4 Essential Decorating Tips from Mrs. Howard

The experience of the bed is no less important than its appearance, and a number of considerations go into perfecting it. It begins with a mattress precisely tuned to your ideal of comfort, fitted with the finest bed linens you can afford; it should be roughly 30 inches (76 cm) high and finished with a custom dust ruffle and two or three Euro shams, depending upon the size of the bed. Not too many pillows, however—if they are sticking out three feet from the headboard, you've gone too far.

Image credit: Josh Gibson; from Mrs. Howard Room by Room, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2015