January is white sale month, meaning that bed and bath linens generally go on sale for deep discounts sometime during the month of January. This makes it an EXCELLENT time to stock up/replace your bed linens with ones that bring you joy. You use these every. single. day. Shouldn’t you invest in something wonderful? Here we outline the key ingredients to a luxurious bed. Whether you like streamlned and minimalist or an abundance of layers on your bed, the right ingredients are key!

But first a bit of trivia…”white sale” is credited to John Wanamaker (pioneer of the famous Wanamaker’s Department Store in Philadelphia) in 1878 as a way to boost post holiday sales. Used to be that bed and bath linens ONLY came in white…or maybe he was inspired by the snow outside the window…whatever. The tradition carries on and we can thank him for the ability to buy great bedding and bath linens - in all kinds of colors now - often at discounted prices during January sales!

Mattress Sizing

Before you buy ANY bedding, you need to know exactly what size your bed is so that you get the right fit from your bedding. There are extra long versions of twin and full beds sized to better accommodate adults and there are California king mattresses in addition to king…Californians are apparently all taller and skinnier than the rest of us since that mattress is 4” longer length and 4” narrower width than a standard king size mattress?! Also check the mattress thickness and make sure your fitted sheets will have deep enough pockets…nothing worse that your sheets springing free from the corners in the middle of the night exposing the mattress pad and forming an unruly lump somewhere in the bed! The thickness of your mattress will affect whether your coverlet or duvet covers it as well. Some basic math will be required to determine this.

Mattress Pads and Toppers

You will first want to protect your mattress and a mattress pad is an excellent first line of defense. For absolute protection, you can encase the whole thing in a waterproof zip on mattress cover, but these are generally only used for children. Mattress pads are commonly quilted cotton top, or sometimes wool or even sheepskin for the ultimate luxury. The latter are not only supremely cushy, but regulate body temperature keeping you cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Other toppers include FEATHER BEDS, MEMORY FOAM (which can trap heat), GEL FOAM (which purportedly solves that problem), and Oetek certified LATEX FOAM (which is a greener, healthier alternative). Toppers are another expansive subject we haven’t time to cover here, but these can add the comfort of a memory foam or premium pillow top mattress at a fraction of the price. I have had a memory foam topper for many years and I LOVE it. It has been tremendously helpful for relieving stress on the joints, and I am the sort of person who sleeps under a down comforter unless the temps rise into triple digits :-) so any trapped heat is not a problem! Most toppers go under the mattress pad.

European Duvet and Shams Option

My daughter, recently returned from a stint in Germany, has been completely charmed by the ease and comfort of the European bedding system of bottom sheet and duvet topper. A duvet is essentially what in the US we might call a comforter and is almost always down filled - which makes sense considering duvet is French for down! This opens a whole OTHER discussion I’ll cover in a subsequent post which seems to include the age and provenance of your geese?! The duvet goes into a giant pillowcase called a duvet cover which is usually made of sheeting. This protects the comforter and prolongs its life AND makes laundry much easier since you only need to launder the duvet cover, not the actual duvet…unless something has gone horribly awry. It also makes making the bed a snap - just straighten the duvet, fluff the pillows, and you’re done! If easy, fast and comfortable are your priorities, then this is a fantastic option, and there are such beautiful selections available! These are almost always the bedding of choice for platform beds, but with the addition of either tall enough side rails or a box spring cover in the form of either a fitted sheet or a dust skirt, they can work on traditional mattress and box spring combos too.

A tiny word of caution about platform beds if you happen to be in the market for a bed as well as bedding…beware the shin-killer bed frame! Platform beds are often quite low and occasionally have pointy corners. At shin height. A recipe for disaster or at least for much swearing in the dark! Below is exhibit A: the shin shredder platform bed in my daughter’s air B and B. And I have the bruises to prove how bad an idea this is! (But honestly, it was the only very minor blight on the whole magical trip which you can read about starting HERE ICYMI)

Here are a few bed cover selections…most are on sale, some are just too pretty to ignore even though they are not! Click on each image for more info.

*Please note that this page contains affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase, I might make a small commission at no extra charge to you. Any purchases are much appreciated and help make this blog possible!

Traditional Sheet Set Option

If you prefer the traditional sheet set/blanket/bedspread or coverlet and dust skirt, January is STILL the month for you and a perfect time to upgrade your bedding. THIS post cover some of the important hallmarks for buying the right sheets - *spoiler alert: a higher thread count is not always the best indicator of quality! This option is for you if you like the look of a layered, classic bed. Begin with a sheet set and seasonal blanket, top with a coverlet - my favorite GO TO coverlet is this white or ivory cotton matelassé from Peacock Alley because it is classic and eminently washable

-add a dustskirt if needed, (or use a bedspread). Stack a combination of pillows sized for your bed. Pairs of king pillows for a king size mattress, queen for a queen size mattress, standard for a full size mattress, and standard (or king fits just right too!) for a twin mattress. 26” square euro shams can be added to the back of the pillow pile to provide extra cushiness against a hard surface headboard or just as a decorative opportunity, and a judicious number of throw pillows can add some contrast to the bedding. Often, we also include a duvet folded at the foot of the bed as well. That’s a lot of bedding, but it gives the bed a sumptuous and inviting look! We often do some custom bedding for our clients - particularly dust skirts, which are hard to find ready-made at a nicer quality level, and often need custom lengths or special fastenings to work with a particular bed style.

Beautiful bedding is an achievable luxury and so important when you consider how much of your life is spent using it! What is YOUR favorite way to dress a bed?

Sweet Dreams!