It’s been hotter than a goat in a pepper patch for about a month now.  So, we thought we’d share a few simple ways to update your bedroom for the even warmer months ahead. With the big Memorial Day weekend coming up, you might even catch some of this stuff on sale!

Lighten up. This one is easy. It just seems instinctive to migrate to lighter colors in the summer. A simple white or cream bed covering is a classic look that can be paired with most anything. Some tend to shy away from light colored bedding due to the dirt factor. With kids and pets hopping around on the bed, white bedding seems like an accident waiting to happen.  If this is your concern, try a darker neutral instead. A cool khaki color can be very summery and casual when paired with blue or red accents. Or, try a monochromatic color scheme which is soothing and restful when the mercury rises. Our favorite? The new Abigail Quilt, shown above. Pure cotton luxury on a hot summer’s day.

Invest in good sheets. During the summer you’re more likely to fold back the covers and sleep under a lightweight bed sheet. You’ll want a nice set of cotton sheets to maximize your comfort. For a decorative touch, try a set with a little something special- embroidery or ruffles are so pretty on a summer bed. And if you can catch them on sale, why not stock up on an extra set? That way you won’t have to wait for your favorite sheets to wash before making the bed! Our pick would be the sweetly ruffled Bliss Cottage Sheets which are 20% off right now.

Try a bedspread or a quilt.  This time of year is great for experimenting with new types of bedding. If you normally use a comforter, try something a bit lighter. Traditional bedspreads and quilts are really making a comeback. They provide just enough warmth and unlike most comforters, they are frequently available in 100% cotton styles. Our recommendation? The American Tradition Bedspread or the new Hudson Patchwork Quilt.

Accessorize the bedroom. A few new accessories can really give your bedroom a summery feel. Try a lovely floral wreath over the bed, maybe with some sconces and candles for a romantic glow. Prop up a starfish or sand dollar on a book case. Add a pitcher full of sunflowers or daisies to the bedside table. Window treatments should be light and airy. Try lace or linen for subtle country style. The new Matilda Linen Voile Curtain panels would be just perfect…

Now enjoy! Scatter a few family vacation photos in pretty frames and your summer cottage will be complete. Sit back, grab some iced tea and curl up with a good book. It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy!

An old friend returns…

Now here’s a real blast from the past- the bedspread!

For those under 40 here’s a quick history lesson. The comforter has not always existed. Back in the olden days, this is what everyone had on their beds. The whole “comforter” thing started in the 70′s and it virtually brought an end to the popularity of the bedspread. As a result, they all but disappeared from retail stores. The only place you could find a real bedspread was in a cheap motel room, and you know how appealing cheap motel beds can be… Well, good news for all you old fashioned folks- nice bedspreads are back and actually surging in popularity. Here’s a quick run down of the pros and cons of bedspreads-

Pros- Bedspreads are easy to manage. Making the bed could not be easier. Just pull, fold and tuck and you’re done. You don’t need pillow shams or bedskirts.

Bedspreads are lightweight. This is especially nice for warmer climates and ladies of a “certain age”.

Bedspreads are easy to store. Since they are not big and fluffy, they can easily be folded and kept in the linen closet when not in use.

Bedspreads bring vintage charm. A simple bedspread looks fabulous on an antique bed. Just add a few vintage pillows, maybe an old quilt folded at the bottom- perfect!

Bedspreads are easy to launder. Well, at least they are easier to launder than a comforter. They can usually be thrown into the washer- but it will require a big one! Comforters often need dry cleaning which can be a pain.

Bedspreads have a graceful look. Traditional bedspreads have rounded corners at the foot of the bed. This gives a lovely drape that you just don’t see with a comforter or quilt.

Cons- Choosing a bedspread to fit your bed can be tricky. Since bedspreads generally are not used with bedskirts, it’s important to choose a spread that will hit at the floor or just short of it. This can be tricky due to the depth of your mattress. The old carpenter’s rule holds true here- measure twice, cut once. Or in this case, measure twice, order once.

Bedspreads are not fluffy. This could be a pro or a con actually. Just something to consider if you are switching from a comforter to a bedspread. Some people have a hard time giving up the nice cozy feel of a comforter.

Bedspreads are not reversible. Unlike most comforters, only one side of a bedspread is decorative. The backing is generally a plain white cotton or polyester fabric. Some styles, like the one pictured above, are woven so they do not have a separate backing, but the reverse side does not have the same decorative pattern as the front.

Well, these are the basic things to consider regarding bedspreads. If you would like to see a few cool styles, check out our Old Fashioned Bedspread department at Retro Barn County Linens. We have several American made classic styles to offer. Choose from classic matelasse patterns, the nubby textured American Tradition spread, or the new Shabby Chenille styles that will soon be available in lots of colors. Bedspreads are a classic that will never go out of style!

