Making a Bed Just Right

Kids delight in jumping on them. Dogs love to curl up at the foot of them. And for some people, bed is nothing short of heaven on earth at the end of a long day.

In fact, a bed is probably the most important piece of furniture most people will ever buy. It’s a foundation, writes Alecia Beldegreen in her book “The Bed,” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), a profile of more than 275 beds, from cradles to Sigmund Freud’s couch.

“We are giving ourselves a gift when we make our bedroom, our bed, beautiful, warm, sexy, inviting, clean, a place where we can nourish ourselves,” she writes.

Making a bed “nourishing” is not necessarily a costly or complicated endeavor.

“Your bedroom is the most private and personal space in your life,” said Geri C. Musser of Interiors’ by Design in Del Mar. “People don’t realize how much more magical this space can be with a little thought.”

For example, covering a bed with light silk or polyester fabric, both of which look like silk “at a fraction of the cost,” evokes a romantic feeling, Musser said. Lace with contrasting lining also works.

And no need to splurge on satin sheets, which for some parallel red-velvet heart-shaped beds. Even Musser’s fanciest designs include comfortable cotton percale sheets, she said.

“I suggest people start out (designing their bed) by visiting model homes and seeing how designers make up unusual beds,” she added. “Model homes are done on tight budgets, but they look expensive.”

One cost-saving trick, she said, is to buy a plain-colored ready-made bedspread at a bedspread outlet, then add custom pillows, a dust ruffle, and a valance over the window. Then prop 24-inch to 30-inch pillows against the wall and the headboard look is created, she added.

Roni Hicks Clemens of Del Mar said she and her husband had a vivid picture of just what their “nourishing” bed should look like.

“Our bed had to appeal to both of us: not too feminine and not too masculine; we did not want stark and contemporary, or lots of ruffles,” she said. “But we wanted a romantic feel.”

Musser worked with the couple to create a look that appealed to the husband, an executive at a development company, and wife, head of a public relations firm. They began by extending the pastel palate used throughout the house into the bedroom. An abundance of pillow shams and smaller throw pillows at the head of the bed resemble “a fluffy dog, not a lot of ruffles.” A cotton comforter and dust ruffle is coordinated in shades of light raspberry and peach.

A brass headboard, painted white, acts as a pillow prop for bedtime reading. And large see-through lamps on the night stands ensure a clear view to the bedroom’s adjacent gardens.

“It’s very comfy and relaxing,” Clemens said.

For some, an inviting bed is one that wouldn’t be caught dead near a dust ruffle or fluffy pillow.

Among those committed to the streamlined bedroom is attorney Jeff Stoke of Del Mar. After a 10-hour day of client meetings, depositions and ringing phones at a downtown law firm, he heads to the gym for his daily triathlon training.

“My work life is chaotic enough,” said Stoke, 31. “I want my bed to be simple, and completely non-cluttered.”

Simplicity to Stoke means a platform bed--an Italian-style low bed with no box spring--with a connecting black lacquer combination shelf-headboard. The forest green and black throw-on comforter, and matching pillows, allows the bed to look “made” in a matter of seconds.

“I keep my room super clean and streamlined; it’s my little getaway from clutter,” he said. “It’s nothing like the room I had as a kid, with all the sports posters everywhere.”

Of course, even austere rooms need a touch of youth, Stoke said, who has colorful, fish-imprinted sheets handmade by a friend.

“A lot of people whose lives are full of stress want a bed that is clean and tailored looking,” said Musser. “This type of person should probably have a bed cap, which has elastic corners, or a comforter. Patterns would usually be straight lines or squares, not flowery or scroll.”

For a “together” look that is still fuss-free, Musser recommends keeping stuffed, patterned pillows shams--which are envelope-like pillow covers--on the bed during the day. A second set of pillows, the sleep pillows, can be whisked out of the closet at night.

Whether it’s the romantic “Sleeping Beauty” look or sleek penthouse-style that seems appealing, it is imperative to consider personality when designing an ideal bed, Musser said.

“Some people like to watch TV in bed; others find that an atrocity,” she said. “In families where all three kids and the dog watch TV in the master bedroom, you’d want lots of pillows shams; in families where children rarely visit the parents’ room, you could use silks.”

To interior designer Charlotte Jensen, owner of Charlotte Jensen & Associates in Rancho Bernardo, creating an ideal bedroom for busy executives often means focusing on convenience.

She has designed for clients remote control “banks,” which allow total control of the television, stereo, household and outside lights--all from bed.

“Many working people get home at night and they don’t want to leave their room; they want a retreat,” said Jensen.

Jensen said she has seen her clients’ tastes become more sophisticated, with luxury items such as wet bars now common additions to the master bedroom. “I see executives wanting to create a whole separate environment from the rest of the house,” she said.

Musser puts it this way: “I think the bed, and bedroom, is a very misunderstood area. People focus on decorating the areas of the house that guests will see. But how often do you entertain guests? You entertain yourself everyday.”