Bedskirts
The bedskirt (or bed skirt) is an often overlooked piece of bedroom decor that can be both attractive and functional. At its best it can become an intwegral part of your bedroom design.
What Is a Bedskirt?
A bedskirt is an item of bed linen that hangs down from the bottom of the mattress to the floor. It usually consists of what looks like a sheet with extra sections attached to three of the four sides. This is then placed between the mattress and the bed frame so that the extra sections hang down - hence creating a "skirt" for the bed. A bedskirt usually ony has material protruding on three sides, the head of the bed is left plain.
The skirting could be in any design, however it's usually ruffled or pleated. The bottom of the drop can be either plain or tailored and sometimes it has a number of eyelets (essentially holes). Cotton is the most common material however you can also buy them in more exotic fabrics such as silk, denim or velvet.
Why?
So, why use a bedskirt? The first reason is obviously to complement the decor. You can buy all types of design, possibly as a set with the rest of your bedding or the bed itself.
From a practical viewpoint the bedskirt can hide the space under the bed which - if you're anything like me - is used for ad hoc storage of all sorts of stuff! It can also help to prevent dust accumulating in this area which might reduce the problems from dust mites.
As with all bed linens, skirts are available in most standard bed sizes such as Queen, King etc but always check the actual size of your bed, especially if buying online. Don't forget to check the "drop" of your bed - the space between the top of the bed and the floor. The standard for bedskirts is 15", but different brands may differ as may your bed.
Dust Ruffles
A dust ruffle does much the same job as a bedskirt and looks pretty much the same once fitted, however the design is very different. Rather than a skirt the dust ruffle is more like a "garter" for the bed. Instead of a full size sheet it consists of a band that is fitted around the bed frame. The traditional dust ruffle was elasticated to hold it in place, today many are attached using velcro.