Bed of luxury: You can spend a lot or a little on the white linens of your dreams

Our bed is covered with a rotating assortment of faded quilts and comforters for two reasons: Frankie, the golden retriever, and Ralph, the rottie mix.

Because they feel entitled to half of our king-size bed, the more colorful and patterned the top layer of linens is — to disguise permanent stains and dog hair — the better.

And so it is that rather than having the big fluffy white bed of my dreams, I must settle for a bed that looks like something Fred Sanford slept on.

If a recent Huffington Post story is true, I’m missing out on luxurious sleep. It quotes a design official for Westin and Sheraton hotels saying that an all-white bed “connotes luxury and a good night’s sleep.” The story credits Westin Hotels with creating the Heavenly Bed.

There’s no scientific evidence to back up the claim, but one thing is for sure — a big fluffy white bed feels good, especially when made up of layers of Egyptian cotton sheets, down covers and pillows. It breathes while swaddling you in soft, warm airiness.

Just because I can’t have a big fluffy white bed doesn’t mean you can’t. Here are a range of options for creating a bed that should help you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud.

Let me know how it feels.

The complete package

The simplest option is to just buy a Westin Heavenly Bed at westinstore.com. There are various packages starting with the Ultra Luxe Bed & Bedding set, which comes with more than a dozen items including a mattress, box spring, pillows, bed skirt and 600-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens from Italy. Prices range from $4,136 for queen-size package to a $4,796 king-size.

A less expensive version, which includes 200-thread-count cotton-blend sheets and a down-alternative duvet insert, ranges from $3,108 to $4,063, depending on the size.

Go super luxe

Get yourself over to the Country Club Plaza’s Terrasi European Collections, which says it carries the Midwest’s definitive collection of quality European bed linens and sumptuous down goods.

There you’ll find 500-thread-count Adriana Percale Bedding from Italy. It’s made from Egyptian combed cotton yarns that are woven and then double-finished to create a soft hand. For a queen bed, a flat sheet is $225, a fitted sheet is $175, a pair of standard pillowcases is $140, and a duvet cover is $550. Throw in a queen-size, medium-weight Luxembourg comforter made of German silk, cotton jacquard and 800-fill-power Siberian white goose down for $3,395, and you’ve just invested more in your linens than the entire Heavenly Bed ensemble.

And if you want a mattress, Terrasi carries the Vibrant Health Sleep System, which runs between $4,398 and $6,310 (depending on the size).

Everyday luxe

If you’re more middle-class, like me, there are plenty of affordable high-quality products, too, to fancy up your bed. Here’s where to find it all, in queen sizes:

▪ Egyptian cotton striped bedskirt, $30.99 at Overstock.com. It’s 300-thread-count cotton with a 15-inch drop.

▪ SwissLux eco feather bed topper, $79.99 at Overstock.com.

▪ Skydda Hogt mattress protector, $24.99 at Ikea. It will protect the bed topper and keep feathers from poking you all night long.

▪ Egyptian cotton 320-thread-count woven stripe sheet set, $42.99 at Overstock.com.

▪ Threshold down comforter, $79.99 at Target.

▪ Ofelia Vass duvet cover and two pillowcases, $49.99 at Ikea. This is only 205-thread-count cotton, so it’s not ultra soft, but it’s also not next to your skin. It will add a nice dobby texture to your bed and prevent the comforter’s feathers from poking through.

▪ Circle of Down Pillows, $99.99 for a set of four at Overstock.com. These pillows, which feature an inner core of feathers surrounded by soft down, get high customer ratings and are a real steal.

This entire package will cost you about $409 (not including tax or shipping), about the same as two nights at The Westin at Crown Center.

This story was originally published October 11, 2014 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Bed of luxury: You can spend a lot or a little on the white linens of your dreams."