How To Choose A Bed Skirt

Getting the right size bed skirt is, without a doubt, the most important step in choosing the right bed skirt for your bed.

While there are standard measurements that help make it easier to pick the right model, always be sure to measure your bed, box spring or foundation as even standard sizes can deviate considerably.

Here’s how to make sure you choose the right size bed skirt.

• Measure the width and length of your bed. While you could just look up the standard size dimensions, it’s always best to check your exact model. For example, your king size bed should measure 76” x 80”, but in reality there can be significant deviations in actual size.
• Once you’ve got the exact dimensions for your bed, note them down and get ready to measure the drop.
• The drop is the length that your bed skirt will need to have to reach the floor from the top of your foundation, frame or box spring. Once again, be sure to measure your bed as heights can vary significantly from one model to another.
• The standard drop for bed skirts is 15”, however, you can find other drop sizes, with 14” and 16” also being popular sizes.
• Note down your drop size along with your bed dimensions and read on to find out how to pick the perfect bed skirt style and color for your bedroom decor.

Tempted to skip this step and get ordering? Bad idea!

A drop skirt that doesn’t fit will bunch up or ruffle, detracting from the intended effect. Too short and your bed skirt won’t hide what you’ve got lurking under your bed. Too long and it will trail on your floor, taking your eye away from your bedroom’s main focal points and destabilizing your look.

So, always measure before ordering!

Naturally, this depends upon your bedroom style and the look you are going for.

While some people think that bed skirts are outdated and go best with traditional decor, they can actually also improve an ultra-modern sleek look depending upon the style that you opt for.

Bed skirts come in three main styles that can vary depending on the exact finish. Here’s all you need to know about choosing the right style for your bedroom.

• Pleated - a pleated bed skirt is the most versatile. It can look smooth and provide a harmonizing effect without looking too frilly or too minimalist. Opt for a style with fewer pleats for a more modern, pared-down style, or with more pleats for a more structured yet feminine look.

• Tailored - the tailored bed skirt is a good choice for modern styled bedrooms. When you select a model that matches the main color elements in your room, a tailored bed skirt should almost disappear into the background, unifying your decor. If you want to harmonize your bedroom and hide your unsightly box spring and bed frame, then a tailored model makes a great choice. Some classic tailored models have a pleat at the center of each side, whereas box style ones are completely flat.

• Gathered - the traditional gathered style bed skirt works best for a classic, romantic style bedroom. It can also add a shabby chic, vintage air. Various different gathered styles are available, depending upon the actual length of fabric that is gathered and the addition of ruffles at the top, bottom or at both ends.

Once you’ve decided on your style, let's focus on the fun part, choosing your bed skirt color!

Okay, so you know your exact dimensions, you’ve picked a style that matches your decor, now let’s find the perfect color for your bed skirt.

To help you to choose, we’re going to run over a few different ideas and scenarios, including solid colors, color accented bed skirts and patterned and textured models.

• Light solid colors. Light colors are a popular choice, especially if your bedroom lacks natural light or if you have a predominantly light color scheme. A word of warning, make sure that your dark box spring or your items in storage under your bed won't show through your light-colored bed skirt. Look for lined or heavy cotton fabrics to avoid this problem.

• Dark solid colors. Dark solid colors generally go well when you have a darker themed bedroom, especially if your box spring and bed frame are dark in color. Dark solid colored bed skirts are a popular choice as they tend to cover completely without any transparency and are not as prone to staining as lighter models, for those of you that have kids and pets.

• Patterned. While bed skirts are generally designed to cover and deflect attention elsewhere, they can become an eye-catching element in themselves. We think patterned bed skirts work well in smaller bedrooms where you want to avoid the clutter of too many accent pieces.

  Use patterned models to provide a space-saving standout feature or to complement another color that is already present in your room. If you already have a lot going on in your bedroom decor, then we think patterned models are generally best avoided to prevent your room looking too “busy”.

• Match headboard - if you are uncertain what color to go for and want your bed skirt to simply blend into your bed, then why not match it to your headboard? This will give your bed a unifying element and when you use a tailored bed skirt, you won’t even notice that it’s there. This is a great choice when your bed differs in color or style to the rest of your room or if you want your bed skirt to look as discreet as possible.

• Match curtains or drapes. Matching the color of your bed skirt to your curtains or drapes is a great choice for a harmonized, glossy looking interior. A popular feature copied from upmarket hotels and interior design magazines, whether you’re looking for a sleek, minimalist finish or a frilly, flouncy look, matching colors will unify your room. This, in turn, will draw your attention to your chosen focal points and features, against a coordinated and cohesive background.

• Match color accent pieces. Pick up accent colors from your decor with a bright-colored bed skirt. If you are planning on picking a bed skirt in an accent color, be sure to think it over long and hard. Ideally, you don’t want to have a lot of other items in that color or else given the size of your bed skirt, it could become overwhelming. This works well in rooms that have just one, or two similar, accent colors.

• Colored trim. Do you want to play it safe, but at the same time, still want to pick up a hint of an accent color? Say you have some cute turquoise lamps but you're not sure about a bright turquoise bed skirt? Adding a colored trim to the bottom of your bed skirt can provide you with that hint of bright color that you're looking for without overwhelming your room.

Quick Tips

Here’s a quick summary of our main points, so you can choose your new bed skirt for your bed with confidence and ease.

• Measure your actual bed and your required drop. If your bed skirt doesn’t fit, it’s not going to look good.
• Match your decor style with a bed skirt style, a sleek tailored look will go better with a more modern, minimalist decor. A flouncy ruffle effect will look better in a more feminine, traditional style bedroom.
• Choosing a color - either play it safe with a matching color or pick a contrasting one or a patterned model. This all depends on your look and the color accents that you may want to pick up.
• If you opt for a light color, check the fabric of your bed skirt. You should opt for a heavy cotton or lined fabric to ensure that it remains opaque in full sunlight and that the shadows of the items you have stored under your bed, or your dark box spring, won’t show through.