I might not actually be settling in for a long winter’s nap, but I am definitely getting my cozy on with warm bedding in cheery patterns.
Flannel Sheet Season
Do you know what season it is?!
The holiday season might just be starting, but flannel sheet season here in Maine is already well under way!
Do you enjoy flannel sheets?
My love for them runs deep. Long before I moved to Maine.
They are soft and cozy. And best of all, they are warm when you get in bed at night.
With the family coming for Christmas this year, I want to make sure the bedding in each of the rooms is cheery and welcoming.
Today I am showing you how I make the beds with cozy layers and soft textures for winter.
And of course that includes flannel sheets on all of them!
The best thing?! This bedding is not just for the holiday season — it will brighten and warm your beds (and toes!) through February and beyond!
Let’s get our cozy on!
Main Bedroom
Last year I was lucky to partner with Garnet Hill for a holiday bedding refresh.
I made sure that everything I chose — floral Mayberry organic cotton flannel sheets, white scalloped Trapunto quilt, and plaid wool and cashmere throw and pillow — would carry me beyond Christmas and through the winter.
The beautiful Noel embroidered pillow cover lent a touch of holiday cheer.
This year I added a boldly patterned comforter and shams in William Morris’s Strawberry Thief pattern.
William Morris, part of the British Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, was a designer, craftsman, poet, and social activist. He is now best known for his stylized floral textile and wallpaper designs.
My bedding set is made by Morris & Co, but I was lucky to find it at my local HomeGoods!
I have to admit that the bold reds are not my normal color palette for our home here, but I am liking it for this time of year when it can be rather bleak outside.
Pro tip:
Notice I have a mix of pattern sizes — small floral on the sheets, large on the comforter and shams, and a geometric for the pillow and throw. So as not to overwhelm, the comforter is folded at the foot of the bed. The neutral white quilt acts as a “palate cleanser”, while its beautiful stitched pattern adds texture.
A Little Christmas
Yes, that is a Christmas tree you see in the bedroom!
I will share more about it soon, but for now, I will say that I am in love with the warm glow it adds to the space!
See my post Planning My Holiday Home Part 1 — Greenery and Decor for a link to this exact tree.
More to come!
The Captain’s Bedroom
I fell in love with LL Bean’s Coastal Landscape flannel sheet pattern for the Captain’s Bedroom.
With its design of fish shacks, spruce-dotted islands, lobster boats, and seagulls, it mimics the view out our windows. It is quintessential coastal Maine!
I paired the sheets with a Garnet Hill quilt I already owned and a fluffy white duvet folded at the foot of the bed.
The quilt is no longer available, but I have linked one below from the Company Store that has a similar look. Bonus, it is 30% off right now!
The sailing ship needlepoint pillow was a local purchase. I keep it out year round. It goes perfectly with the vintage sailing ship prints hanging above the bed.
Shopping Sources:
Waterside Guest Bedroom
I turned again to iconic Maine business LL Bean for the sheets in the waterside guest room.
The pretty Birch Floral pattern has many of the same colors as The Company Store quilt I have had for years. It is also no longer available, but I have linked a patchwork quilt that is similar below
The plaid throw pillow was a HomeGoods find and the blanket is from Garnet Hill (linked above).
Pro tip:
While the pattern of the sheets and quilt here are similar in scale, the white background of the sheets creates contrast.
I always like to have something — a quilt, comforter, or blanket — folded at the foot of the bed. It gives the bed a finished look and it is nice to have an extra layer at the ready in case the sleeper gets chilly. And of course it is the opportunity to add another pattern or texture — or sometimes to give a break from all the pattern.
Shopping Sources:
Guest Cottage
Remember the guest cottage?! I have to admit I sort of forget about it this time of year.
But it will be full at Christmas! (Probably with two adults, a baby, and a dog!)
For the bed here this year, I added a new comforter cover and throw pillow to sheets, quilt, and shams I have had for years.
The flannel plaid sheets are a classic windowpane plaid from LL Bean. (A Maine home has to have plenty of LL Bean in it!) I don’t see them on the website, but I am linking some that are similar below.
The quilt and shams are old from The Company Store. Again, I have linked something similar below.
And the Woodland Winter organic cotton flannel duvet cover is new this year from Garnet Hill. I absolutely adore this enchanting print with its forest critters, trees, and berries. And it just happens to coordinate perfectly with the bedding I already had for this space!
The red and white buffalo check throw pillow is another HomeGoods find.
I know there is a lot of pattern going on here, but I just love how they all play with one another. This was a fun one!
Shopping Sources:
Pinterest “Cozy Winter Bedding” Board
This Week Into Next
I actually had fun pulling all these beds together.
You can clearly see that I am not a plain white sheet gal. Playing with pattern and color brings me such joy!
For more on my mix and match bed styling, check out these posts:
Summer Ready in the Guest Cottage
A Bedding-Inspired Spring Bedroom Refresh
Cozy Cottage Mix and Match Bedding
I enjoyed styling the beds, but getting the photos for this post was tough. Today was dark and stormy. It definitely was not one of those sunglasses-on-in-the-house kind of mornings. I hope that made for a cozy feel to the photos!
