Reader request - bedskirt?
Thu, 11 Nov 2010Today's reader request comes from Kelley: "We are moving out of a queen size bed and purchasing a king. With this comes an entire slew of new purchases including a bed frame/headboard and bedding. I have always had a bed that needed a bedskirt but thinking maybe no skirt is more modern. Not into platform beds but thinking more along the lines of the Colette bed and Crate and Barrel. Can you share photos of cool beds with and with out skirts. need some visuals to make a decision." I am not gonna lie - I generally REALLY dislike bedskirts. IMHO if you want to stay as far away from modern as possible, stick a bedskirt on your bed. A super ruffly one. In a floral pattern. With pastel colours. Put a teddy bear against the 8 pillows and you're all set. (LOL)
For those of you unfamiliar with the Colette bed from C&B, here it is:
It definitively has a comtemporary feel and NOTICE IT IS NOT STYLED WITH A BEDSKIRT. :) With that lovely upholstered frame with the mattress inset a couple inches, I don't think a bedskirt would really work anyhow. I think having everything tucked in as in the photo works really well or if you're kind of lazy like I am I would not fuss with tucking so much at the bottom but have a throw that drapes down and covers that area.
To be fair and at the request of Kelley, I did select a small number of photos that showcase beds with bedskirts that I think look...ok. I also pulled a ton of photos with beds without bedskirts, and most of which are similar in style to this bed (after the jump). Hope this helps your decision-making Kelley! (NOOOOO BEDSKIRT!!!!!!!!)
Dana Wolter
Rodolphe Foucher
D Magazine
Hus & Hem
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| Amanda Nisbet | Laurence Pasquier |
Homes & Gardens
Living Etc.
Living Etc.
Todhunter Earle
Stuart McIntyre
SHH
HAND
Sunset
Siskin Valls
The London Magazine
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| Amanda Nisbet | source unknown |
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| Marie Claire Italy | Alexandra Rowley |
Reader Comments (21)
I'm with you on this one, Kim! When I bought my first REAL bed, the bedskirt was history! I much prefer the uncluttered clean look of the bed without it. And somehow a bedskirt makes a bed (which is already a formidably sized piece of furniture) look even more ridiculously large, like a huge beached whale in the bedroom. :o)
Lots of great inspiration in these photos.
I love the look of no bedskirt. Before we got our upholstered bed, we had an iron frame bed that needed something to cover the boxsprings. Instead of a bedskirt, I used a fitted sheet on the boxspring to match the bedding. It kept it neat and clean looking and there was nothing hanging to the floor to let the occasional scorpion climb up. Ugh and shiver.
I love a flimsy, airy bedskirt in my mostly-white bedroom. Like anything else, if you're going to do a bedskirt, you have to do it correctly.
I'd almost say if you're going to do a bedskirt, go flimsy and airy for a country look, or tailored and straight and ironed for a modern look, but never anything in between. The bed-in-a-bag ruffled bedskirt is definitely passe.
Going without is certainly more modern looking, if that's what you're after.
i currently have a tailored bedskirt to hide our hideous boxspring, and i must say i quite like those tailored simple bedskirts. if we ever get around to buying a bed, however, i will not mind saying goodbye to it. one thing i despise, though, is the tucked in look. who the hell does that? plus, the platform bed is, to me, a shin busting accident waiting to happen and ought not be purchased by anyone who has plans to ever get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom (i.e. everyone).
I have a bedskirt (very tailored, box-pleated) because I have to have somewhere to store out-of-season clothes! If not for the fact that I need the storage space (and the cost of a bed vs. a headboard and frame), I'd probably go the bed-skirtless route.
If you notice, all the beds that are sans bed skirt have nothing stored under them. I need to store table leaves and quilt battings there, so I either need a bed skirt (tailored), or a long to the ground bedspread, which I'm not really fond of the bulky, even more dated, look.
It all depends on how much time you plan to spend straightening the skirt-- I cannot stand a crooked skirt. platform makes it moot.
Love this post - though you do seem to show more beds with skirts than without. In contemporary design - it's all about clean lines, so I vote with the majority -- NO BED SKIRTS!
THANK YOU! Such a big help. I agree, i would NEVER stick a too short, cheap bedskirt on a bed. Currently we have a super long natural linen bedskirt but the look is a little over. ready for a more clean line look. However, i do store tons of junk under my bed so guessing that is going to need to move. can't really get a clean look with clutter under the bed.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THESE INSPIRING SHOTS (even the ones with bedskirts!)
Kelley
Ruffled bedskirts are definitely a no-no! I like these ones though: http://www.loganandmason.com.au/ProductPage.aspx?Id=183
To Polish Chick,
I tuck in my sheets because it takes 5 min, looks classy, and clean. You won't bust your shin if you have a midcentury Case Study platform bed.
i've gone with and without. right now, i'm in a sort spare of transitional, bare-bones place and the bedskirt (plus fluffy comforters) somehow softens things a little and makes life seem a little less difficult. i don't ever store anything under the bed -- too much opportunity for lint. next real bed i get will be a high platform with no bedskirt, nothing underneath except the occasional dog toy. west elm has some great, simple and well made beds, btw.
off topic but i have to comment: the lamp in the green room from living etc kinda says "dentist". i would find it impossible to sleep with that mounted on the wall above my head!
While reading this post I though of course this is a no brainer - skirts are horrible... But after looking at all the photos I really think I do prefer them! The platforms you included look horrible with a big gap under them.
I have a no skirt bed, but I have a suuuper big doona which almost hits the floor which I think looks nicer than a big black gap..
I'm reading through the comments, heading here, planning on being incisive, but all I can think now is, who worries about the dated look of a bedskirt when there are SCORPIONS loose in the freaking house!
I don't really love a bed skirt either but some of the ones here are FAB. It does seem as though many of the platform beds are ripe for busted shins.
Agree about the scorpions! Was once stung by one hiding in my boot. Nasty, nasty, nasty!
Oh I hate bed skirts too- in the past when I've had beds like that I tend to just put an extra fitted sheet over the bottom mattress. Although...they are good when you need to hide the kids' Christmas presents under the bed...
Why does a bed have to be kept off the ground (besides for scorpion avoidance)?
I don't care what anyone says, I have seen plenty of great rooms tastefully done with bedskirts, even ruffled ones, so I'll be the lone voice: bedskirts rock!
What a great collection of interesting beds. I mostly liked the view on picture 4 from the top. Amazing.