Custom bedding and pillows are especially detailed when it comes to labor and pricing. There are many options and components involved when your client wants something special to finish their Master Bedroom. The process is layered and we thought it would be insightful to share with you the behind the scenes of the interior design business and our quest to finish a room with custom bedding.
Recently, a wonderful client asked for the finishing touch in his master bedroom. We met with him and showed several selections that we thought would be beautiful. The range was what we called semi-custom to full custom. Semi-custom is a program of fabrics that work together and are already grouped and then you pick from the selection. It is a fine alternative, but it is not totally original. With full custom, we select the fabrics and put together “the look” in house. He choose the full custom selection.
After we made the selections, we spent the better part of the day figuring out all the details that we required to design how the fabrics would be put together, what kind of trims and how it was to be sewn.
It would be one king comforter, four pillow shams, a neck role, and a bed skirt. What was important to the client was that it be quilted and be able to be used both as a blanket and a finish cover. The rest he trusted would be to his liking.
The two of us, spent a good portion of the day in our office calling our fabricator to go over the design . We then called the quilter and discussed the details of the outline quilting, how best to handle the outcome we desired. With the help of our workrooms, we all agreed that we needed to assemble the fabric then send it for hand-guided quilting. Then, when that was done we would have a fitting on the bed so that the fall and the fit would be appropriate, as the quilting changes the height and the fit of the fabric on the bed.
We also specially designed the bed skirt since the bed had a wood surround and client did not want the skirt to touch the ground. Instead, the bed skirt would only act as a cover for the portion of the box spring that was exposed above the wood frame of the bed. We took a rough measurement at the Client’s house for the bed skirt – Round trip 40 miles.
By the end of the day, we finally nailed down all the details with all parties involved – our office, seamstress, quilting fabricators, and fabric vendors.
Here are all the steps involved in creating custom bedding and pillows:
1. Selecting Fabrics
2. Selecting Trimmings
3. Requesting quotes from fabric vendors and laborers
4. Preparing Quotes to be sent to the Client for approval (and then waiting for client approval)
5. Order cuttings/samples of fabric for approval to make sure the color is accurate
6. Determine the sizes of the pillows and their shapes – Do you want a pillow shams, bolster pillow or an 18” square?
7. Selecting the pillow filling – Do you want 100% Down feather or a blend of down and poly? If you want a feather blend: what percentage? 50/50, 40/60, 35/75?
8. Determining the comforter details: for quilting what percentage of quilting do you want?
9. Selecting the type of lining/interlining is necessary for the comforter
10. Calculation of yardage required
11. Choosing the edge detail – Do you want knife, box, Turkish, welted or tasseled?
12. Creating the Purchase Orders for all the components involved: fabric, trim, labor, pillow inserts/filling
13. Receiving all the fabrics and inspecting the material to make sure the color is accurate and/or the goods aren’t damaged (if goods come in damaged, add 2 more steps)
14. Preparing sketches of the design to send to the workroom.
15. Sending all the fabrics to the workroom to create the bedding and pillows.
16. Review finished bedding and pillows to make sure they are made to specification.
17. Deliver and/or ship bedding and pillows to clients home.
18. Present and place the new covers on bed.
As you can see, there are 18 steps to custom bedding!
So now when a Client asks, “Why are the pillows so expensive?” The answer is that they are not expensive at all! They are detailed and full of value. For when the client sees the end results and has the wonderful visual and functional experience that he expects when he enters his finished room, we have done our job!
Love to all!