Now it is time for a quick workout, and then I have two dishes to prep for Thanksgiving.
By the time you read this, I hope you will have enjoyed a wonderful holiday and maybe snagged a few good deals at the Black Friday sales!
This weekend Christmas decorating will begin in earnest for me.
And shopping too!
This will be my first Christmas with grandbabies to shop for! Any great gift recommendations?! Jamie will be 11 months and Poppy 9 months.
Gotta run!
Peace and love,
I love all the color and patterns in your bedding! They are so winter and cozy! I’m originally from Buffalo, NY and as a young girl loved all the cozy of a well made bed but as an adult living in NC for the last 32 years I don’t have a need for flannel sheets but I still love the colorful patterns in quilts and try to find colorful regular sheets that work. The winters just aren’t cold enough for flannel but I too love the feel of a nice flannel sheet or nightgown. You’ve made a perfectly beautiful bed that exudes the north and makes me want to go home…well done!
Thank you, Shirley! I also love a colorful quilt, and for me, the more pattern the better! The sources I shared in my post also have great non-flannel bedding too!
P.S. Will you come decorate my tree? Lol I am so in love with your decorating style!
Aw, thanks!
I love your tree. It sitting in front of the windows is such a picturesque scene! We actually do make up cozy beds in Florida, but only with flannel sheets. We rarely need any thing more. I know you would laugh knowing what we consider cold temperatures. I have babies to buy for this Christmas too, my two great grandbabies. Since their parents (my grandchildren) remembered I go a little 😂 overboard at Christmas, they’ve asked me not to do that. So I decided on a book, a toy, and a jacket. My littles will be 8 and 9 months.❤️
Wow, first Christmas with great grandchildren! That is fabulous! I already picked out books. I think I will get something practical and something fun for each of them too. Enjoy your cozy flannel sheets!
Beautiful bedrooms, Molly! You have a knack for layering color and texture to perfection. I love flannel sheets too. And believe it or not it’s suddenly cold enough here to consider making the switch. Thanks for all the great ideas and inspiration to keep things cozy and colorful. xo
Thank you, Juliet! I love mixing and matching patterns and colors. It makes me so happy! Thank you for all the inspiration you provide too!
So warm and comfy, Molly! As my 7 grandchildren came along, one tradition I began is to gift them each a Christmas ornament every year. That way when they are grown they will have their own collection, a sweet reminder/memory of times spent with their grandmother.
That is a great idea, Linda! My mom did that for our kids. I still have some of the ornaments and it is a great memory for me too — of my kids and my mom!
Loving all your beds! We like to keep our bedroom temperature on the cool side, and getting into bed with flannel sheets feels like a warm hug!
Thank you! Yes, it does feel so wonderful to get into a bed made with flannel sheets!
Oh Molly all your beds give me that “the children were nestled all snug in their beds” feeling. It’s been awhile since I owned a set of flannel sheets but I do remember how nice it felt to crawl into a warm bed. I’m definitely adding that to my shopping list. I think the stormy day was the perfect backdrop for your cozy photos and it put me in the mood to start thinking about decorating and prepping for houseguest (with a dog) oh my. One thing I did for my granddaughters who are just 2 months apart for their first Christmas was matching pajamas with their name embroidered. They were 7 and 9 months at the time. Still one of my favorite photos of them together. Whatever you do will be just right…how exciting they get to spend their first cousin Christmas at
Mim’s seaside cottage.
Thanks, Julie! I think you definitely need some flannel sheets for the winter! They aren’t hot, just cozy! And yes, my daughters have already purchased matching pjs for Jamie and Poppy! It will be so fun to see them together — they are definitely getting to the age when they will interact!
Your beds look so cozy! The strawberry thief pattern is one of my favorites. Being from the South, I have never slept on flannel sheets!
Thanks, Jane! I was so surprised to find the William Morris bedding at HomeGoods! I don’t necessarily think it has to be super cold for flannel sheets — I just like how they are soft and they are not cool when I get in bed at night!
Such a fun blog post Molly. All the different patterns are fabulous. I could never pick a favorite. Stay cozy my friend!
Thanks, Ann! I know you love a cozy patterned bed too!
Cute and cozy, Mollie! When my grandchildren were born I decided to gift them each a Christmas ornament every year. I figure that when they are grown and have their own homes to decorate, they will have many happy little reminders of time spent with this Meme.
That is a great idea, Linda! My mom did that for our kids. When they went out into the world, they took some and I kept a few — it is a nice memento for me now too of both my kids when they were little and also of my mom.
Molly, you really have the gift for styling beds. I consider myself pretty good at designing my home but this is one area that stymies me.
How fun for you that you have two grand babies now. Enjoy!
Hi Karen — The key for me when styling beds is to pile on the layers — even if you are using solids. But don’t go overboard on the pillows. Two for sleeping and then one or two throw pillows. (Which I use to prop myself up when reading in bed.) Yes, I can’t wait to have both grandbabies here for Christmas! It will be fun to see them together!