I can’t believe it was the end of July when I wrote the first post of my Build A Better Bed series! That’s when I started the process of creating

a luxurious bed. As I worked with Peacock Alley, I learned that dressing our bed is much like dressing ourselves. We started with the underwear (the sheets) and ended with the accessories. Hopefully you enjoyed the journey and learned a few things along the way. Today I’m happy to show you (with my very unprofessional photography) the bed that I created…

After determining that Peacock Alley products were the luxury linens for me, visited their gorgeous design studio in the Dallas Design District and took care of what’s beneath the sheets, I focused on my bed’s underwear. I chose Peacock Alley’s Lyric collection in white…an amazing crisp 500-thread count Egyptian cotton percale. Pure heaven!

I also chose Marroquin Upholstery to make a custom upholstered headboard. I’ve never worked with such amazing craftsmen. They did a fantastic job on my tufted velvet headboard. It was exactly what I wanted and I think it’s beautiful!

It was important to me to chose linens that I could mix, match and change with the seasons. To follow are links to the choices that I made:

2 standard shams and coverlet in Montauk Matelasse, white

Rio linen bedskirt in birch

Dominque cotton/linen duvet

Olympia linen duvet cover and two standard shams

Rio decorative monogramed pillow in Driftwood

Now I need to remove the ceiling fan above my bed and replace it with a pretty vintage chandelier, determine whether or not to add a backdrop behind the bed (in front of the windows) and replace my old bedside tables. For now…I look forward to bedtime every night and feel like a Princess!

Would you put panels, a curtain or something else behind the bed? I would love to hear your opinion! Please weigh in and I’ll keep you posted on what develops!

Good night!

Would you ever be completely dressed without accessories?  Well, of course not!  And neither is your bed!  After you’ve properly put on the “undies” (luxurious white sheets) and classic black dress (matelasse coverlet), then it’s time to have a little fun with jewelry ~ the bed accessories!

By choosing white for your bedding essentials – the sheets and matelasse coverlet – you’re creating a blank canvas for creativity and versatility in your bedding accessories.  Just as you can change your jewelry and shoes with a little black dress to go from day to night, you can do the same with bedding accessories to create a different look for your mood or the change of the season!

When it’s chilly outside, you throw on a jacket.  Do the same with your bedding and add a colorful duvet to keep away the chill!

Necklaces and earrings can totally change your little black dress’ look, just like adding or changing your decorative pillows.

 Hidden List Tip!

If a modern look is what you crave, streamline your look with luxurious white sheets, a simple down comforter and two pillows laying flat at the head of the bed.  It’s oh, so European!

If there’s a fur in your closet, chances are you may like to add one to your bed!

Do you change the look of your bed with accessories?  What’s your favorite bedding accessory?  A cashmere throw?  Bed scarf?  A monogramed pillow?  I want to know!

Peacock Alley wants all of the readers of The HIdden List to have properly dressed beds, so…they are giving us a 20% discount when you place your order on their website! Simply use HIDDENLIST11 as your coupon code!  What are you waiting on?

The Peacock Alley Design Studio and website leave no stone left unturned when it comes to bedding.  They make sure that you have the very best linen wash available when it comes to caring for your luxurious bedding!

Le Blanc Linen Wash has proven to be the safest cleaner and stain remover in the home textile industry.  Whether caring for new product or restoring an old one, Le Blanc will do the trick in removing tough stains in fine fabrics.  Red wine, lip stick, grease, coffee, blood and yellow age stains can all be handled without the use of bleach, caustics and phosphates. Le Blanc‘s neutral pH balance make it safe enough to use on linens, 100% Egyptian cottons, synthetics and blends.

Find all of Le Blanc’s Do’s and Don’t's of Laundering here.  Do you dry your sheets on high?  If you do, you really need to read these do’s and don’t's!  I need to change some of my laundry habits!!

You’ll find Le Blanc linen was at the Peacock Alley Showroom or here, on their website.

