Remember the West Elm duvet cover we ordered on sale last week? It arrived and we’ve finally put it on the bed.
To be honest, the color reads a little greener in person than it did online, but we like it — it reminds us of the bold blue-green we used on the back of our built-ins. The duvet is roomy and filled with an ultra-cushy king-sized IKEA comforter, so there’s plenty of drape over the sides. Upgrading from a full/queen cover to a properly sized queen cover has been a game changer: the extra fabric means no one’s arm or leg ends up hanging out in the cold.
We’ll add some bolder accent pillows later to bring in contrast and pattern, but for now the duvet is doing all the heavy lifting. The deep teal/blue-green tone anchors the bed and makes the room feel cozier, while still being vibrant enough to give the space personality.
As always, the bedding has received enthusiastic approval from the household critter. Our chihuahua has a habit of nibbling his paw while lounging — a weird little grooming ritual — but otherwise he looks right at home. Most of the time you’ll find him buried beneath the covers, happy as can be.
Having the new duvet in place has inspired us to finally pick a paint color for the walls. The duvet’s hue shifts slightly depending on lighting and camera angles, but it’s basically a bold teal leaning toward a blue-green. We don’t want the walls to match the duvet exactly, though; painting the entire room the same bold color would be overwhelming. Instead, we’re narrowing down swatches to find a darker, smokier tone that complements the bedding and lets the bed really pop — especially with the crown molding and the tall headboard that give the room architectural interest.
We’ve been paring down our choices from a large stack of samples. At first there were about 15 taped up; now we’re close to a shortlist. We considered bringing out the warm, goldy-yellow highlights that appear subtly in the duvet, but ultimately both of us prefer a cool gray-blue-green for a restful bedroom atmosphere. It feels more soothing for sleep and provides a quieter backdrop for the bedding and accessories.
Painting this room is a little daunting because it’s big — roughly 14 by 14 feet — the largest bedroom we’ve tackled so far. It will take energy and planning to prep and paint all that surface area, but having the duvet in place has given us the push to make a final decision and get the job started. We’re planning color tests at different times of day so we can see how natural and artificial light affect the shade.
Has anyone else received their West Elm after-sale order already? We were pleasantly surprised by how quickly it arrived. If you’re thinking of updating your bedding, going with the correct duvet size and a cozy, substantial insert makes a surprising difference in comfort and appearance.