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You've made your bed, now dress it!

What's the best way to dress a bed? It would certainly make our lives easier (and our bed-making attempts more successful) if we knew the most popular bed dressing hacks, including how to style throws, cushions, bedspreads and other soft furnishings for the ultimate bedscape.

'The bed is the focal point of any bedroom and creates a cosy atmosphere that makes leaving bed irresistible. This is made all the more challenging when your bed is adorned with luxurious bed linen, comfy pillows and stylish throws and cushions,' says Joanna Ross, General Manager of Design at Sheridan.

It's a good thing then that we've spoken to the UK's leading bedding experts to reveal how to dress your bed like a professional, plus we share some really useful styling hacks that will give your bed that Instagrammable, 'straight from a magazine' look.

Take note on how to take your bed from boring to beautiful:

You do get what you pay for when it comes to bedding, so go for the best bed linen you can afford. The same applies for good quality filled inner bedding. 'Not only is it important for your bed to look good, but the quality of the bedding is also crucial to having a good night's sleep and impacts your mood for the rest of the day,' Lucy Ackroyd, Head of Design at Christy, tells us.

To get the crisp, clean, hotel bed look, you should invest in pure cotton high thread-count bed linen – the benefits are tenfold.

'Firstly, 100 per cent cotton products are naturally breathable so they help to regulate your temperature and moisture levels, stopping the clammy feeling you can experience with synthetic fibres,' Lucy explains. 'Secondly, high thread count fabrics are smoother against the skin, so as well as being much more comfortable, you are less likely to feel tangled up or trapped by rougher fabrics that cling, especially to nightwear.'

If you're a fan of prints or you just like switching up looks on the regular, then it makes sense to invest in a reversible duvet cover. It not only provides two design options but adds a pretty additional feature to a bed when the top of the duvet cover is turned down.

But it's not all about bold patterns and colour blocking shapes. Those hoping to achieve a luxury hotel aesthetic with a white on white look can still benefit from a reversible duvet cover – simply keep it pared back, sticking to stripes or polka dots with a plain neutral on the reverse.

'On a double bed, go for two pillows on each side, and make sure to fluff them up before sitting them on top of the duvet, with the open side facing the outer edge of the bed,' Lucy advises. 'If you want to upgrade your pillows even further, invest in a couple of pillow shams to match your bedding. Place the pillow shams on top of your usual pillows to hide them behind a more elegantly coordinated facade for a five star hotel look.'

A common question asked with regards to styling a bed is whether pillows should be above the duvet or tucked underneath.

'When we style for photo shoots and in our customers' homes, we recommend one pillow beneath the duvet, and one on top. The top pillow provides the finished look and feel, leaving the lower pillow ready for sleeping on when the duvet is pulled back,' Georgia Metcalfe, founder of French Bedroom, explains.

And remember to coordinate the pillows with the duvet. Nic Shacklock at Online-Bedrooms.co.uk elaborates: 'The bottom two pillows should match your fitted bottom sheet in material and colour to achieve a super cohesive bed spread. The top pillows should match your duvet.'

Georgia recommends two pillows for double and king beds, and two super king pillows (50x90cm) for super king size beds. For Emperor beds, three standard size (50x75cm) pillows are recommended.

Introduce colour and texture to your bedroom with a bedspread, or two. Georgia tells us how:

'Bedspreads look great when paired together; one plain, one patterned. Pick a key colour from your patterned bedspread, bedroom curtains, artwork or wallcoverings. Use this colour in the lower bedspread, either covering your whole bed or just the lower half. Then lay the patterned bedspread on top, half width, so it creates a slim panel of pattern on top of the plain. This will create a considered and coordinated aesthetic, straight from an interior designer's playbook!'

Throws are still a great styling device for beds, but ensure it's not too neatly folded along the bottom of the bed. Throws should look more informal, casually draped over the corner.

'When it comes to adding throws and blankets onto the bed, it’s all about creating soft, textural layering. Loosely draped across the bottom third of the mattress is where I find strikes a balance between structured styling and laid-back décor,' says Shelley Cochrane, Retail Merchandiser at Furniture Village. 'I love to opt for crepe materials as they bring a beautifully soft, yet tactile element.'

And don't just stick to one colour – similar to a bedspread, combining two throws in a mixture of colours and textures can work wonderfully too.

Layering cushions is essential for a super stylish, well-presented bed. But how many, exactly?

'Go for somewhere between three and six cushions depending on the width of the bed and preference,' reveals Lucy, who says you should always group them together by size, with the largest at the back and smallest at the front.

Cushions are 'great at eliminating gaps between pillows and a lovely way of bringing the full bedroom design together,' says Georgia. Choose a colour, motif, or style from your bedroom design and recreate this in the cushion design.

'Think softly curved cushions with pom-pom detailing for ethereal-inspired bedrooms, Mongolian sheepskin cushions for rustic, cottagecore spaces, and slightly rough-hewn cushions for the more desert-inspired dwellings,' Shelley adds.

Top tip: If you like to refresh your bedroom look seasonally and you're limited on storage space, a cost-effective option is to invest in cushion covers – try H&M and IKEA for a great range of designs and colourways.

James Rotheram, M&S Insider and Visual Merchandiser at M&S homeware, reveals the exact number of scatter cushions needed to avoid your bed looking overly busy and a little overwhelming.

• Single bed: One large cushion and one bolster cushion

How to arrange: 'I recommend using a large upright cushion sitting against the flat base pillows and then adding another smaller cushion on top,' says James.

• Double bed: Two large cushions, two small bolster cushions and one small square cushion

How to arrange: 'On a standard double bed, as well as your pillows, aim for two large cushions and layer up with two smaller rectangle cushions,' James advises. 'You can then marry the sides of the bed up with a small square cushion at the front of the arrangement.'

• King-size bed: Three large cushions, two square sham cushions, two large rectangle cushions and one bolster cushion

How to arrange: 'For a king-size bed, add a third large cushion at the rear and use two square sham cushions in second place, which sit behind larger rectangular cushions and complete the look with a textured bolster cushion in the centre,' James suggests.

Texture and layering is key for successful bed styling. The aim should be to achieve 'casual elegance' – layer up bedding and accessories for an effortless look that doesn't try too hard. If you’re after a more relaxed look, linen is a great option as it doesn't need to be ironed.

Dressing beds is all about attention to detail. Small details like a button, exposed zip, piped edge or metallic foiling can add that extra layer of sophistication to bed styling. And what lies beneath is important. For the more meticulous among us, a flat sheet with old school hospital corners is a nice detail (especially in a guest room at Christmas time).

Prepare your bed for that cosy, 'can’t wait to dive in' feeling by simply fluffing up pillows and duvets to even out the filling and return their plump.

Jessica Hanley, founder of luxury comfort brand, Piglet in Bed, comments: 'Turning down the bed might sound tedious, but really, all you have to do is fluff your pillows and fold down your duvet so your bed is ready to jump into. This will help get your mind ready for sleep, especially if you make it a regular part of your routine. Making sure your room is tidy and keeping your sheets fresh can also help considerably.'

Invest in a sleep spray to help you enjoy a peaceful slumber. 'Spritz liberally around the room and onto your bed linen before you jump in – linen sprays are also a great way to freshen up your sheets on days they haven't been washed,' Jessica adds.

Hosting guests? To add the ultimate finishing touch to your bedscape, invest in a durable bed tray for your guests and laden it with some tasty treats.

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