Our friends at Peacock Alley are offering THL readers an exclusive coupon code for 20% off your next purchase, so now’s the time to get those amazing sheets we talked about last week!!  Simply enter coupon code HIDDENLIST11 to get your discount when you checkout!

Thank you, Peacock Alley!!

I almost feel like I have a “bun in the oven” and I’m getting a sonogram image!   OK…I know this is no where near the thrill of giving birth, but this custom headboard is pretty exciting in my world right now!  I just received a few photos of the headboard progress!

Jesus, the owner of Marroquin Custom Upholstery, and Ivan, his son, carefully made the grid that allowed them to build a headboard that has all of the components I loved in my inspiration photos!

It’s amazing how they transformed this wood into the shape of the headboard that was in my head!  They make it look so easy!

Amazing, right?  It’s exactly what I wanted!!   Now they will use the cream colored velvet that I supplied (I bought it at Childress Fabrics, by the way…) and continue to work their magic!

Jesus, Ivan, and the rest of the craftsmen at Marroquin, are true perfectionist!  They inspect every inch of the products that they produce and are not happy until the client is completely satisfied!  I can’t wait to see the next photos of my new headboard and I can’t wait to show you!

Thanks, Jesus and Ivan, for your unparalleled attention to detail!  The quality of your product is like no other!

Let’s talk sheets!  They’re the bed’s underwear…the part of the bed that touches our body the most!  So, when building your bed, if you only splurge on one component, it should be the sheets!  And since you’re going to make that investment in quality linens, don’t you want to touch and feel what you’re buying?  Peacock Alley’s Design Studio allows you to touch and feel before you buy, so you’re sure to make the right choice for your body.

Most people think if you buy any sheets with a high thread count, you’re getting good quality.  Not necessarily so!  The quality of the cotton is extremely important in this equation.  That’s why you’ll feel a HUGE difference in a 400-count sheet from Walmart and a 400-count sheet from Peacock Alley.  In fact a 200-count sheet from Peacock Alley will trump most brand’s 600-count sheets because of the quality cotton used.

When it comes to sheets, the thing that you need to determine is whether you’re a “percale person” or a “sateen person”.

If you like a matte finish and crisp feel, then percale is for you.  Cotton percale is light, breathable and feels great in the hot summer months.  If percale is for you, I suggest Peacock Alley’s Lyric sheets.  They’re a crisp 500-thread count, 100% Egyptian cotton percale made in Italy and they have a beautiful double hemstitch.  Pure luxury and my choice!

Do you sleep in flannel pj’s and socks?  Then you’ll likely be happier with a sateen sheet.  Silky smooth and known for it’s drape, sateen is a bit thicker, tightly woven and soft making it perfect for snuggling in during cold winter nights.  Peacock Alley’s number one selling sheet, for over 15 years, is their 420-thread count sateen Soprano.  They’re incredibly soft, made with 100% Egyptian cotton and are enhanced with a classic blanket stitch hem.  You won’t dress in flannel from head to toe on these sheets…  They’re so yummy!

Congratulations!  You’ve completed Linen Lingo 101!

What’s your choice?  Percale or Sateen?

Tune next week as our Build A Better Bed series covers how to care for these linens…

OK…it’s time to get started…I’m assuming everyone has their mattress ready to start building a better bed, right?  Before we dress our bed, we must make sure that we have taken care of what is actually beneath the sheets…the mattress enhancers and pillows!

Peacock Alley has a well-rounded selection of both!  The mattress enhancers (which some of you may refer to as feather beds or pillow tops) are for those of us that may not have purchased as good of a mattress as we would have liked and need a little more cushion.  They carry three different choices from Ogallala.

Wool – The most popular choice for hot Texas weather, keeps sleeping bodies warm in the winter and cool in the summer, while providing firm support for the spine and neck

Bed Box Down – This choice is top of the line luxury with Hypodown 700 fill so you can truly be surrounded in comfort.  Sewn in a baffled box design (so the down doesn’t all end up at one end)  in a 300-thread-count.

