For the best bedding advice around, we spoke with Linda Berry, owner of Bella Linea in Green Hills. Linda has been creating bedroom sanctuaries unlile any others for many years and as you’d expect, we learned a lot.

 

Photo Courtesy of Bella Linea

The main mistakes people make are the following four.

1. Thinking you can buy fabric and make your own duvet cover.
The fabrics in stores are too heavy for bedding purposes and you end up with a cover that is too heavy, uncomfortable to sleep under and difficult to fold.

2. Buying a great “deal”.
Just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean you won’t pay. Most of the time when you’re lured into buying an item just because you can’t resist the price point, it doesn’t work with your other products and ends up being a waste of money.

3. Trying to design it yourself.
Unless you really have a good eye, an attempt to design a great bed usually falls short even if you haven’t skimped on your budget. At stores like Bella Linea, design expertise is free and you end up with a sanctuary that exceeds your expectations instead of one that you’re stuck with.

4. You don’t have enough knowledge to discern misinformation.
Even with the best intentions, a careful shopper can still be led astray. For example, there is no way to really prove that a product that claims to be Egyptian cotton really is. A great retailer that is careful in choosing their suppliers avoids products that are less than what they claim to be.

 

Solution

Make a plan. Your plan includes a list of items that you need, your color palette, and a budget. Take advantage of the free talent available to you in boutique stores like Bella Linea and armed with your plan, you will be able to make the most out of your budget.

Big box stores only have the most basic designs in the colors of the moment. Boutique stores not only have the more popular colors, they have products and patterns that you can’t find anywhere else in town.

 

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