Best Places To Buy Nice Bedding In 2023

As the nights grow longer, we’re thinking of ways to make bedtime better. No matter where you sit on the textile spectrum — gravelly, lived-in linen or impossibly buttery satin — these brands are devoted to our nightly rituals. Here, there are dreamy, hotel-like coverlets, roomy quilts and a case to be made for plenty of (pillow)cases.

The Copenhagen ‘it’ girl.

The cool, perfectly calibrated bedding equivalent of a Danish influencer, Tekla is restrained but fun, a plushy paradox that specialises in percale cotton and linen, from duvet covers to matching pillowcases. There are cushy blankets too: fine, tightly woven merino in wine-red gingham; checked cashmere throws with whipstitching; and Le Corbusier-inspired mohair blends with thick, handmade tassels. They also sell unisex pajamas (poplin, flannel, short and long) and bathroom-adjacent textiles (mats, towels and robes).

Pillow talk: Percale covers are made of 100 per cent Oeko-Tex-certified organic cotton, have a 200 thread count, are lightly stonewashed, and come in 10 sizes.

Available from: Simon James and Tekla.com

The colour-blocker not trying to be fancy.

The brainchild of Kate Fowler (sister of Georgia) and Fourth St's avid collector-sourcer Rukaiya Daud, Sutram is a visual feast of bolsters, sheets and valances boasting 300 thread counts. Design signatures include generous pillow trimmings (some have ‘Cinder’ piping, a thin, black wending line for a contrast edge) and a slew of mostly solid colours like Blue Blue (emphatically, electrically blue), Maize (a corn-like yellow), and Apple (a vivid green that recalls a crisp Granny Smith). Duvet covers are complete with biodegradable coconut husk buttons and handy internal corner ties to keep your inner in place.

Pillow talk: Covers are available in two sizes (standard and king), are made from GOTS- and Fairtrade-certified organic cotton, and have a 300 thread count.

Available from: Studio-sutram.com

For sheets that feel like worn-in pajamas.

Founded by Daniela Schmidhalter, this New Zealand label is self-described as "bedding that can take care of itself". In other words, it's unfussy — a collection of flat sheets, fitted sheets, duvet covers and pillowslips where mixing and matching are encouraged, the touch-feel is like a lovingly worn T-shirt, and delivery is via a reusable drawstring bag. You’ll also find a small assortment of other goods on their site, including kawakawa balm, carry-all totes and tablecloths.

Pillow talk: Covers are made of 100 per cent organic GOTS-certified jersey cotton, and are available in an envelope style.

Available from: Dehei.co

For big, roomy quilts.

A Los Angeles darling, Studio Ford uses traditional block-printing methods for its satisfyingly bulky quilts. They’re handmade and reversible, in thematic collections that bear the same kind of intricate hallmarks, including unknotted running stitches. The latest — a mix of abstract, blocky patterns — would sit comfortably in a Bauhaus residence, but previous releases have been photographed in mid-century modern abodes too, the bedding arun with wild fennel and mushrooms, vines and moody blooms. Coordinate them with matching throws, pillows and table linen.

Pillow talk: Pillowcases are available in generous rectangle and leaner lumbar sizes, are made of hand-dyed cotton and linen, have contrast piping, and come with a down pillow insert.

Available from: Studio-ford.com

The positively urbane.

Quietly elegant, local stalwart Wallace Cotton is a popular choice for bedding that could easily work in a cottage in the countryside or the depths of suburbia. Ranging from simple to playful but not ostentatious, there's something for everyone when the duvet covers are separated by "patterns" and "plains". Flannel sheets and rich velvet quilts are part of this brand's output too, and you’d do well to check out their tight edit of sleepwear.

Pillow talk: Covers are available in standard, lodge and European sizes, come in a range of textiles (including velvet, linen and 750 thread count cotton sateen), are both trimmed and have no trims.

Available from: Wallacecotton.com

For more-is-more.

This Australian brand pushes the limits of sugary-sweet maximalism. There are flowers as captivating and bold as neon signs, chunky stripes as multicoloured as lollipops. It's a fever dream of colour, and a wonderful one if you’re looking to incorporate something punchy. Kip & Co has collaborated with artists on collections too (pick up a pillow covered with art by Mirka Piglets or May Gibbs) and has an equally fun offering for children (dinosaurs, animal-motif patchwork, mermaids and daisy bunches, to name a few).

Pillow talk: Shams are available in sets and singles, standards and kings, and range from mulberry silk to double-sided brushed flannelette and 100 per cent GOTS-certified organic cotton.

Available from: Moiongeorge.nz and Kipandco.com.au

The eternally peppy.

Some of Bonnie & Neil's textiles looked like they’ve been dipped in an Italian holiday: quilts are covered in sunshine-bright lemons, pillowcases in green checkers. Others appear definitively 60s or borne not from an era but from a meadow. The Australian label appears to have many inspirational touchstones, but its aesthetic is consistently, quaintly fresh. You won't find just blankets and pillowslips, either: there are posy-covered pot holders, curved side tables, plates shaped like daises and candles that bear an uncanny resemblance to pineapples, baguettes and Swiss cheese.

