INDULGENCES house and home
IT’S WHAT’S UNDER THE SHEETS THAT COUNTS! by joel martens
MASTERING THE BEDROOM:
I find it amazing how often clients that I work with leave what I consider one of the most important rooms in the house until the very last—the bedroom. And how often they don’t spend energy making the thing you spend a large chunk of your time hanging out in, albeit sleeping, more comfortable—the bed!
I love a good bed, one that is inviting, yet comfortable and at the very least makes
you want to stay there and never, ever leave. Take the time to shop for a decent mattress set, your going to be positioned on it for a very long time. There are to many to try and rate them here, so go online, do your research and then test them in your local mattress store (I have heard good things about the Bed In A Box Memory Foam Mattresses). If you already have one and want to bump up the comfort level, get yourself a memory foam topper. I added a 4” one to my conventional mattress and what a difference it made (make sure you get one that has a washable cover). Also make sure to get a cotton-based, water and stain resistant mattress pad to cover it as well. The foam can get a little warm in the summer months so you need to have a layer that breaths between you and it. My pick: the Bodipedic 4-inch Dual Layer Pillow Top Memory Foam Topper, which I found on
overstock.com for $127.56, plus shipping, of course. Sheets, another thing that can make or break your boudoir getaway—and
prices range from stratospherically expensive to super not, so don’t cheap out. Every- body has slept on those horrible, crunchy cheep sheets that feel little more than sand paper—all I can say is eewww! And don’t let thread count be your only guide, do your research, 1200 thread count is usually not accurate, it often refers to a plie count leav- ing the actual thread count around 300 to 400. A good choice for a decent price (and recommended byConsumer Reports) is the Sealy Best Fit Sateen Sheets—highly rated and comfortable. I did find this Italian site in my research, lovely, but the queen fitted sheet started at $1,200! $4,500 for sheets and pillowcases—so not in my budget! To down or not to down? I love my comforter; it’s not down (makes me sneeze) and
is just as comfortable (to me) as any down that I have slept under. I have a system, I have two medium weight comforter inserts—indulgent you say? No, I just hate being hot in
the summer months (single comforter season) and cold in the winter (double comforter season). I have duvet covers (yes plural, I bore easily) that can handle both inserts and actually look much better with a double layer. Such a nice mountain of covers—I have had company threaten to never leave (sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s bad), because of my sheets, duvet, mattress pad, etc. And as Martha says, “it’s a good thing.” Pillows are another pet peeve. I stayed at a friend’s house and the pillows he had
to offer were the ones (you know what I’m going to say already don’t you?), thin as a day-old pancake—without any fluff left in them. Why do people keep those horrible things? This isn’t the most expensive item you have to buy in your home, so step it up. I love deeply pillowed beds, I have a total of nine—yes dear—nine of them grace my sleep-shack. Not all for resting my head on of course, five are ornamental and four are for various places tucked around me. I prefer hypoallergenic imitation down, you can find a decent quality set for $40 to $50 if you shop around and watch for sales. Do yourself a favor and test them out though—take them home and sleep on them a couple nights (don’t tell anyone that though. My choice is the Beautyrest 400 Thread Count Down Alternative Pillows ($37.99 for a set of two), can’t beat it—again on
overstock.com! Duvet sets or no duvet sets? I hate those buy in a bag duvet sets, they are like
Garanimals for kids, you know the pre-matrched clothing sets for little kids? Sure they match, but do they at all reflect your personality or imagination? Take a risk folks and buy separates. Maybe matching duvet and sham covers, but don’t be so boring as to buy accessory pillows in a set as well. Wait and shop until you find something that really speaks to you and of course looks good. The motto “try and try again” applies here! For a good start on your research, go
tosleeplikethedead.com (love that web name!).
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RAGE monthly | OCTOBER 2011
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