Get Laid: The Ultimate Guide to Layering Bedding Like a Designer

Everything you need to know about throws, quilts, bed blankets, lumbar pillows, and mixing colors to build a bed that looks — and feels — like a five-star hotel.

You've invested in great sheets. Your duvet cover is exactly the right color. But something still feels off — the bed looks flat, a little bare, like it's missing some pizzazz. The secret that interior designers and stylists have known for years isn't about buying more expensive bedding. It's about layering. Specifically: knowing how to combine your quilts and bed blankets, throw blankets and lumbar pillow covers, and mixing sheet colors with your duvet to create a bed that looks as great as it feels. 

This guide walks you through just that. With layers that top, that bottom, and do everything in between to make you look cooler in the bedroom. 

The Layered Bed Formula: Start Here

Before we get into specific products, here's the foundation: a well-layered bed has four to five distinct layers, each serving a different visual and functional purpose.

Think of each layer as a conversation. The throw responds to the duvet. The lumbar pillow responds to the throw. When every piece has something to say to the others — in color, texture, or tone — the bed feels intentional rather than assembled.

The Top of Bed (TOB): Your Power Top of Styling 

Of all the layers on your bed, the top of bed — also called a TOB — is the one that does the most styling work for the least effort. A single throw, draped casually across the foot of the bed or folded in thirds and laid horizontally, can transform a bed that looks made from the same fabric head-to-toe into something that looks designed.

How to Style a Throw on Your Bed

There are three main ways to place a throw, each with a different effect:

The Casual Drape: Pull the throw across the lower third of the bed at a slight diagonal. Let one corner fall naturally to the floor. This is the most relaxed, editorial look — great for linen or waffle-weave throws.

The Folded Third: Fold your throw into thirds lengthwise and lay it horizontally across the foot of the bed. Clean, structured, and hotel-like. Works especially well with a quilt or coverlet underneath it.

The Accent Tuck: Drape the throw over one side of the bed and tuck the corner slightly under the mattress. Asymmetrical, effortless, and great for introducing a contrasting color.

Quilts & Coverlets: For a Full, Zhuzhed Up Bed Look 

A quilt is the unsung hero of a well-made bed. It lives in the middle of the stack — on top of your duvet or comforter, folded back or draped across the foot — and its main job is to add texture and visual weight without adding a lot of actual warmth.

The key difference between a quilt and a coverlet: quilts have stitched-through batting that creates that signature dimensional, quilted look. Coverlets are thinner and flatter — great for warmer climates or if you want something more minimal. Both work beautifully as a top-of-bed layer.

Three Ways to Use a Quilt in Your Layered Bed

Folded at the Foot: The most classic use. Fold your quilt neatly in thirds and drape it across the bottom third of the bed. Gives the bed a finished, structured look and is great for when you want a clean, hotel-like aesthetic.

Folded Back Over the Duvet: Pull your duvet up and fold the quilt back over the top edge, revealing both fabrics at once. This works beautifully when your quilt and duvet cover are in contrasting colors or textures.

As the Main Top Layer: Especially in warmer months, a quilt alone (without a duvet) over your flat sheet can be enough. Add a throw for cozy texture and you have a complete bed that won't overheat.

Bed Blankets: The Goldilocks of Layers 

Bed blankets sit in an interesting middle ground: more substantial than a throw, less poofy than a comforter. They're one of the most versatile pieces in a layered bed — and one of the most underused.

Brooklinen's bed blanket collection includes options in different weights and weaves, from lightweight cotton to plush wool-blend options. Here's how to think about which to use and where:

Lumbar Pillows: The Detail That Finishes Everything

If you've ever looked at a beautifully styled bed in a magazine and wondered what that one long, rectangular pillow in front is doing — that's a lumbar pillow. And it's doing more than it looks like.

A lumbar pillow serves as the punctuation mark at the end of your pillow arrangement. It's smaller and more intentional than a standard sleeping pillow, which is exactly why it stands out. It adds a pop of color, texture, or pattern right at eye level — and it signals that the bed was styled, not just made.

How to Place a Lumbar Pillow

Place your lumbar pillow in front of your standard or king sleeping pillows, centered horizontally on the bed. It should sit against — not on top of — the stacked sleeping pillows. The typical arrangement from back to front:

Euro shams (largest, propped against headboard)  →  King or Standard sleeping pillows  →  Lumbar pillow (centered, in front)

You can also use two lumbar pillows placed side by side for a wider king bed, or one lumbar pillow offset slightly to one side for an asymmetrical, editorial look.

Mixing Hues : Get Colorful in the Bedroom 

Here's the permission slip you've been waiting for: your sheets do not have to match your duvet cover. In fact, when they don't, your bed usually looks better.

Color mixing in bedding follows the same principles as color mixing in fashion or interior design. There are a few reliable formulas that work every time:

The Tonal Formula

Choose a duvet cover and sheet set in the same color family but different shades. A warm white duvet over soft sage sheets. A slate blue duvet over navy fitted sheet. The contrast is subtle, intentional, and deeply satisfying. Brooklinen's Luxe Sateen sheets and Classic Percale duvet covers come in a wide enough range of colors that you can mix within the same tonal family easily.

