Make a Pottery Barn Bed for Less
Ever wonder how to make your bed look like it belongs straight out of a Pottery Barn showroom? It’s all about the layers! As someone who has intimate knowledge of PB styling (as a former Williams-Sonoma designer) I can promise you this layering formula works every time - and isn’t hard to maintain. Bonus - it can work with any price-point. Just apply the same rules and you’ll get a Pottery Barn Bed look for less.
Keep reading for my tried and true formula for a high-end looking bed, every single time.
Inspiration via Pottery Barn
Bedding Formula = sheets + blanket + duvet + quilt
Let’s talk bedding first. Now, this is a LOT. And I’ll let you in on a secret - at the showroom, they use no less than FOUR duvet inserts per bed. No sane person needs that many inserts, but it sure looks fluffy and inviting this way. By using ONE duvet insert, plus the formula above, you can still achieve the Pottery Barn bed look.
Start with a great set of sheets. Did you know the material of the sheets makes a huge difference? I’m a hot sleepers so I tend to like cotton percale or tencel material. Linen is fine for temperature control, but it’s a bit scratchy and my husband isn’t a fan. Here’s a chart I put together to determine the best sheets based on your preferred sleep temperature:
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We add a blanket before the duvet when it starts getting colder (like late fall and winter) but feel free to skip this step if you’re in a warmer climate.
There’s a big debate on whether or not you should use a duvet (plus a duvet insert) or just a comforter. Here’s the deal. We have a dog who loves to snuggle with us and jump on the bed. It’s a LOT easier to wash a duvet cover than it is to get a comforter professionally dry-cleaned. The insert only needs to be washed once or twice a year. You’ll get a longer life-cycle out of your bedding if you go the duvet route. Sure, it’s a pain to add the insert. But once you get the hang of it, it’s really not that bad.
This is a great chart illustrating the proper ratios when folding down your duvet and then layering on a quilt at the foot of the bed. Remember to use the rule of thirds. Fold the duvet a third of the way down the bed. Fold the quilt into thirds, and then drape it over the bottom third of your bed.
For king-size bed, get a king-size quilt/blanket/duvet. For a queen-size bed, get a queen-size quilt/blanket/duvet.
Pillow formula = sleep pillows + shams + decorative
I like one sleep pillow, but many people like two. Use this formula either way. For a king bed, I like to use 3 Euro shams (the big squares) + 2 king shams + a long lumbar pillow. I think it properly fills out the bed and looks luxurious.
Other pillow combos include:
KING = 4 sleep pillows + two king shams + multiple decorative pillows
QUEEN = 2 sleep pillows + 2 euro shams + 2 standard shams + 1 decorative pillow
TWIN = 2 sleep pillows + 1 standard sham + decorative pillows
Inspiration via Style by Emily Henderson | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp
Inspiration via Pottery Barn
And there you have it! My tried and true formula to get a Pottery Barn bed for less. Layer on bedding and a smattering of pillows and you’ll have a luxurious looking bed every single time.
