Not Your Grandma's Ruffled Bedding! How the 'Coquette' Aesthetic Brought Back Prettier Bed Styling
There's a new take on classic frills that's making this traditional style bedding feel fresh and right for right now


It's not something I ever thought I'd say, but I've kind of fallen for ruffled bedding. With its flouncy edging, I had thought that this style of bed linen was a dated throwback and that you'd only see it in stuffy, overdressed homes, but something's shifted in the design world right now.
With the likes of the 'soft girl aesthetic' and coquette style appearing as huge trends in both fashion and home design, we're seeing the return of ruffles and frills in soft furnishings in an unexpected way. Retailers such as Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters are all over it, each offering a pretty, maximalist take on the trend, while I just bought a set from Zara Home that will suit a more minimalist sensibility.
"Ruffled bedding is having its moment because it strikes the perfect balance between being tasteful and adding texture to a room," says Chloe Rae, a brand stylist for TBCo. "In a time where interiors lean toward serene, layered spaces, ruffles offer a touch of character without overwhelming. It’s a design choice that feels tactile and inviting, while still being versatile enough to suit a range of aesthetics."
If you're thinking about getting into the look, now's the time — I've found oodles of Black Friday bedding deals for ruffled bedding right now from some of my favorite retailers, and plenty more design-forward styles to shop, too.
How to style ruffled bedding
The return of a bedding trend such as the ruffle is undoubtedly led by a design nostalgia that we're seeing in a re-emergence of retro room ideas.
"Ruffles, often associated with our mothers' and grandmothers' generations, tap into this desire for nostalgia," Chloe Rae, of TBCo, agrees. "By incorporating ruffles into our bedrooms, we’re creating spaces that feel both more modern-maximalist, yet reference simpler times."
"This comeback also reflects a shift in how we approach bedroom decor—moving away from purely functional to something more thoughtful and lived-in. We’re creating spaces that feel personal and curated, where every detail adds depth and warmth without sacrificing style."
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However, lean too heavily on these vintage-inspired details, and your bedroom might end up feeling a little dated — a pastiche of vintage style.
"To keep ruffled bedding modern, pair it with clean, structured elements to create contrast," Chloe says. "This should let the texture be the statement without feeling overly romantic. Balance the softness of the ruffles with sleek furniture, bold lighting, or a sharp-edged side table, and you'll have a bedroom that feels effortless and timeless."
Now that's a take on ruffled bedding I can get on board with.
Shop Ruffled Bedding in the Sales
With a lacy edge detail and in a pretty shade of pink, dress up this bedding with something a little more modern, and pair with cooler neutral shades, to stop it feel too saccharine.
A modern take on a classic toile, this tonal green bedding from Urban Outfitters is now half price in the sales. Dress the bed with plain throw pillows to give your eye somewhere to rest.
Color clashing at its best, there's something so wrong it's right about this pattern and ruffle combination. The ruffles break up the expanse of pattern in a clever way and make the bed feel styled, even without throw pillows and blankets.
From Pottery Barn's Teen collection, this flouncy bedding has more traditional ruffle proportions, and brings a more classic-made-modern approach to the trend through this beige colorway.
Shop the best of the rest
Price: From $79.99 for Twin
This more minimalist take on ruffled bedding still has the fussier detailing, but in a serene green shade, it's a calmer way to introduce the trend.
Hugh is Livingetc.com’s editor. With 8 years in the interiors industry under his belt, he has the nose for what people want to know about re-decorating their homes. He prides himself as an expert trend forecaster, visiting design fairs, showrooms and keeping an eye out for emerging designers to hone his eye. He joined Livingetc back in 2022 as a content editor, as a long-time reader of the print magazine, before becoming its online editor. Hugh has previously spent time as an editor for a kitchen and bathroom magazine, and has written for “hands-on” home brands such as Homebuilding & Renovating and Grand Designs magazine, so his knowledge of what it takes to create a home goes beyond the surface, too. Though not a trained interior designer, Hugh has cut his design teeth by managing several major interior design projects to date, each for private clients. He's also a keen DIYer — he's done everything from laying his own patio and building an integrated cooker hood from scratch, to undertaking plenty of creative IKEA hacks to help achieve the luxurious look he loves in design, when his budget doesn't always stretch that far.
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