I try to make my guest bed into a big, comfy, inviting oasis of soft and plush that’s also pretty to look at. I actually bought 2 bedding sets to create the look I wanted.
The first bedding set is a soft, muted gray abstract floral on white with a comforter. The second set is a solid yellow coverlet set. I have sheets and cotton blankets in both white and gray that I can mix and match.
To make the bed: fitted sheet, top sheet and cotton blanket go on first, all the while pulling and smoothing to get that super crisp look. Tuck the top sheet and blanket under the mattress at the bottom. Spread floral comforter on bed, again with the pulling and smoothing. Fold comforter top back and smooth. Fold cotton blanket back so the folded part is on top of the folded back comforter, but a few inches back. Fold the top sheet back and on top of the blanket, again with a few inches of blanket showing, all to get a pretty contrast.
In the beginning, at this point I would tuck the sheet and blanket under the mattress along the sides from the bottom about 3/4 of the way up. Now, my sheets and blanket have shrunk from so many washings, and my new Nest bed is deeper than the mattress I started with. This makes it so there is not enough fabric to tuck under the mattess anymore, so that part doesn’t get done.
On another note, I used to fold back the blanket and top sheet and tuck those under the mattress tightly, before putting the comforter on. But people kept not getting between the sheets and instead sleeping on top of the blanket and covering up with the comforter.
To finish off, I layer the floral shamed pillows, then the solid yellow pillows and then the pillows in cases, and lay the solid yellow coverlet at the bottom of the bed for a contrasting band.
I know, it’s a lot of bedding and a lot of pillows, but I get a lot of ooohs and ahhhs when people walk into the guest room, so I hope it’s worth it!
I try to get pick the best quality sheets I can find on super sale or clearance at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. I think I’ve got one 600 thread count set and the other 2 sets didn’t even say, so who knows. So far, no one has complained, and they all seem to be holding up well.
I don’t do a turndown service mainly because I don’t think guests want me in their room after check in.