Feather Bed – 230-thread-count cotton twill featherbed is stitched on the horizontal channels and generously filled with 75% Goose Feather  and 25% Goose Down.

The naked bed, found at Peacock Alley’s Design Studio, allows you to touch and feel each and see which is right for your body temperature and personal “firmness” needs.

When it comes to pillows, Merrimac Dillon’s The Pillow Bar is the creme de la creme!  Merrimac actually invented a “pillow-bar” that allows you to custom-make the pillow that’s perfect for you.  Filled with pristine 650-fill Hungarian goose down, these pillows are pure luxury and like no other!  The 300-thread-count cotton sateen cover can even be embroidered (so no one else in the house will try to claim it…) with whatever you desire and scented with your choice of herbal pouches.  Pure heaven!  You can get your custom pillow at Peacock Alley’s Design Studio or at several locations listed here.

There’s a couple of videos here that allow you to see the pillow bar in action!  I can’t wait to get one!

If you have allergies, Peacock Alley also offers a hypo-down version from Ogallala.  This company discovered a recipe for hypoallergenic down and uses this special mix in their products.  This secret ingredient?  Milkweed….who knew?

Mattress enhancers are not an essential part of your bed…more of a choice depending on how you like your bed to feel.  I’m going to start out without one, since I just bought a brand new mattress, and see how that works.  I can always add one later…

So, step one for me is snagging my perfect pillow!  And I’ve decided The Pillow Bar is the way to go.

Do you have any other questions about what’s beneath your sheets?  I’ll get the answer for you!  Can’t wait to hear from you!

Since I’ve decided to commit to building the bed of my dreams, this requires an equally dreamy headboard, right?  I knew I wanted an upholstered lightly-tufted look and couldn’t seem to find one anywhere with all the right curves…

I liked the curves of this headboard…

with the tufted touch of this one…plus I wanted a nailhead trim approximately 2.5 inches from the edge…oh, and I’d like that in a soft creamy velvet!  Is anyone having visions of the scene in “When Harry Met Sally” where Sally is ordering at the restaurant?

A custom headboard seemed to be the solution for what I want and Marroquin Custom Upholstery in Dallas is THE place for quality custom-made furniture!  Jesus Marroquin, the owner, has 40 years experience in exclusive upholstery and old world craftsmanship.  His attention to detail is beyond compare, as he personally inspects each piece before it moves out the door.

When I brought in my inspiration photos for my headboard, Ivan, Jesus’ son, gave me the grand tour of their large production facility.  This operation is packed with some of the finest craftsmen around.  Each custom-made frame is built in-house to ensure a quality foundation.

They hand-turn all of the feet and legs…

and standard construction features old world 8-way hand-tied springs individually placed to provide the highest level of quality and durability.

You don’t find this type of dedication to quality of detail anywhere else!

I observed Jesus’ brother studying the fabric design and carefully laying it over each piece to make sure that the pattern is cut and matched perfectly.  Here’s an example of the perfection in the end.

Amazing, right?  I’m so excited to work with them to make my headboard!  Ivan listened carefully to the details of what I had in mind and began to sketch and take notes…

I’m confident that he knows exactly what I want and will make sure that every detail is considered during the construction process.  He’s even promised to take pictures during the stages of construction so that I can watch it being built and share with you!

The next time you need a custom piece or the finest quality upholstery available, contact them here.  They will assist in getting the information needed to put together the headboard, chair, couch, etc. that will last a lifetime!  Marroquin has clients all over the world, so you don’t have to be in Dallas to work with this amazing company.

Don’t forget…today’s the last day to leave a comment to win the resort throw from Peacock Alley!  Hurry!!

You may want to pack your PJ’s when you visit the inviting Peacock Alley Design Studio…I found myself wanting to crawl right into one of the comfy beds piled with luxurious linens or wrap myself in a luxurious throw.

