious and designer-inspired style.

Layer Your Bedding Like A Designer With Pillow Talk

Now you’ve mastered these simple tips you can layer your bedding like a pro! From foundational bedding pieces to stylistic elements, you’ll be ready to complete your sleep sanctuary or prepare for guests in style this season and beyond.
Looking to refresh your room with new bedding? Explore our curated collection of mattress toppers, mattress protectors, sheets, quilts, quilt covers, pillows and more for premium pieces you and your guests will love.

Bed Styling FAQs

Still searching for the answers to your bed styling and layering questions? Our stylists have provided their top tips, tricks and insights into the most frequently asked questions below, so you can style your bed with confidence!

How to style a throw on a bed?

How to style a throw on a bed ultimately comes down to personal preference and the desired look and feel you are after for your sleep sanctuary. Common throw styling techniques include folding your throw blanket into thirds and neatly placing it at the base of the bed. Another option includes styling a throw using an artful drape over the corner of a bed for an effortless style!

How to decorate a bed?

Decorating a bed is a key part of bed layering and contributes to the look and feel of your bedding design. It refers to the core bedding elements that add decorative touches to your bed styling. In order, decorating a bed includes a fitted sheet, flat sheet, quilt cover, pillowcases, bed cushion and throw blanket.

How to style a bed with pillows?

While there is no hard and fast rule for styling a bed with pillows, typically we recommend two to four standard size pillows, two European size pillows and one bed cushion to tie the look together. However, this will vary depending on the bed side as well as your sleep style and lifestyle preferences! For example, a single bed will only require one standard size, one European size and one bed cushion due to the small width of the bed.