Light Sleeper

	Photo: Frette

"Light" is an apt theme for this time of year.

The days are staying lighter longer, we're switching to lighter clothing, and it's a tempting season to introduce a lighter look at home.

As the weather becomes milder, you can give your bedroom a fresh look without changing your paint, furniture or window treatments.

Instead, focus on dressing the top of your bed in lighter layers.

Overall, home styles tend to be less seasonal than clothing. But let's face it, snuggling under a down comforter loses its appeal as the mercury rises, and the eye begins to crave paler hues thanks to increased sunlight.

It's time to pack up the Frette chinchilla throw that you may have treated yourself to with your holiday bonus, and dress your bed for the brighter days ahead in lightweight luxe of silk, bamboo, linen and high-quality cotton.

Style Wise

As the largest piece of furniture in the room, the bed automatically becomes the focal point that draws the eye.

Just as switching accessories can give new life to a familiar outfit, luxurious top-of-bed dressing with throws, bed scarves, coverlets and pillow shams can spark up the whole bedroom.

The "McMansion look" is out, says Scott Howard of JLA Home, the licensee for the new line of luxury bedding created by designer Josie Natori. "The big trend had been upholstery-weight jacquard fabric for the top of bed," he says. "It was overstyled, very formal, a poofy, big look. A refined, sleek look is the trend now."

Among the hot elements for cool bed dressing are quilted coverlets; duvets filled with silk fiber rather than down; fringed or tasseled throws, bed scarves and bed runners in a variety of shapes and sizes; steamer blankets, such as you might drape across your lap while lounging on the deck of a luxury ship; and narrow, rectangular limousine quilts.

Jane Berk of ABC Home views a layered bed as three-dimensional art.

The store's designers pile lacy textures or ethnic Chinese or Indian fabrics on the beds on display and "people love the presentation so much that they buy the bed and everything that's on it," Berk says.

The most important factor in decorating the bedroom, regardless of the season, is creating a look that you find comfortable and inviting.

Surround yourself with inviting colors and fabrics that you love to touch, and they'll add up to a sensual and relaxing atmosphere that will practically guarantee pleasant dreams.