This 2,400 square foot space , located in the Dallas Design District, serves as a creative place where you can mix and match fine linens to your heart’s desire.  Most showrooms of this caliber are only for design professionals, but all are welcome here!

One of my favorite features of the showroom is the “naked bed” which allows you to play with different fabrics, textures and prints on a blank canvas and see what works best for you.  I’ll share my personal experience using the “naked bed” in a future post!

image via housesgardenspeople

Their white sheets and basic bedding are displayed in a way that will allow you to touch, feel and compare textures.  I learned so much from the staff about different sheeting options that I can’t wait to share with you in this series!

There’s professional designer tools and workspace to help assist design professionals and for those like me who need a little help, there’s a friendly creative staff there to help you build the bed of your dreams!  Thinking outside the box is encouraged at Peacock Alley.  The options for customization of size, monograming or creating a unique product with their fabrics are all available!

Go see the Peacock Alley Design Studio soon!  It’s eye and hand candy!  What a treat!

No…I didn’t forget…You still have one more day to comment on Part 1 or Part 2 (which ever you feel is luckiest!) of the “Build A Better Bed” series posts to win your chance at a luxurious resort throw!  Here’s how to snag your chance…

First, “Like” Peacock Alley’s facebook page.  Then, “Like” The Hidden List facebook page (you may have already done this, but I’ll be checking both pages to confirm the winner).  Finally, leave a comment about what you look for when choosing bed linens.  Do you simply look for color…pattern…design?  Or do you search for quality fabrics that feel the best to the touch?  Do you have a special heirloom that you build your bed around?

You have until 5pm CST on Thursday, July 28, to comment.  A winner will be announced on Friday!  Good luck!

I recently experienced a “life change” that had me shopping for a queen-sized bed just for me!  Buying a mattress is one of my least favorite things to purchase, so I went to Weir’s, took the advice of the salesperson on which would be the best fit and value for me and got out relatively quick…  Now?  On to the fun stuff!  Dressing the bed!!

About 12 years ago I bought my favorite bedding from Peacock Alley for a guest bedroom.  It has proven to be timeless and seems to get more soft and luxurious with age.

I chose a neutral color pallet and subtle pattern so that I could display one of my favorite possessions…a tatted coverlet that belonged to my grandmother…at the foot of the bed.  I love the way the patterns and textures work.  Peacock Alley linens are perfect for working together with that special blanket or throw you purchased on a special vacation or your own family heirloom.  The patterns used in their line are specifically chosen to work well with others so that you can change the look of the bed with the seasons… or your mood.

Peacock Alley Design Studio

At the same time I put together this bed, I also had custom bedding made for my own bed.  That custom-made bedding was sold at a garage sale several years ago and, although I spent a fortune on fabrics and labor, didn’t hold up well.  So, now that it’s time to “make another bed and lie in it” it’s a no-brainer to seek the help of Peacock Alley for luxurious linens that will last.

I was so excited to learn that Peacock Alley recently opened a design studio in the Dallas Design District.  It’s absolutely gorgeous and has all of the components of what you need to build a dream bed.  Next week I’ll show you more of their new digs and tell you about their “naked bed”.  Don’t worry…I’ll keep it G-rated…

To get this “bed building” series started, I’m giving away Peacock Alley’s resort throw…a $95 value.  These are so dreamy!  They almost melt in your hands…simply irresistible!  Here’s what you need to do to win!

First, “Like” Peacock Alley’s facebook page.  Then, “Like” The Hidden List facebook page (you may have already done this, but I’ll be checking both pages to confirm the winner).  Finally, leave a comment about what you look for when choosing bed linens.  Do you simply look for color…pattern…design?  Or do you search for quality fabrics that feel the best to the touch?  Do you have a special heirloom that you build your bed around?  Let us know…

You’ll have all week to leave your comments, we’ll chose randomly and I’ll announce the winner next week in Part 2, as we explore the Peacock Alley showroom and I share my experience there.

Good luck!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5k9nWcuFc