THE BEST AFFORDABLE BED LINEN (ACCORDING TO ALEX)

Bed linen: it’s a necessity but so expensive. We switched to a king size bed (from a double) recently and the new bed linen, duvet and bottom sheets were a hidden cost I hadn’t thought about. We had spent all our money on the bed and had to wait for Christmas to ask for sheets as a gift. I suppose it is a vast amount of fabric, and then I always get frustrated that a seemingly affordable price advertised on a set I fall in love with ends up being the price for a single bed and the actual cost is well out of my price bracket. Bed linen is just not a whim purchase, which is why I thought I’d do some research to find the best, chicest styles that look more expensive than their price tag and will (hopefully) last you years.

My tip? Go classic; it might seem a more ‘boring’ option but trust me, climbing into crisp classic linen bed sheets in any colourway (no matter how plain), is something I’ll never tire of.

La Redoute

These are the first set of sheets we got for our bed and they are glorious. I love the navy, it feels really cosy and I don’t panic as much when the kids climb all over them, they barely show any stains/marks! La Redoute is great for bed linen, I buy a lot of the kids bedding there, too, especially things like pillowcases which you can buy as singles.

There is a slight hidden cost, as the bed linen doesn’t come with pillowcases – so remember to buy these as well and make sure you type standard, not square (which is a more European pillow cover).

Also looking at this for my daughter, as yellow and white are her favourite colours (but it doesn’t match any colour scheme in our home – we’ll see who wins that battle!)

H&M Home

Want a softer, less expensive, alternative to linen? Try muslin sheets – these have rave reviews online and look dreamy (pun intended).

H&M Home has an excellent range of more affordable bed linen which doesn’t break the bank and we now have a few sets from here. It’s also a great place to look for fitted sheets or a more ‘fashion forward’ style (if that’s even a thing with sheets!) – such as the flounced duvet cover.

It’s worth a look for kids sheets, too – I bought these for my daughter and you’d think they were Liberty.

John Lewis ANYDAY

I have bought so many items from John Lewis lately and their ANYDAY range is one I usually scour first – it’s affordable, excellent quality and not too fancy.

Toast

Okay, I know this is supposed to be a more affordable post but bear with me. Cost per wear (providing you don’t change the size of your bed any time soon), Toast makes sets that last – both in quality and style. And an iconic ticking stripe just won’t date for me…

Soak & Sleep

I do, however, believe in the power of a seersucker stripe and it can be a far more affordable option than linen. Soak & Sleep is a lovely brand I’ve bought from before, they have a range of plain french linen too which isn’t too crazily priced (although much more affordable for a double bed).

Made.com

I often forget interiors brands like Made do great bed linen, love this olive gingham set. Or for a more classic look, you can’t go wrong with a waffle set to make you feel like you live in a hotel. It doesn’t come with a free set of slippers, sadly.

Dusk

I have not tried this brand but have seen it pop up in my search and the prices seem great. I love the edging detail on this really affordable set which elevates it from being a bog standard cotton set.

The linen sets also come it at a reasonable price (for linen) – love the tie-side details on the pillowcases.

Muji

Once you’ve found the correct Muji site to browse, I would highly recommend! We used to have a brushed cotton bottom sheet which I love for winter. And I am a bit of a fan of a jersey set too, which are great value. If in doubt, the washed cotton sets are reasonably priced and wear really well.

IKEA

Bought an Ikea bed and duvet and can now only buy Ikea sheets? Do not fear, because thankfully they have really reasonably priced cotton striped sheets that are lovely (I have seen them in the flesh) in an array of colours. I also really rate their cot duvets (lightweight for warm bodies) even if their fitted sheet range (especially for the extendable kids bed mattresses) leaves much to be desired.

DUNELM

A reader reminded me of Dunelm and I just found these stripe sheets which look gorgeous – I’d always recommend looking for natural fabrics like cotton and linen with sheets – much more breathable, especailly in the summer months.

Obviously I can’t not mention discounted brands like TK Maxx or sites like Brand Alley – they often have amazing markdowns – but I have subscribed and unsubscribed from Brand Alley many times as the constant emails I find are too tempting! And if you want to spend a bit more and support more independent brands then definitely head to Etsy (I tend to scour reviews to find a seller to go with!)