Updated : November 28, 2025
Published : September 6, 2016
Guides

A well-dressed bed can create a stylish focal point in your bedroom. When you think of a hotel-style bed, you think of plump pillows and a stack of colour-coordinated cushions. But how are you supposed to know how many cushions or pillows are the right amount?

You want the bed to look pretty but without going over the top. Of course, the last thing we want to do is spend hours removing cushions before we go to bed!

In this post, we’ll give you ideas for dressing a bed. Read on to find out how you can replicate a hotel-style bed at home.

In our blog about how to style your bedroom like an interior designer, we gave you some ideas for dressing a bed. A well-dressed bed is the mark of a good designer. And it begins with the optimum number of cushions that are appropriate for the size of your bed.

How to dress a bed with cushions

The number of cushions you use on your bed comes down to personal style, but as a general rule of thumb, follow these guidelines.

For a double bed, add two cushions
For a king-size bed, add four cushions
For a super king bed, add six cushions

The extra cushions should be added to the two to four pillows that you use for sleeping.

The more cushions you use, the more luxurious and boutique your bedroom will feel. If you don’t mind spending ten minutes undressing your bed at the end of a long day, then add as many cushions as you like.

I have seven cushions on my king-size bed– but I had to make a deal with my partner to remove and replace all of them myself every day!

What is the right way of placing cushions?

There is no right way of placing cushions on your bed, but there are ways of creating different styles.

If your bedroom has a Bohemian feel, then you may want to use different-sized cushions to create a messy look that isn’t symmetrical. Making sure all of your cushions are different sizes will add to the eclectic look. You will also enhance this by ensuring they are all in different fabrics too.

The most common way of placing cushions on the bed is in height order. If you are only going for two cushions, it is quite common to have oblong-shaped ones, but square cushions would also work.

When using four cushions, it is often the case that you would have two different sizes. These consist of two large cushions and two smaller ones. If you’re standing up the cushions, then put the two large ones at the back and the smaller ones at the front.

All four cushions could be matching fabrics. Or the two large ones could be in a neutral fabric, and the two smaller ones in a fabric with a patterned texture.

For those of you wanting six cushions, repeat the process as before. Then add two oblong ones to the front, perhaps in the same fabric as the larger cushions.

Don’t match the colour of your throw to your bedding. Adding a throw to your bed in the same colour as your bedding is a waste of money. The point of having a throw is to make it stand out. This doesn’t have to mean going for a vibrant, bold colour or pattern. Just make sure that it’s in a shade that contrasts with the colour of your bedding.

You can buy throws in all shapes and sizes. If you just want to dress the bed nicely but without too much hassle, then perhaps consider a runner as opposed to a throw. They are much thinner and finish the look of the bed nicely. Add in two matching cushions for a simple yet sophisticated appearance.

If you manage to find an oversized throw, you will find that the throw may actually work in the same colour as the bedding. If the throw reaches the floor on all sides of the bed, it will then contrast with the floor. Oversized throws create a modern luxury bedroom style.

Bed dressing ideas worthy of a hotel bed

We’ve covered how to accessorize your bed, but for that hotel feel, it’s worth investing in high-quality bedding. Bed linen with a high-thread count (between 300 and 500) looks and feels luxurious.

Opt for bedding that is made from 100% cotton for something that is soft, breathable, and drapes nicely over the sides of the bed.

Getting your bedding right is particularly useful if you’re wondering how to dress a super king bed. Coming up with bed dressing ideas for a super king-size bed can feel like a daunting task, but if you start with the basics, you can’t go far wrong.

The right type and style of bedding will help you pull together your accessories to create a strong overall look.

If you think you’ve created a bed that is hotel-worthy, send us some pictures of your bed, especially if your bed is a storage bed from Furl!