Let's start with the facts: we spend about one-third of our lives in bed, and sleep has been inextricably linked with mood, productivity, health, fitness, alertness and even appearance. With this in mind, it seems a no-brainer to invest in the bedroom; after all, it's bound to be a large part of your daily life forever. There are a lot of nuances to the world of bedding, but it's certainly not a world out of reach. Here are three key bedroom pieces to invest in to ensure your soundest sleep.
1. Duvet and Duvet Cover
Your duvet itself is going to be a make-or-break element for a quality night's sleep. Barring any allergies, goose down fill is the gold standard in terms of lightness, breathability, and temperature regulation.
Long story short: A goose down duvet is almost invariably going to equate to a better sleep. These duvets come in a range of weights from ultra-light to winter weight, so you can go warmer or cooler depending on how your temperature tends to run while you sleep.
Au Lit Fine Linens Premium Silk Duvet
If a down fill is out of the question for you, other options such as a raw silk or quality synthetic fill may be excellent alternatives. Silk tends to be quite cool because of the material's natural moisture-wicking properties. Synthetic fills don't have as much breathability as all-natural options.
Regardless of the fill, it's important for your duvet to have a high-quality, natural fibre shell, to ensure breathability and eliminate the potential of crinkling or scratching within the duvet cover (yuck!).
Your duvet is more or less the centrepiece of your bedroom, so you'll want to pick a quality duvet cover that really speaks to your design sensibilities. Washed linen is a wonderful option if you tend to lean toward casual and relaxed, while a 100 percent cotton satin jacquard weave will bring a bit more classic elegance into the space. You can never go wrong with classic white, but pattern or colour is a welcome addition for many (just make sure you won't grow bored with it for years to come).
In terms of bedroom design, I always recommend starting with a duvet cover you love and working from there; it is much easier to find accessories, decor, even a wall colour to match the duvet cover rather than the other way around.
2. The Perfect Pillow
Finding the right pillow can be a process of trial and error, but it is absolutely worth the hunt when you finally find "the one".
As with duvets, a quality goose down fill is going to offer the most comfortable support. While folks will often refer to sleeping position (back sleeper, stomach sleeper or side sleeper) to guide the pillow-buying process, I would argue that personal preference is much more important at the end of the day. Start by nailing down what you like in a pillow - soft and squishy or firm support - and narrow down your options from there.
Your first pick may not turn out to be the be-all and end-all, but after a bit of trial and error you'll figure out exactly what you're looking for and be sleeping better than ever.
3. Quality Sheets
As if I even need to say it, investing in quality sheets is essential to creating a well-rounded bedroom (not to mention a well-rounded sleep). And there's a lot more to quality sheets than just thread count (seriously!).
Before even factoring in thread count, you'll want to make sure you're starting off with an excellent-quality fibre (you cannot go wrong with long-staple Egyptian or Pima cotton) and a quality weave (Italy houses some of the best weavers in the world).
Once you've established quality on these two points, thread count is really just a matter of personal preference. Like a crisp, cool sheet?A 220-count percale will be the ticket for you. More interested in dense and silky? A 1,000-count cotton satin may be more your speed.
Au Lit Fine Linens - Lavato Linen White
While cotton bedding is quite prevalent because of its strong fibre and soft hand, linen, bamboo, or silk may be more your taste depending on what qualities you're looking for.
While you cannot go wrong with a classic white, as mentioned, you'll likely be rotating your sheet sets from week to week, so the bed is an excellent place to add a bit of variety with colour and pattern.
Your turn: What are your non-negotiables for your bedding? Tweet us @aulitfinelinens and let us know!