Pillow talk: Pillowcases are available in standard and European sizes, are made of linen, and are widely sold in sets of two.

Available from: Smallacorns.co.nz and Bonnieandneil.com.au

For linen you could realistically find in a hotel.

When New Zealander Lisa Knowler stayed at Savoy Hotel in London, she slept in a way she never had at home. House of March, New Zealand's first Fairtrade-certified bedding brand, ensued. "I knew I wanted our bed linen to feel the perfect weight against the body as well as having the smoothest finish possible and was able to achieve this by making our bed linens from pure, long-staple cotton grown in India," she recently told Viva's Johanna Thornton. Her superlative linen is available in percale ("crisp and cool to the touch") and sateen ("smooth and light").

Pillow talk: Pillows come in long-staple 100 per cent organic cotton, have 300 thread counts, and are available in white and dual-toned colourways.

Available from: Houseofmarch.co.nz

For everything, everywhere, all at once.

Citta has the kind of extensive bedding range you’d expect of a homewares behemoth. The New Zealand brand keeps things calm and gentle, with palettes that orbit around ochres and neutrals and forest green, and textures that go from velvety quilts to wool throws and tactile, waffle-look bedspreads. Much of this offering is complementary, so you may not be able to resist going back to dress every bed (or room!) in your home.

Pillow talk: Cases are made in everything from Oeko-Tex-certified flax linen to GOTS-certified organic cotton and blends, and come in 94 variations.

Available from: Cittadesign.com

For drapey coverlets.

Another local label worth considering is Seneca, whose widely stocked bedding options sit somewhere between luxury and ease. Their Picnic Check duvets (read: multi-coloured pastels) and Ticking Stripe sets (classic heavy-weight lines in red, blue or black) are particularly lovely. When you want something drapey to cover the entirety of your bed base, consider their textured ripple weave bedspread sets, which, satisfyingly, touch the floor.

Pillow talk: Cases are available in standard, Oxford and European sizes, and are made of 100 per cent cotton, linen or linen-cotton blends. Some feature button closures.

View the full range at: Seneca.co.nz. Available from: Selected retailers, including Father Rabbit and Harvey Norman, nationwide.

The coastal contemporary.

Much of Thread Design's bedding is earthy and coastal, with mountainscapes and sandy cushions owing to its most recent themed collections, and is made of linen, but you’ll find 300-thread count basics too. As you’d expect, their pillows are super-soft; the brand recommends ironing some of them for a crisper finish, or giving them a light tumble dry before use to bring out the natural texture. Their signature duvet covers are similar, but the real draw is that they comprise of a heavy linen on the top and percale cotton on the bottom for moisture-wicking and temperature regulation. Want denim pillows? They have those too.

Pillow talk: Cases are available in standard, Oxford and European sizes, range from 300 thread count cotton to 100 per cent linen, and come in colours like Sage, Olive, Slate and Cinnamon.

Available from: Threaddesign.co.nz

For lots of cushions.

Need cushions? Klay, founded by Kirsty McLay, is a go-to for bolster, squab and globe shapes that feel dense and dependable. According to its site, cushion inners "are made from recycled fibre flocking, wadding and batting (a blend that is 80 per cent wool), covered in calico, each is hand-trussed, sculpted and steam-moulded into its final shape". Each cushion outer includes an invisible zip so it can be removed and washed. Choose from soothing colours like Persimmon Orange Velvet, Cardamom Pod Green and Red Wine.

Pillow talk: Cases are available in standard stripes in three colour options. Filled cushions are available in square, squab, globe, floor and bolster shapes, and are made from cotton and velvet.

Available from: Klay.co.nz

For when you need some fun.

It's the kind of bedding Lisa Bühler, the founder of retailer and pandemic success story Lisa Says Gah, would opt for: fun, a little bit silly, and bestowing of an ‘I need that’ fervor. There are squiggles and warped checkered matelassé coverlets. One is covered in 2D tulips, another is reminiscent of birch wood. For those looking for something simpler, there are thick stripes too.

Pillow talk: Covers are available as part of a set with duvet covers to match, and are variously made of cotton sateen (300 thread count) and cotton and polyester.

Available from: Dusendusen.com

The sumptuously simple.

Sometimes all you need is something crumpled. Australian brand Jardan's Oeko-Tex-certified combed cotton range (a process that smooths fibres before they’re spun into yarn) is a stand-out. They’re stonewashed, which is to say they’re soft and durable and feel grown-up, and come in the most meditative, mindful shade of purple (among others). Linen more your vibe? Choose from their Airo (heavy) or Lonnie (heavier, with a 160gsm weight) collections.

Pillow talk: Cases are available in standard and European sizes, and are made of Oeko-Tex-certified cotton or linen.

Available from: Jardan.com.au

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