The Once-Dated Bedroom Design Trend That's Making An Unexpected Comeback In Homes

Everything in design is cyclical, with trends fading from popularity only to find their way back into favor decades later for a new audience. Sometimes you can easily understand why. Other times, something that seems completely unlikely to ever make a resurgence finds a stylish and surprising new place in current design trends. One such unexpected blast from the past — that has been circling social media and the design world — is something you may only associate with Grandma's house: the bed skirt.

For those of you young enough to not have had these ruffled numbers on your childhood bed, you may be wondering what exactly is a bed skirt and when do you need one? Sitting between the mattress and box spring, a bed skirt is a piece of bedding that is designed to cover a visible box spring on beds without side rails, such as a simple low frame or standard metal frame that is often used with standalone headboards. Having first become popular in the 1920s, bed skirts were an essential part of a proper bedding set for decades, until the early 2000s when trends favored straight tailored bed skirts ... or more commonly, none at all, with most people opting for a bed frame with side rails, or one that didn't require a box spring. 

That has changed. With recent design trends gravitating toward more traditional and vintage-inspired aesthetics, the bed skirt is making its reappearance in a big way, with variations from a ruffled floral perfectly suited for your cottagecore bedroom, all the way to a tailored linen skirt with plenty of sophistication for a more contemporary primary suite.

Originally called dust ruffles and created to keep out dust and block drafts, the image likely brought to mind when you hear "bed skirt" is that of the full, gathered style straight out of the 1980s. Well, believe it or not, the bed skirts today aren't too far off from that! However, in one of the many Grandma chic trends, today's bed skirts are doubling down when it comes to fullness and drama to create a dynamic layer of texture, color, and pattern. With homeowners more open to embracing such things in their homes after a long trend of minimalistic white bedding, people are also now showcasing bed skirts to give their bedding a dense, layered, cozy look with a vintage charm.

Try using a floral bed skirt with a vintage pattern in combination with other colors and patterns to create that perfect English cottage-inspired bedroom. Or use a ruffled linen skirt with a preppy pinstripe for a softer old farmhouse vibe. Alternatively, turn up the drama and luxury with a thick, full velvet bed skirt in a deep moody hue like forest green, aubergine, or ochre. Many of these full ruffled skirts are styled to puddle a bit on the ground for a feminine drape, with tons of texture and visual impact (just like puddling curtains). When it comes to modernizing Grandma's dust ruffle, maximizing the volume and injecting tons of texture, color, or pattern are key.

Okay, but what if the puddled ruffle look ... well, isn't for you? Does that mean bed skirts are a no-go? While the ruffled version is certainly associated with traditional decorating styles, the great news is that there are more tailored, modern options available for those who want an additional layer of softness without the gathered vibe. Look for skirts called straight, panel, or pleated to give to a silhouette with minimal to no pillowing or puddling. This crisp, sophisticated look gives the same vibes as a chic, tailored slipcovered chair or sofa. Because it has clean, straight lines, the look has more versatility with contemporary or coastal styles, while still adding another layer of texture and softness to your bedding setup.

A slightly puddled pleated linen bed skirt in white or oatmeal makes for a stunning, timeless look, straight out of a luxury hotel. A panel bed skirt with a decorative fringe is a whimsical way to add extra texture and visual interest without the volume of a ruffle. Alternatively, achieve the perfect transitional layering piece by using a straight bed skirt with a vertical ticking stripe in a muted hue, or one with a classic, simple black and white plaid. Whether your style is a full, dramatic ruffled Grandma chic look, or more of a contemporary tailored vibe, consider looking to this once-dated bed skirt trend to inject tons of layered texture and softness to your bedroom design.