Why couldn't the shams be the decorative element? If you have a solid color down comforter, matching solid bedskirt (or none), do shams in a beautiful print that includes your comforter color. Simple,but effective. If you are really going for a "look", then get a quilt that has matching king shams, fold the quilt at the foot of the bed over the comforter - now you have a coordinated, more 'dressed bed.

I have both down and down alt comforters. I think you may be sorry if you get down. There are many places that won't dry clean, also it it expensive to have done. They said that the oil in the down comes through so they wash it.

Also , I have really expensive German down and they still have a "smell". Be aware of this. All down has an odor...to some extent. I dress all my beds in white. I have matalasse on all. Shams and quilts folded at the end. Different patterns in diff. rooms. Hope this helps you decide. If you go alt. filling you can always wash it yourself. Wish I had done so. Caroline

Dlm, that's an excellent idea, I wish I had thought of it! Thank you. I'd love to see photos if anyone has done this. :)

And Caroline, I had heard that about down, though I know some people who swear by them. I have bad allergies so I suppose down-alternative is what I should get.

I discussed this down vs down alt thing w/ a friend today who suggested I get a less expensive down-alt from Target and live with it for a few months before investing in a nicer one from The Co. Store. Which is really a good idea. Who knows, I may hate it and want a regular comforter (we've used those for 30 years) instead.

Susan

mpwd. I got my down alt at TJ MAXX, They had very very nice ones and a great price. I got DD one too and she loves it. I think your friend it right . Try it and see. My down blankets are the ones you see on Overstock and SierraTradingPost and TJmaxx...lots of places. They are all made by the same company. I decided after talking to the drycleaners to go for it and wash one of them. It turned out great and the odor is greatly reduced. I used gentle cycle and then opened the machine and said " oh no .." it looked black ! Ha the down was showing through...I grabbed it out...weighed a ton as I used gentle spin too. I put it in the dryer on very low heat for about 45 min and then looked ..it was great...very white. I took it outside and hung it for 24 hrs. It is nicely fresh now. My biggest German comforter has the very least odor...almost none. It was very expensive ...so I guess that is the key. But you do want German down...none other in my experience. My featherbed is from Blue ridge and I am not real happy with it . The feathers get out no matter how I try to encase it. The featherbed covers all shrink...you have to use a duvet cover to contain it. I am really thinking of going to a good laundromat and washing it in its duvet cover.

If you have allergies I would really not get down. Hope this has helped you decide. Caroline

Many downs are washable even though they may state "dry clean only."

Have you checked out Macy's. Their plain white down comforters are washable. I've had mine for 2 years and would not part with it. It is washed frequently with no problem. Just throw some tennic balls or dryer balls in the the Dryer.

I think they may carry the thinner colored ones also. I did not have them on the web site but I remember seeing them last year in the stores.

Too bad for we don't have Macy's anymore (hurricane recovery-mode from 3 yrs ago - Rita, not Katrina) and we've never had TJ Maxx although I've shopped one at Houston.

I do know those who've washed their down comforters and they say it works, though of course the tag says not to. Most have gotten them at clearance so it's not quite the same risk to wash as a more expensive one.

Thanks girls, I appreciate your thoughts and experiences! :)

Susan

Ditto the suggestion of tennis balls in the dryer. I wash down comforters, jackets, you name it. Never had any problems. And the idea of dry-cleaning chemicals on something you're sleeping next to for 8-10 hours a night... ick.

Wow, I love my down, and I've NEVER had a problem with smell! I think you need to buy a good quality down one that is clean and hypo allergenic. Pacific Coast has some good ones, so does the Company store. I wash my down comforters in my washing machine, then dry on low with tennis balls in the dryer. No problems and one of my comforters is 14 years old! I was so happy when it got chilly the other day and I could bring them out of the closet. Nothing compares to good quality down.

We use a down comforter but have a duvet cover over it that is white with our monogram embroidered in green. We have that folded in thirds at the end of the bed. Our cotton blanket is a spring green, and it is tucked in at the sides. We have a toile dust skirt banded in a check fabric used on the bias that was custom made for the bed. The sheets are white, and we have two down euro-size pillows that have white pique shams and two regular-sized dacron pillows that we use a variety of cases on---with embroidered scalloped edge that matches the sheets, or monogrammed, some with a handkerchief lace edge in yellow, etc. We change the pillow cases every third day, so I have more of them than sheets. The overall effect is very calming, I think:

Love down! Love the airy, light weight. It just floats over your body. The alts I've seen have been too heavy.
Ditto washing in washer/dry with with tennis balls. Have done so on several of them for past 10 years...no problems. Do not use bleach as does something to the down.
I have two cotton quilts/spreads : one for summer, one for Fall/winter. With both I use a cream colored bedskirt, king shams and the cream down comforter folded at the bottom.( Ca. summer evenings can be chilly.) I do have accent pillows I can use, also.

My Company Store down is lighter and washable. My T.J. Maxx comforter is a big heavy down, I use Dec.-Feb and needs a duvet. There is different weights depending how warm you like it. I'd die of heat stroke with the heavy one on in the fall. I also purchaed the colored Company Store comforter for my elderly parents since they would never pay that much. My dad always tells me how he keeps the window open a crack and pulls that that thing over him and thats why he sleeps late. Company Store also comes in 3 weights.

I just washed the lighter one for the first time and when I took it out of the washing machine I thought the cat pooped somewhere in the basement. When I found out it was coming from the comforter, I washed it again. I had to smile reading this thread and finding out the down smells. And I blamed the poor cat.

KSWL,

Your bed coverings are very pretty.

Where did you order a monogramed Duvet Cover from and where did they place the monogram? I think it would work for my MBR.

Thanks for posting the photo kswl, your room is charming!

Even though The Co. Store says their down is non-allergenic etc. my Dr. recommends down-alternative, so I guess I'll choose one of those. Just not a heavy one.

Susan

Thank you jerseygirl and mpwdmom :)

We bought the duvet cover from Pottery Barn about six years ago. The monogram is right in the middle of it. When we fold it in thirds and lay it across the bottom of the bed the monogram is visible. You can't see it in the photo as it is a spring or leaf green. (When you fold it that way you can pull it up at night and it sort of unfolds on top of you.)

We wash the duvet only about once every 2 or 3 weeks and use oxyclean or Biz in the wash instead of bleach, and that has kept it intact. It gets ironed and looks very crisp for a day or so! The sheets that coordinated lasted only about 2 years until they shredded into strips, as we bleach the sheets unmercifully. I have been lucky lately to get nice sheets (frette and porhault) at Tuesday Morning for our queen-sized bed that have been very reasonable at about 60% off retail.