Bed styling for a catalogue/advertising shoot is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It takes a certain brain with a lot of patience and at times eagle-eye super-powers. In fact there are a few really famous bed stylist that get flown around the world just for their bed styling skills – I’m talking to you Steven Whitehead. You need special home-made ironing boards (to fit in tiny little areas for touchups), different kinds of tapes and lots of sprays that would probably give my unborn baby a really cool fifth limb. You have to make sure that each wrinkle looks “natural” and “organic” but not harsh and distracting.
For everyday living you want your bed to look nice but not have 1 million pillows to manage, nor do you want to iron the sheets daily. So here is what I do…I have my two really soft/flat pillows that we sleep on (in the back) plus two thicker/fluffier ones that are good for leaning/reading (in front) and then, and here’s the secret, just one big extra long pillow in front. Call the New York Times, nay Geraldo Rivera and tell them you have the story of the decade. I’m not saying this is a new innovative way to style your bed, but I think it’s easy to obsess about the decorative pillows when all you need is one EXTRA LARGE AND LONG RECTANGULAR PILLOW.
This life-changing pillow is my new favorite thing and I’m kinda shocked that it’s not more commonly used. Forget the three decorative pillows and just throw on one of these long rectangular pillows IF you want a decorative pillow at all. It makes me happy to have my bed look pretty and inviting, even though it’s just for Brian and I, so while this pillow is one that I put on the bench at the end of the night, that swift action is worth it every day. Just make sure that it’s extra long – like at least 24″ long, but 30″ is necessary for a king.
Naturally, I rounded up my favorites, so you too, can be part of the “easy, simple bed styling” club.
Some of these are kinda expensive, but remember you only need ONE. Just double check the measurements – a full/queen bed can have as small as a 24″ rectangular pillow (normally 12 – 16″ high), but if you have a king go for one of the really long ones (at least 30″) so it properly spans your bed.
1. Chai Bolster | 2. Collaged Majida Pillow | 3. Dansbo Pillow | 4. Quilted Pillow | 5. Mongolian Lamb Pillow | 6. Adana Extra Long Pillow | 7. Suede Lumbar Pillow | 8. Graphic Pillow | 9. Isunda Pillow | 10. Petiole Pillow | 11. Mary Pillow | 12. Indigo Bolster | 13. Glitterati Pillow | 14. Ikat Pillow | 15. Black And White Rectangle Pillow | 16. Skylar Pillow | 17. Mongolian Lamb Pillow | 18. Flock Pillow | 19. Striped Linen Pillow | 20. Baya Lumbar Pillow | 21. Canvas Bolster Pillow | 22. Mint Pillow