The Wonderful World of Windemere: Bedding Bible

The luxurious bed piled high with plush cushions or the low set futon with minimalist pillows, there is an art to the perfect bedding.

Lindy Evans from Windemere Interiors says the higher the bedhead, the more the bedding. "It's not a hard and fast rule, but it's a good place to start," she said. "Decide first on a theme for your bedroom and that will probably also dictate the type of bed and bedhead."

Once your bed and bedhead are decided, then you can start with the basics. Good quality, high thread count sheets in a neutral such as white, cream or taupe is a good base. If the bed is an ensemble, a simple matching valance will complete the basics.

The feature of your bedding should either be the quilt cover or the cushions. If your feature is your quilt cover, there are many styles, fabrics and textures to suit your bedding theme. For an opulent theme, choose a luxurious quilt cover in a rich dark silk or for a beach theme try a fresh linen quilt cover in a bright breezy colour. Some plain cushions will finish this look.

If you choose for your cushions as your bedding feature, the theme will dictate the style of cushions. For a modern vintage bedroom, choose an eclectic variety of cushions in a number of textures and colours. For an elegant bedroom, a mixture of plain and limited patterned cushions will create a sophisticated theme over a plain coloured quilt cover. A throw at the end of the bed will complete the look.

Lindy says the higher the bedhead the more cushions you can use. "A high bedhead will look great with a variety of European cushions, ornate cushions and standard pillows. A low bedhead or futon can still have at least 4 standard pillows," she said.