Getting comforter-able

Goose down or polyfill, these bedcovers can set a room’s color scheme

— It’s an item so aptly named.

Big, thick, sometimes weighty, the bed comforter - described as a type of blanket, a quilted bedcover, two sewn-together layers of cloth stuffed with filling to keep the sleeper warm - is so much more than the sum of its various definitions.

A comforter might also be described as the grown person’s security blanket, whether it’s a plain, fluffy, box-stitched rectangle filled with goose down that creates a warm nest, or an elaborate, multicolored piece accompanied by coordinating accessories and used to set the tone of a room.

Either way, the comforter has become a lot more appealing than Grandma’s quilt, which is now more likely to be a wall display than a bedcover, or the vintage chenille bedspread, a mere wallflower at the 21st-century slumber party.

“For our consumers, the draw of the comforters over quilts or plain spreads would be aesthetics,” says Melissa M. Carrington, marketing manager for Croscill Home in New York.

“A spread or a quilt generally covers the entire bed from the pillow to the floor, creating a flat look [and] also eliminating the opportunity to add decorative pillows, bed skirts or even decorative sheets. A comforter allows for more embellishments, pattern and overall cross-coordination.”

Comforters tend to be popular throughout the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States, says Jim Johnson, corporate designer/beddingbuyer for Dillard’s.

“Many people in this area buy the comforter for the beauty of the pattern and not necessarily for the warmth factor,” he says.

Comforters are seen as more formal than quilts and even some styles of bedspreads, Johnson continues, adding that Dillard’s sells nine comforters for every duvet cover and about five times as many comforters as bedspreads and quilts combined.

Pamela Cole Harris, author of About.com’s Guide to Budget Decorating, says that as a decorating tool, a comforter is a cheap date - “cheap being relative. You can spend a fortune oncomforters, or you can go bargain-basement.”

The experts say consumers are most inclined to purchase a comforter as part of a set. Most of the decorative comforter sets - sometimes referred to as a “bed in a bag” - will include only the bed skirt and shams. Toss pillows and a sheet set may be sold separately. But there’s also “room in a bag” sets, that also include a throw, sheet set, curtains, toss pillows or any combination.

“A set takes a lot of the guesswork out of decorating, so if a consumer does not feel confident enough to pull a coordinated look together, it becomes less intimidating,” Carrington says.

Some people are under the impression that comforters are only sold in sets, she says. Butthere are comforters that are sold alone as open stock, which allows the consumer to use creativity in choosing coordinated accessories.

Comforters fall in two basic categories: down comforters made with natural fibers and used mainly for warmth; and decorative comforters made of synthetic fabrics and filled with polyfill. The latter is most commonly found as part of a set.

“In our area, decorative comforters stay popular year-round,” Johnson says, although he has noticed a switch to down comforters in cooler weather. “We sell many more down comfortersin the fall and winter than we do in the spring and summer.” On the whole, the chain definitely sells more decorative comforters, he adds.

Buyers of decorative comforters are the most likely to want to alter the look of a room, change its color scheme, or start decorating the room from scratch, says Karyn Maynard, a customer service trainer for Bed Bath and Beyond.

Many brides prefer the decorative sets as a way to establish or stick with a certain color scheme in a room. “A lot of times the bedding is the first step in the decorative process,” as well as the easiest step, she says. “They get the bedding and match the paint, curtains and towels.”

Maynard has also observed that most customers want to match their master bathroom linens with their bedding linens. Johnson cites a neighborwho picked out a comforter set from Dillard’s, painted the room to match, obtained coordinating bath accessories and towels, and even replaced her bathroom fixtures.

With the winter solstice last Monday, it seems only fitting that thoughts of after-Christmas sales include finding a new comforter - not just for a good, cozy night’s sleep, but as a lifter of the spirits.

After all, “winter is such a dull season anyway,” Harris says.

“We go into the same old room with the same old comforter and it may just look and feel depressing. If you can get a comforter that’s a rich, warm color, it makes you feel that way as well.”

Coming next week: Along with wishing

you a Happy New Year,

your home has some

resolutions it hopes you

will make so you’ll enjoy

living there even more.

HomeStyle, Pages 27 on 12/26/2009

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