The 'Anti-Hotel' Bed Is Trending — These Are the Bedding Styles to Choose for a Less Bland, More Personal Style
The experts are stripping the bed of perfectionism in 2026 and introducing more character and flair
Don't get me wrong, I love a hotel bed as much as the next person. Ultra-plush mattress topper? Sign me up. Fluffy pillows? Yes, please. All-white sheets? Sure, I'll take it. But when it comes to how designers say we should be dressing our beds at home, there's a trend doing the rounds that heralds the end of a copy/paste approach: the anti-hotel bed.
A firm steer away from perfection and formulaic technique, as the name would suggest, the 'anti-hotel bed' is essentially everything that the hotel bed is not. According to designers, this bedding trend is all about bringing a bit of personality back to the bedroom through color, texture, pattern, layers, and asymmetry.
"People are becoming more educated and discerning in terms of what materials they like to sleep on, what colors they resonate with that make them feel calm, and what bedding style is achievable for them to make up every morning and keep the bedroom feeling nice," says interior designer Shona McElroy, principal of Smac Studio.
To strip the bed clean, so to speak, I asked designers how to achieve the anti-hotel bed aesthetic in your own home, for a less bland, more personal style.
1. The No-Set Approach
"I personally can't get behind 100% linen bedding," says Nicole Forina, who has packed personality into this space with a colorful quilt and soft pink sheets.
Gone are the days of finding where to buy bedding, adding a full sheet set to cart and being done with it. The anti-hotel bed calls for an end to the set-and-forget mentality. "The most inviting beds are styled in much the same way we approach an interior as a whole," says Romanos Brihi, co-founder of Studio Vero. "Rather than buying an entire bedding set, think in layers."
For lovers of white sheets, don't fret: Romanos says a white base is a good place to start. "Then introduce color, texture, and pattern gradually through cushions and throws collected over time," he adds. "The aim isn't for everything to match perfectly, but for each element to have its own personality while still sitting comfortably within the wider palette of the room."
An in-between layer, such as a waffle blanket, quilt, or coverlet, is also a great addition, adds Nicole Forina of Forina Design & Co. "Those pieces add texture and dimension, making the bed feel much more collected and inviting," she says. "To give the bed that effortlessly lived-in look, arrange this layer a bit more casually between two more tailored layers after making the bed."
Bed Threads' Build Your Own Bundle offers the convenience of buying everything at once, but lets you mix-and-match colors for a more personalized look, and for 30% off.
Romanos Brihi is the co-founder of London-based Studio Vero. Together with his lifelong friend, Venetia Rudebeck, Romanos creates creative spaces full of character, confidence and color.
2. Color Clashing
"Black-and-white accents were added with the wallpaper to bring contrast and make the room feel cheerful and inviting," says Nicole Dohmen of Atelier ND.
If you've ever studied the color wheel, you'll know all about complementary colors. Yellow and purple, green and red, blue and orange — they're not often found together, until now.
Color clashing is a sure-fire way to steer clear of sterile, giving our bedrooms and beds an injection of joy and an "unexpected feel", says Nicole Dohmen, founder of Atelier ND. To pick your pair, Nicole recommends looking to existing anchors, for example, ochre yellow-toned flooring.
And you don't even have to stop at a pair, she adds. "Don't be afraid to bring two or three colors together. A multicolored sheet set can be a great guide for introducing additional colors in a way that feels cohesive rather than chaotic."
Amsterdam-based designer Nicole Dohmen is known for creating high-energy interiors flooded with color. Never boring, Nicole's spaces feel authentic, warm, personal and edgy.
3. Cancel the Cushion 'Menu'
A simple approach to the bedding in this space by KLH Homes lets the textures and colors pack a heavier punch.
Ever been to a design hotel with a cushion 'menu' that you can pick and choose from? While I'm the first to admit the mountain of cushions at hotels feels like a luxury, at home, they tend to end up on the floor. Designers say it's time to leave the "Nancy Meyers-style" bed behind.
This doesn't mean doing away with extra cushions altogether, though. Nicole Forina and Shona McElroy recommend opting for one or two accent pillows, while Ali Henri, of Ali Henri Design, says a "single long lumbar pillow" can also do the trick.
Likewise, Angus Buchanan, creative director of Buchanan Studio, says to focus on one confident choice and let it lead the room. "A bedroom should tell you something about the person who sleeps there," he says. "Restraint can be incredibly powerful. When the foundation is strong, you don't need much else."
Skip the pile of cushions on your bed (and ultimately, the floor) and opt for one sleeker, long bolster, like this one, instead.
4. Imperfect Personalization
"We're definitely no longer sticking to white," says Shona McElroy. "The amount of new bedding options out there mean that we can create these beautiful palettes that can come through and still look cohesive."
While a hotel bedroom is designed to appeal to the masses, the anti-hotel bed is all about personalization. At its core, that often means loosening those 'hospital corners' and leaning into imperfection. Think mixing ruffled sheets with a thrifted patterned quilt, embracing the wrinkles, and adding collected pieces over time.
"We've become so accustomed to the language of luxury hotels — immaculate symmetry, identical cushions and perfectly pressed linens — but home should offer something different," says Romanos Brihi of Studio Vero. "A vintage quilt picked up on holiday, an antique textile draped across the end of the bed, or cushions in colors that deliberately don't quite match all help create a space that feels lived in and deeply personal."
Liz Hoekzema, director and co-founder of KLH Homes, echoes this sentiment. "Mismatched patterns, asymmetry, and pillows that feel more like a beautiful piece than purely functional are all lovely ways to create a bedroom that feels personal."
5. Pattern Pairing
"We wanted this space to feel inviting and full of character, and these layered patterns and colors create a relaxed atmosphere with a playful spirit," says Nicole Dohmen.
Last, but definitely not least, pattern. You don't have to go packing pattern onto every surface for this to look beautiful; rather, it's about using a discerning eye and playing with pairs and repetition.
A great way to approach this style is by beginning with a more geometric base, such as stripes, before adding more organic and whimsical patterns, like florals or those found on vintage throws and quilts. Color comes into play too, and Nicole Dohmen of Atelier ND recommends working from a palette to "tie everything together," and building from there.
If you don't have quite the eye for pattern play, however, Nicole Forina says color blocking is the best place to start. "Start with a simple, solid-colored duvet and then introduce another color or pattern through your sheets. It creates interest without feeling busy and allows you to switch up the look with your mood," she says.
This beautiful embroidered blanket is inspired by an antique rug, and would become a star in your bedroom scheme.
And there you have it: five antidotes to bland bedding. When it comes to dressing a bed from top to tail, designers often have foolproof bed 'recipes' they rely on, including color, pattern, and material combinations that work best, like pairing rattan furniture, jute rugs, and linen bedding.
For more design inspiration, subscribe to Livingetc's newsletter.
