How to Make Your Bed Look Like Pottery Barn (On a Budget)

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We all love the look and feel of a department store bed that makes you feel like you're in a luxury hotel. Want to recreate the look and feel at home while on a budget? This post shares the secrets on how to make your bed look like Pottery Barn…without breaking the bank.

I travel a lot for my day job and find myself looking forward to luxury hotel mattresses. I seem to sleep like a baby! Therefore, when I first moved into my home, I was on a MISSION to figure out how to make a bed luxurious like hotels similar to Hyatt Regency and Westin Hotels, without spending a ridiculous amount of money. I knew it could be done for cheap and I'm here to share what I've learned after years of research and product testing.

My friends and family always tell me the beds in my rooms are extremely comfortable and look like Pottery Barn. In fact, they often joke that they are “checking in” to my residence permanently. (They do say the room service needs work though. Ha!) Not only do the beds feel amazing, my friends always tell me the rooms look like magazine covers. What a compliment!

Side note: My favorite compliment is when people say my home looks like Pottery Barn! That always makes my day! =)

My goal when designing my rooms was to create the look and feel of these high-end hotels without breaking the bank. I did massive amounts of research to figure out how to make my bed feel expensive and luxurious. Every time I stayed in a luxury hotel, I would do a thorough investigation of all of the components that made it up. I looked through magazines and studied interior design tips. I also went to department stores (and of course Pottery Barn) to analyze exactly how they put their beds together.

Through a lot of trial and error, I can now share with you exactly how to make your bed look like Pottery Barn and feel like a luxury hotel bed while on a budget.

Let's start with how to make it feel expensive!

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How to Make Your Bed Look Like Pottery Barn: Make it FEEL Expensive

Part of making a bed luxurious like Pottery Barn is making it FEEL expensive so let's start there. This way, you can feel like you're laying on a cloud at night in a luxury hotel!

1.) Comfortable Mattress

The first thing you need is a comfortable mattress. Everyone is different in what they like to sleep on and what makes them sleep best. I did a lot of research when I got my mattress and I absolutely love it! I've had it for 3 years and it still has the same shape from the day I bought it.

It's also one of the most popular mattresses on Amazon with over 61,000 5 star reviews, which is why I bought it! Plus, Amazon has such a great return policy, I figured I didn't have much to lose!

Best Foam Mattress On a Budget:

Best Hybrid Mattress (Foam and Spring) On a Budget:

2.) Thick Mattress Topper

The next thing you'll want to make your bed luxurious is an extra thick mattress topper on top of your mattress. This is the most IMPORTANT step actually! Don't skip this step! I believe it's even more important than the mattress itself. This is what will make your bed feel the most luxurious of all things.

In fact, most hotels have some kind of mattress topper that makes them feel amazing. This is the one I use and it's amazing! It feels very plush, but not too plush! I'm like the Princess and the Pea. I need the mattress hard, but not too hard. Plush, but not too plush. This one has been perfect for me!

Best Luxurious Thick Mattress Topper on a Budget:

3.) Mattress Cover (Protect it)

This step isn't as important as the others, BUT it is the CHEAPEST and it will PROTECT the most expensive items, your mattress and mattress topper. I highly recommend getting a mattress cover to protect from bodily fluids while you sleep (sweat, etc). You want to make sure it's waterproof and hypoallergenic.

You don't want to spend money on nice items to have them start to yellow or stain down the road. I've had all of my items for 3 years and they are all still pure white due to my mattress cover! I've linked the one I recommend below.

Best Mattress Protector for Cheap:

4.) Luxurious Sheets

Ok, this is also a very important step! The luxurious hotel chains always have extremely comfortable sheets that make you feel like you're sleeping on a cloud. Therefore, in an effort to search for luxury, I tried silk ones, soft ones, “crispy” ones and everything in between. I even went as far as looking at the elements of actual hotel brands to find something inexpensive that would feel the same.

We all know most of those products in hotels are marked up due to the hotel brand name. Therefore, I knew I could find it for a cheaper price. Well…I sure did! As a matter of fact, these sheets are actually known to be cult favorites on Amazon with 138,000 5 star reviews! The reviews speak for themselves, but I can also confirm these sheets are incredible!! They're even cheap enough to get 2 sets so that you can swap them out when they're in the wash! They come in many different colors as well!

Best Luxurious Sheets on a Budget

5.) Down Pillows

Alright, now on to the funnest part…pillows!!! We all know I'm obsessed with pillows in my home, but since I like my home to look expensive for cheap, I've got some great ones to recommend to you that won't break the bank.