The Neutral + One Formula

Keep your sheets completely neutral — white, ivory, or light gray — and let your duvet cover be the one statement piece. Then echo that statement color in your lumbar pillow or throw. This is the easiest formula to pull off and the hardest to get wrong.

The Color Drenching Formula

A major trend right now: color drenching. Pick one color and go all in — a deep terracotta duvet, terracotta-toned sheets, and a warm clay throw. The bed becomes a singular color experience rather than a patchwork of decisions. Grounding and incredibly chic.

The Contrast Formula

Pair a light, airy sheet set with a deep, rich duvet cover. Think: white Classic Percale sheets under a forest green or navy duvet. The contrast creates drama and makes each piece feel more intentional. Add a natural linen or oatmeal throw at the foot to soften the edges.

Putting It All Together: Three Complete Bed Looks

Look 1: The Clean Hotel Bed

Crisp, minimal, and endlessly satisfying — this look is built around sharp whites and soft neutrals with just one textural accent.

Sheets: White Classic Percale fitted and flat sheet

Duvet Cover: White or ivory Luxe Sateen

Quilt: Folded at the foot in soft natural linen

Throw: Waffle-weave throw in warm oatmeal, draped loosely over one side

Lumbar: White or ivory waffle lumbar — subtle texture, no color contrast

The effect: five-star hotel meets linen closet. Effortless and impossibly clean.

Look 2: The Cozy Color-Drenched Bed

Rich, warm, and completely immersive. This look leans into one color family and goes all in.

Sheets: Dusty clay or terracotta Luxe Sateen

Duvet Cover: Deep terracotta or rust Classic Percale

Quilt: Folded across the foot in warm camel or amber

Throw: Wool or wool-blend throw in cognac, casually draped

Lumbar: Textured velvet lumbar in burnt orange or brick

The effect: a bedroom that feels like a warm hug. Cozy bed aesthetic at its most complete.

Look 3: The Mix & Match Contrast Bed

Confident, editorial, and modern. This look uses contrast deliberately and lets every layer have its moment.

Sheets: White Classic Percale fitted + Luxe Sateen flat sheet in soft sage

Duvet Cover: Deep navy or forest green Washed Linen

Quilt: Folded back over the duvet in a soft cream or natural

Throw: Grid or checked throw in navy and natural, draped at the foot

Lumbar: Sage green or botanical-toned lumbar to echo the flat sheet

The effect: a bed that looks like it belongs in a design magazine. Bold but never chaotic.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I navigate Brooklinen to find all available colors for mixing and matching?

The easiest way is to start from the Bedding Essentials page and browse by category — sheets, duvet covers, quilts and bed blankets, and throws and pillow covers. Each product page shows all available colorways — use the color swatches to compare across tabs before you buy.

Can I mix Brooklinen Percale pillowcases with Sateen sheets?

Absolutely — and we encourage it. Mixing a crisp Classic Percale pillowcase with a smooth Luxe Sateen flat sheet (or vice versa) is one of the best ways to add texture contrast to your bed without adding any new colors. Both fabrics are 100% long-staple cotton and wash equally well together. The texture difference — matte percale vs. smooth sateen — is subtle enough to feel intentional rather than mismatched.

What are the most popular fabric combinations for mix & match bedding?

Some of the most popular pairings at Brooklinen:

Luxe Sateen sheets + Classic Percale duvet cover: The smoothness of sateen underneath, the crispness of percale on top. A classic combination.

Washed Linen duvet + Luxe Sateen flat sheet: The relaxed texture of linen against the smoothness of sateen is a designer favorite.

Classic Percale sheets + Washed Linen pillowcases: Subtle texture mixing that reads as intentional without trying too hard.

For more, explore Brooklinen's Curated Bundles — many are pre-built around mix-and-match combinations with built-in savings.

I want to replace just my flat sheet and pillowcases to mix & match with my existing duvet cover. Where do I start?

Start by identifying the dominant color in your duvet cover, then choose a flat sheet and pillowcases in a color that either matches tonally (same hue, different shade) or contrasts intentionally (a neutral against a color, or a deeper version of the same color). Brooklinen sells flat sheets and pillowcases separately, so you don't have to buy a full set. Look for the 'Pillowcases' and 'Flat Sheet' options on any sheet collection page.

How many pillows do I actually need for a fully layered bed?

For a queen bed: 2 euro shams, 2 standard sleeping pillows, and 1 lumbar pillow. For a king bed: 2-3 euro shams, 2 king sleeping pillows, and 1-2 lumbar pillows. The lumbar pillow is always optional, but it's the one addition that makes the biggest visual difference for the least investment. Explore Brooklinen's throw and pillow cover collection to find lumbar pillow covers in textures and colors that complete your look.