Very Berry Tablecloth

We all love to find a true vintage piece while antiquing at our favorite shop, but there are times when a fabulous fake comes in handy. This is especially true when entertaining. While it may be temping to decorate your buffet table around Grandma’s adorable vintage 1942 tablecloth, wisdom will generally prevail. Sure, it would look perfect at Suzy’s bridal shower luncheon- but who wants to sacrifice this cherished heirloom for one fleeting moment of decorating bliss? Because, sure as the world- someone will spill their punch and it’ll be ruined… So keep the real treasures to yourself and stock up on a handful of colorful reproductions. You’ll find lots of luscious 30′s and 40′s reproduction tablecloths at http://www.retrobarn.com/retrostyle.html. They come in fruity, floral, western, and retro Americana patterns. So you can have your party, set a super cute vintage style table, and not have a panic attack when someone makes that inevitable little (or big) mess. Unlike that great antique store find,  these handy little repros are oh so affordable!

Cascade Lodge Bedding

Just in case you haven’t noticed- rustic and western decor is very hot right now. A few years ago, you had to take a trip to the mountains to find any sort of rustic themed merchandise but these days antlers and cowboys are everywhere! What’s up with the trend? Well who knows, but here are a few things we hear frequently from customers-

1. Rustic/Western decor is the only style my husband and I can agree on.  It comes as no surprise that rugged styles appeal to men, but we’ve spoken with lots and lots of ladies who love them as well. There’s something cozy and romantic about rustic style that appeals even to the shabby chic set.

2. Rustic/Western decor fits our lifestyle.  Sturdy fabrics and darker colors work well for families with small children- and grandchildren! The distressed look is very popular with parents of toddlers.

3. We can’t afford a cabin vacation home right now, so we are decorating our suburban home like a cabin. And why not? Create a cozy retreat right where you are. Grannie always said, “Bloom where you’re planted.”

4. Old fashioned western style reminds me of a simpler time. In our crazy modern world so many of us find comfort in the simple things of yesterday. Remember Gunsmoke? We sure could use someone like Marshall Dillon today…

If you’re into the rugged look, check out our Western & Rustic Comforters. We’ve got lots of styles, and they’re packaged as sets to make decorating easy. We’ll be adding a few new styles this month.

A lovely display of woven coverlets

Hi Everyone! I hope all is well with you. It’s been a while since our last chat. Time flies, doesn’t it? We’ve gotten a new product in our line up of vintage-inspired textiles that we’re pretty excited about it…

If you’re looking for a truly historic type of bed covering, you should read up on woven coverlets.  The woven coverlet was a rustic, utilitarian type of bed garment that was common during colonial times. The patterns ranged from simple loomed styles to the intricate jacquard patterns that burst onto the scene during the early 1800′s. If you’re decorating with primitive American furnishings, a woven coverlet would be an authentic way to adorn the bed.

Until just recently, reproduction woven coverlets were hard to find in sizes that were useful for bedding.  Thankfully, that has now changed. Victorian Heart Company has introduced a new line of woven coverlets that are beautiful and wonderfully over-sized- just like their popular patchwork quilts. Not only are these coverlets big and affordable, they also have tons of coordinating accessories to make decorating simple.

So, what do they feel like? Well, the texture is like a soft blanket. Warm- natured folks might like to use a coverlet as the primary bed covering, while others will find this item handy for layering.  During the winter months, it might be nice to have a coordinating coverlet folded at the foot of the bed just in case it gets too chilly during the night.

You’ll find the entire collection of woven coverlets at http://www.retrobarn.com/wovencoverlets.html. There are 10 gorgeous styles in all. My personal favorite has got to be the Burgundy Star Coverlet. It has a bold a patriotic look that is just plain country. Other notable mentions include a green plaid coverlet that coordinates with the popular Tea Cabin quilt, and a black to mix with the Kettle Grove quilt. It’s just so hard to decide!

Burgundy Star Coverlet

Well okay, so life goes on. We have a few ideas to share about staying warm and saving money during the long days and nights of winter 2012- not fun or festive but certainly practical and timely.

1. Insulated Curtains- Here’s a really neat invention.  These are regular curtains with a thick layer of thermal foam backing that does not show from the front.  Adding an extra layer of heavy fabric to the back of a standard curtain will help to block out drafts and heat transfer from windows. At Retro Barn we carry insulated tab top curtains in lots of solid colors and two especially cute patterns. One is a plaid and the other is a floral fabric because you can never have too many flowers. We use these curtains in our home and they really do help with the drafts in our living room.