Listen closely because pillows are the secret to how to make your bed look like Pottery Barn.

All of the luxury hotels and department stores have down pillows on their beds. (Down is the keyword here to pay attention to)

I put 4 down pillows on my bed since all of the luxury hotels I stay in have at least 4 down pillows on any size bed. When I sleep, I tend to bury myself in them, so I knew I needed the same thing for my home. (I actually have a total of 13 pillows on my bed because I have a problem with decorative pillows. I need an intervention.)

These are the down pillows I absolutely love! They are cheap for down pillows and come in a pack of 2!

Best Down Pillows on a Budget

6.) Pillow Cases

Now that you have your mattress done and your sheets/pillows, let's talk about the pillowcases. The sheet set I recommended above comes with 2 pillowcases.

If you bought 4 pillows, you'll need 2 more pillowcases. Here are the pillowcases that will match the sheet set above. They are cheap, they feel luxurious, and they do not irritate your skin.

Best Luxury Pillowcases On A Budget

Best Luxury Pillowcases on a Tight Budget

These are the ones I have and love!

Now, let's move on to how to make your bed LOOK expensive for cheap!

How to Make A Bed Luxurious: Make it LOOK Expensive

In addition to the above tips/tricks, to make your bed look expensive, here are some ideas that have worked for me.

1.) Down Comforter (2 are ideal)

You'll want a comfy down comforter to make your bed look expensive.

This is one of the most important tricks on how to make your bed look like Pottery Barn. A down comforter will make it feel cozy and expensive.

It will also keep you warm and cozy at night. If you live in a warm place, plan on just folding it down while you sleep.

Pro Tip: Use 2 comforters to get the puffy, luxurious look you see in department stores and hotels. That's what Pottery Barn does!

Best Down Comforter on a Budget

This comforter is fantastic for the price. It also has a cult following on Amazon. Like I mention above, the retail stores and hotels stuff two of these comforters into a duvet cover for that super full, luxurious look and feel. I highly recommend trying it! In my opinion, it really elevates the bed and makes it look expensive!

2.) Duvet Cover (White is Ideal)

The key to making your home (and bed) look expensive is making it look very clean. In fact, the one thing I noticed in every luxurious hotel is that everything was white and crisp.

Pottery Barn makes sure the majority of their comforters are white or a neutral color.

All of my duvet covers are white so that they always look clean and nice for my guests. In addition, they each have a border like the one below to add a bit of class and color. My favorite duvet cover is below.

Best Luxurious Duvet Cover on a Budget

3.) European Pillows

European pillows are the large square pillows you see in retail stores on top of the regular pillows. They sit behind or above the rest of your pillows. I see them as the foundation for the look of your bed.

I have a California King bed and I have 3 European pillows on my bed. On my queen beds, I have 2 European pillows. They make a bed luxurious by making it look extremely grand and expensive.

I recommend either getting 3 for a King bed and 2 for a queen or full bed.

Best European Pillows on a Budget

Best Luxurious European Pillow Sham Covers

These ones look very expensive and are extremely classy!

4.) “Choppable” Throw Pillows

The key here is “choppable” ladies! You want to have at least 2-3 choppable pillows on your bed to make the bed look extra expensive.

What is a choppable pillow?

A choppable pillow is a down pillow that you can karate chop in the center to give it an expensive look. I recommend 3 choppable pillows for both a queen and king bed.

The ones I recommend on a budget are below. You can also find them at Home Goods, but they are about $20 a pillow at Home Goods. The ones below are great and do the trick nicely!

Don't skip this step as choppable pillows are a huge factor in how to make your bed look like Pottery Barn.

Best “Choppable” Down Throw Pillow Inserts

Best Throw Pillow Covers on a Budget

Here are some good options for throw pillow covers. There are tons of options on Amazon, but the ones I use in my home are below.

5.) Decorative Pillow

To finish off the bed, you'll want to choose a decorative pillow like a bolster pillow (large and round). You can find several options of bolster and decorative pillows here.

Here's one you may like as well:

6.) Throw Blanket

This one is optional, but I always think a throw blanket on the edge of a bed makes it look cozy and homey. You know how some girls love shoes and purses? Well, my guilty pleasure is throw pillows and blankets! You can either place the blanket on the edge of the bed or drape it on the corner. My personal preference is to drape it on a corner. There are some great throw blankets here.

Pro Tip: Drape the blanket instead of folding it for a cozy look.

Here is a good option: