A spread of comfort

The right kind of bedspreads can go a long way in shaping the character of your bedroom, writes Meera Seshadri .

Just for a moment, close your eyes and think of comfy beds in your cosy bedroom. Instantly, you find your mind conjuring up images of you slothfully sprawling on it, or snugly stretching on it, skimming through pages of a glossy mag, or simply enjoying the noon siesta on a balmy Sunday noon.

No wonder, beds are synonymous with rest and relaxation. But an important element that makes these beds to look more exotic and inviting is the bedspread chosen for them. In fact, an exquisite bedspread can exponentially enhance the aesthetic appeal of any bedroom.

Interestingly, today zillions of gorgeous bedspread varieties have glutted the home interiors market, making you spoilt for choice. In big bazaars and malls, they are retailed in various hues, prints, designs, textures, catering to different tastes, budgets, décors, utility purposes, etc.

To start with, if you are looking at the right kind of bedspread for your bedrooms, and that comfort and functionality is your top priority, then simply opt for soft cotton ones. In this, you have floral designs (whether you like those teeny florals or a whit bigger ones on your counterpane, depends purely upon your tastes), graphic designs, and multiple geometric patterns, wherein you have tiny squares interspersed with small circular or triangular prints.

One pointer here is that it’s a good bet to go in for brighter pallets, for they can slickly mask all dirt flecks (and unsightly blotches too) that get settled over a period of time. However, if you have penchant for visually pleasing hues, then say, a bedspread with sea-blue, lime-yellow or myrtle-green prints on white backdrop is the one for you. For a more distinctive look, you can go in for parasol or paisley prints, which look incredibly prepossessing.

Now, if you are an irredeemable lover of plain single-hued bedspreads, then opt for pastel colours like pearl pink, lavender, mauve, beige, etc. Interestingly, here, you can work out a contrast with bright coloured pillow cases, to usher in some magical impact in your bedroom. For instance, if you opt for say, pista-green bedspread, then just try emerald-green colour for pillow cases. Similarly, try deep violet pillow cases with light purple colour, and toffee-brown for beige hued bedspread, to bring about that oh-so-groovy effect.

In case you are a dab hand at fabric-painting or hand-embroidery, you can get some plain bedspreads in muted or neutral colours, and unleash your painting prowess on these bedspreads. You can try some fetching sleek motifs at the edges. Remember, if you are not tucking the bedspread edges beneath the beds, but just letting it fall gently all around, then do think of affixing some pouches too at the corners, so that you can keep few things handy, like a small water-bottle, medicines, etc, without having to grope for them in the dark at night.

Remember, in some of the cotton bedspreads you also get those that have kind of ridged/ribbed surface, crinkled surface, puckered surface, also the deckle surfaced ones, to give you a nice feel when you snooze on them. Now, for children’s bedroom, you can opt for those cool cotton counterpanes that have images of cute cartoon characters on them. These bedspreads look quite spectacular on bunk-beds and trundle beds, and sure your kids would love to see two of their favourite cartoon characters one below or beside the other.

Next, while decking up guest bedrooms, you can think of those shimmering semi-silk or semi-velvet bedspreads for that luxe effect and bling touch. These bedspreads, particularly the ones in monochromatic tones with tasseled/laced edges, look simply bedazzling. But remember, these bedspreads aren’t like those heavy-duty cotton ones, hence can’t be subjected to constant wash. Sometimes, you get these ornate bedspreads with solitary humongous rose or lotus design emblazoned at the centre, which spell sublime charm.

Incidentally if you are lucky, at times you can spot some of these splendid bedspreads, dangling from the crook of the arms of hucksters, peddling them at traffic signals or on side-walks. Only thing is that you should be a pro at dickering over prices, else they would diddle you, by palming off inferior stuffs.

Just remember, not to chuck off those old cotton bedspreads — the faded, frayed, or the ones with chinks, rips or tatters. You can fold them in layers and use as padding beneath a nice coverlet, on some old wooden boxes, improvised as makeshift seats. You can also recycle them as curtains to shoe cabinets. You can even rig up these layers of old bedspreads as your ironing board too.

And finally as an epilogue, also note, the beauty of the bedroom gets magnified not just by using magnificent bedspreads, but also by bringing about a marvelous colour coordination, taking into account the main colour of the walls, floor carpets and the furniture of that room.