2. Get Down. Literally. Nothing beats a down comforter in the winter. It will allow you to turn down the heat during the night and lower your utility costs. A good down comforter will last many seasons if laundered properly at the local dry cleaner. If you love the old-fashioned look of a quilt but need the warmth of down, try the Kaleidoscope Patchwork Duvet Cover. It’s a scrappy patchwork duvet that is quite substantial on it’s own. Stuff it with a down comforter and you’ll be toasty even in Alaska.

3. Install a programmable thermostat. These things are handy as a shirt pocket.  It’s a thermostat that allows you to program the room temperature you want at specific times of the day. Many of these devices can be set up to seven days in advance. Just set the thermostat to heat up a few minutes before your alarm clock goes off in the morning and you’ll never wake up to a cold house again! This allows you to turn the heater down (or possibly even off) during the night when you’re sleeping under that fluffy down comforter with patchwork duvet. You’ll never know you’re being thrifty because you’ll be asleep.  And warm. How cool is that?

4. Insulate windows using foil backed styrofoam sheets. Foil backed styrofoam sheets are available from home improvement stores in 4 ft x 8 ft panels. They can easily be cut to size using a utility knife and then wedged into the rough opening of a window. If you wedge the sheet tightly into the window you’ll be amazed at how much warmer your room will be. If you have a room with lots of windows (like we do) this will actually make a measurable difference on your utility bill. This is an admittedly radical solution to drafty windows because it does render the window useless for the winter season. It will provide total privacy- not even a speck of light will pass through the insulating panel- so this solution is not for every window, but it works great for rooms that are used seasonally. The ugly styrofoam panels can easily be disguised with curtains.

That’s all we have for now. We’re working on a super easy no sew draft dodger project and we’ll share that with you soon. Nothing chases the winter blues away faster than a super easy no sew project!!

The quilt is patterned after a traditional Lone Star or Star of Bethlehem quilting pattern. It has a dramatic eight point star in the center of the quilt which is made of a maroon plaid fabric. That center star extends and radiates out into a larger star which contains various shades of brown and beige. The center star motif is bordered with a bold solid black frame. The quilt ends as it began with the maroon plaid fabric framing the edge of the quilt. All in all, it is a really beautiful and striking pattern. It’s reminiscent of an Amish quilt with all the dark colors and bold pattern. However, a traditional Amish quilt would not contain the pretty plaids as they are just too flashy for the Amish sensibilities. In our opinion, the Big Sky quilt is sure to be a favorite due to the popular red and brown color scheme. The pattern encompasses various shades of red and brown including barn red, maroon, beige, khaki and chocolate which will blend easily in many homes.

Another great feature of the Big Sky quilt will be the modest price tag. This quilt is part of the Home & Hearth collection by Victorian Heart Company, which is their moderately priced quilt collection. The higher-end Lasting Impressions line has been wildly popular during the past few years but budget minded decorators will appreciate the lower price tag of the Home & Hearth Collection. Like the bestselling H&H Star Patch quilt, the Big Sky quilt is 100% cotton and machine washable.  Matching accessories will include the bedskirt, a toss pillow, and a quilted throw. This very affordable and lovely quilt will be available in Jan 12 from retrobarn.com.

Choose the correct length. This is very important. A bedskirt is designed to cover the area from the top of the box spring to the floor.  This measurement can vary quite a bit from one bed to another, but the most common lengths are from 14 to 18 inches. There is no standard length that will work for every bed, so it is critical that you measure your bed to determine the drop length that you will need. If you get a bedskirt that is too long it will puddle on the floor in a sloppy mess. But if you get a bedskirt that is too short you will run the risk of exposing all the dust bunnies under the bed! So what you need to do is this: measure from the top of your box spring or foundation to the floor. This number will be the “drop length” of the bedskirt you will need. You can round this number off to the nearest inch- rounding down rather than up, because a slightly too short skirt will look better than a slightly too long skirt.

Choose the correct bed size. This part may seem like a no-brainer, but these days it can get a little confusing. Furniture and mattress manufacturers are producing a wide variety of different size beds. In addition to the standard king, queen, full and twin sizes you will see size variations like the California king, extra long twin, Olympic queen and daybed. For the best fit you will need a bedskirt that is designed for your particular mattress size. We’ve summarized the most popular mattress sizes below. If your mattress does not correspond to one of these standard sizes, don’t worry. You can find affordable custom made solutions at Retrobarn.com in a rainbow of different colors.

Standard US mattress sizes:

• King 76″ x 80″
• Cal King 72″ x 84″
• Queen 60″ x 80″
• Olympic Queen 66″ x 80″
• Extra Long Queen 60″ x 84″
• Full 54″ x 75″
• Twin 39″ x 75″
• Extra Long Twin 39″ x 80″
• Daybed 75″ x 39″

Everyone loves a new quilt...