Cotton Bedspreads | Double & King Size

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Cotton bedspreads, made to be layered

Choosing a bedspread

A bedspread is the finishing layer on a made bed, lying over the duvet and pillows to pull everything together. Ours are cut generously, sized to cover a king-size bed with room to fall over the sides and to drape almost to the floor on a double, so the choice comes down to look, texture and weight rather than fit.

Start with pattern. Our jacquard-woven bedspreads carry their design in the weave itself, so they read as texture as much as colour, and some are double-sided, with a second tone on the reverse to change the room's mood. Matelassé designs have no printed pattern at all; their raised, quilted-looking surface catches the light and suits a calmer, tonal bedroom. For more colour, a hand block-printed design brings a printed pattern and the gentle padding of a quilted bedspread.

Then think about the season. Cotton breathes, so even our heavier designs are light enough to stay on the bed through the warmer months, while adding a welcome extra layer as the nights draw in.

Spread one fully over the bed for a tailored finish, or fold it in thirds across the foot, where it adds texture and keeps a layer within easy reach. Paired with an upholstered headboard, it gives a guest bedroom the same considered welcome as your own.

How our cotton bedspreads are made

Most of our cotton bedspreads are woven from pure cotton in Portugal, where we travelled to work with skilled makers for our bed linen. Cotton suits a bedspread well: it breathes, washes well and holds a woven texture crisply.

Jacquard weaving controls each warp thread on the loom individually, building the pattern into the structure of the cloth rather than printing it on top. That's what gives the design its depth, and why a double-sided piece shows its pattern in reverse on the other side. Tailored edges finish the woven designs neatly.

Matelassé, from the French for padded or quilted, is a traditional weaving technique that raises a pattern in relief, giving the look of quilting without stitching through a filling. It has a satisfying weight on the bed while staying light enough for summer.

Our block-printed bedspreads are made differently again. Skilled artisans print the pattern onto the cotton by hand with carved blocks, then quilt it over a soft filling. Because each print is placed by hand, small variations in colour and pattern are a natural part of the process, and no two bedspreads are quite alike.

Bedspreads FAQ's

Any of our bedspreads will dress a double or king-size bed, with room to spare. They measure between 240 and 250 centimetres wide and 250 to 260 centimetres long. On a standard UK king size mattress, at 150 by 200 centimetres, that leaves around 45 to 50 centimetres falling over each side, enough to cover the mattress and much of the base. On a double, at 135 by 190 centimetres, the drop is deeper still, falling close to the floor on many frames. On a super king, a bedspread will cover the top and the mattress edge with a short, neat drop rather than draping down the sides. The generous length lets you tuck the top edge under the pillows or fold it back over them.

It mostly comes down to size. A bedspread is cut to cover the whole bed, from the pillows to the foot and over both sides, and is the top layer of a made bed. A coverlet is often used for the same thing, particularly a lighter, flatter piece, and our woven jacquard and matelassé designs sit comfortably under either name. A bed throw is smaller, made to fold across the foot of the bed or drape over the arm of a chair. Our throws and blankets are cut to that smaller scale in natural fibres, including wool, and layer well over a cotton bedspread when the weather turns colder. If you'd like one piece that dresses the whole bed, choose a bedspread.

Let the bedspread bring the pattern or texture, and keep the bed linen beneath it simple. Our design director, Fred, suggests offsetting pattern with crisp white bed linen, which brings freshness and clarity, and avoiding perfectly matched fabrics so the room feels as though it has evolved over time. A jacquard or matelassé bedspread over plain cotton bed linen gives a calm, layered bed, while a block-printed design works best with one or two plainer cushions drawn from its colours. Fred also recommends a strong headboard to anchor the bed. Fold the bedspread back to show a band of pillowcase, or draw it up over the pillows for a more formal finish.

Wash it rarely and gently, and it will keep the texture that gives it character. Because a bedspread sits above the duvet rather than against your skin, it needs washing far less often than your sheets, and shaking it out and airing it between washes keeps it fresh. When it does need a wash, machine wash it cool, at 30 degrees, on its own and on a delicate cycle for our quilted and matelassé designs, then let it dry naturally rather than tumble drying. The care labels advise against ironing, since pressing would flatten the woven or quilted surface. Out of season, fold it loosely and store it somewhere dry and breathable rather than sealed in plastic.