Perfect beds to look at and lie in

During last week’s Designer Market in Manhattan, designers Sam Botero, Mary Drysdale and I gave a seminar called “The Fine Art of Bed Making” at the D&D Building on Third Avenue.

I believe we all were quite surprised at the large turnout and overwhelming interest this subject evoked. Perhaps this is because the bedroom is often the most neglected of rooms, despite the fact that we spend one-third of our life in it. And by far, the largest element—or the 2-ton gorilla in the room—is the bed.

The bed is our end of the day refuge, our inner sanctum, our ultimate retreat where we rest, regenerate and often perform the most vital of human functions in order to guarantee our species’ survival. With all this in mind, surely my greatest attention should be lavished on this important space.

First to consider is what kind of visual impact your bed must provide? If the architecture is weak, do you need a strong architectural presence, such as a four-poster bed, to fill the space, or a tall headboard to cover a bland wall?

Mr. Botero selected a sleek, low square bed with a polished anigre wood grain, upholstered in a chic gray wool to complement many of the low-ceilinged modern high-rises built in Chelsea.

Ms. Drysdale chose an exquisitely carved Louis the XVI-style headboard, gracefully gilded, which could adorn any Fifth Avenue manse with those typical 9½-foot ceilings.

Left to my devices were two selections. A shapely Garbo-esque headboard with quilted satin upholstery—a perfect backdrop for a Southampton fashionista—and a stately, very tall leather-clad piece—an essential furnishing for the Clooney-esque “Ocean’s Eleven” kind of guy whose modernist manse soars.

Once the architecture of the bed has been selected, you can address the adequate side tables with plenty of room for storage and room on top for books, glasses, a cup of coffee, phone, clock and, of course, lamps.

Providing sensual, as well as appropriate, task lighting is the next prospect.

According to Mr. Botero, the choices are endless. I even recommend a combination: two ceiling-recessed downlights aimed skillfully in front of the sitting up readers; two innocuous swing arms that creep over the headboard for late night novel reading; and two flanking lamps with dimmers or three-way light bulbs.

With these questions happily answered, the fun only continues because you can choose between the world of fine linens spread before you. Every company, designer, lifestyle guru and fashion god is now offering sheets and pillowcases. Italian manufacturers are still unchallenged on the high end and Wamsutta was lauded by Consumer Reports for the affordable end.

Ms. Drysdale chose a luscious set of sateen-finished linens with handwoven lace insets, while Mr. Botero chose steely blue sheets, detailed with geometric stitching that could cool down his Chelsea abode. My “Ocean’s Eleven” bed took a tailored taupe set of percale with inset bars of brown, while my Garbo-esque headboard demanded a summer white cotton, accented with seaside flecks of blue.

All of the designers agreed: success in the art of fine bed making lies in the layering. Once the fitted sheet is stretched taut like a drum, a top sheet spread upside down and pulled back over a coverlet, exposing the embroidery or stitched border, is always effective. The top sheet and coverlet may remain untucked if ironed, But if wrinkled, it is preferable to tightly tuck them in, stretching tight both top sheet and coverlet. This had a bit more contemporary look especially on a platform bed or open iron bed.

As most people prefer white or cream sheets, the coverlet they fold over can truly offer a needed dash of color, a brush of texture or an element of expressive pattern. This also helps break up the mass of the bed (which can be overwhelming in a king size).

With my Garbo headboard, I slipped in a glamorous turquoise satin quilt that picked up the flecks of seaside blue and set off the crisp, clean white of the sheets. Ms. Drysdale laid out an infinitely soft buff camel’s hair throw that contributed a sensual texture to her romantic white bed, while Mr. Botero chose a chocolate angora spread to bring in a masculine defiance.

A contrasting lining to your coverlet offers another surprise when you choose to pull it back, adding to the layered look.

Pillow placement differed amongst the three of us, but we all agreed that an army of pillows—good only for targeted projectiles hurled impatiently off a bed at night—is never an acceptable option. The most minimal use of pillows is favorable, of course, providing what is necessary.

For instance, on a queen-size bed, I placed two European square shams flat on the bed; then I stacked two standard shams on top, building a pleasant pyramidal shape. The squares provide back support for reading and the standard shams I sleep on. One can stack a third level, especially with a tall headboard, by including a pair of boudoir pillows with shams.

To supplement some additional color, I stood two of my mother’s beautifully needlepoint pillows in front of the stack. These “feature” pillows, as I call them, can almost be the star of the show by selecting a sumptuous couture fabric (you certainly don’t have to buy much) and swing it on the front, with maybe a rich linen velvet on the back. These are also pillows that can reflect your widespread travels or clever shopper’s eye given that many talented purveyors here on the East End offer up a veritable feast of unique choices.

Though we all agreed that attention should be lavished on the making of a welcoming, enveloping bed, we all tried to answer the question, “Is there a shortcut version of your design” for when you truly have to leap out of bed because you’re late for that business meeting, yoga class, charity or triathlon?

My answer was to use a wrinkle-free large bedspread with reverse sham that pulls over the wreckage of sheets that can allow you to roll in your wrinkled bed pillows. This is a quick fix, so chic-retro-boutique-hotel-meets-1970s-Ramada-Inn-look and quite specialized.

When I lived in Denmark, there was no such thing as a top sheet. Your duvet covered in sheeting was all you had to snuggle up to yourself. This sheet-covered duvet could be quickly concealed in a trunk along with your bed pillows at the base of your bed. A fitted “day coverlet” could be quickly spread over the sheeted mattress, and all of a sudden it looked as if you had a rather comfortable flat sofa to lounge on and do your homework.

Ms. Drysdale astutely pointed out that with the advent of the small laptop, and now the i-Pad, many people are staying in bed longer, actually conducting business, correspondence and arranging all manner of events from this inner sanctum. So the extra pillows and the durable coverlets are becoming an essential for many to support the back and protect the sheets.

Last but not least, here is a short bit of professional opinion offered up on the sheets themselves: 400- to 600-thread count is preferable to the less durable 200-thread count and the very hot 800- to 1,000-thread count (just think, the tighter the weave, the less breathing room).

Sheeting made in China is simply not yet as durable or refined—too many weaving imperfections, especially with embroidery. Italian sheets are better, but Egyptian cotton is still the best.

To care for the sheets, a warm, light wash with a short time in the dryer should do it. Spread the sheets on the bed immediately to stretch out wrinkles.

Miele has a great sheet-pressing machine that literally saves hours of hand-pressing. Schweitzer Linen is a dependable catalogue for all things luxury bed-related.

Locally, English Country Antiques in Bridgehampton, Hildreth’s in Southampton and The Elegant John in East Hampton all supply great sheeting from different suppliers.

Since we end up spending about a third of our lives in bed, shouldn’t we all give the fine art of bed making a twirl? It’s certainly worth the time and the investment.