How do I make up a bed in the French style with a large bolster pillow?
March 6, 2019 12:10 PM Subscribe
I am doing a trial of using a rolled up feather topper as a bolster pillow at the head of my bed. Right now I rolled it up in a flat sheet. It is to round to put in even two pillow cases. And the whole thing will have to be lifted off to make the bed with a contour sheet.
Many years ago while travelling in France, I stayed at hotels with a large round bolster type “pillow” at the head of the bed. The word pillow is in quotes, because some of them were so hard they could have been filled with sand. The bolster did not have a separate cover. Regular bed pillows were placed on top of the bolster. I wanted to remove the bolster but it appeared to be somehow wrapped into a separate sheet that was under the regular bottom sheet. Part of it hung down behind the top of the bed. I gave up on removing the bolster and slept sideways on the bed. Now I may not be remembering the exact setup, except the filled with sand part. I don’t know if this type of bolster is still used. Does anyone know how to make a bed this way?
Many years ago while travelling in France, I stayed at hotels with a large round bolster type “pillow” at the head of the bed. The word pillow is in quotes, because some of them were so hard they could have been filled with sand. The bolster did not have a separate cover. Regular bed pillows were placed on top of the bolster. I wanted to remove the bolster but it appeared to be somehow wrapped into a separate sheet that was under the regular bottom sheet. Part of it hung down behind the top of the bed. I gave up on removing the bolster and slept sideways on the bed. Now I may not be remembering the exact setup, except the filled with sand part. I don’t know if this type of bolster is still used. Does anyone know how to make a bed this way?
Look for "bolster case" in English or "taie de traversin" in French for a cover. The choices at Amazon are less than stellar, but La Redoute is French and has some more interesting choices. They ship internationally.
My family is not a bolster-using family, and to this day I can't stand it in a bed, but there must be people using them, because cases are still widely available. As far as I know people use cylindrical cases that allow for easy moving of the bolster, but hotels tend to make beds weirdly, so I have no idea what was going on in the hotels you stayed at. They're not filled with sand, just normal pillow stuffing, so either down or synthetic stuff, but hotel bedding tends to be quite firm, probably for durability reasons.
posted by snakeling at 1:29 PM on March 6, 2019
My family is not a bolster-using family, and to this day I can't stand it in a bed, but there must be people using them, because cases are still widely available. As far as I know people use cylindrical cases that allow for easy moving of the bolster, but hotels tend to make beds weirdly, so I have no idea what was going on in the hotels you stayed at. They're not filled with sand, just normal pillow stuffing, so either down or synthetic stuff, but hotel bedding tends to be quite firm, probably for durability reasons.
posted by snakeling at 1:29 PM on March 6, 2019
Many hotels have educational videos for their housekeeping staff on youtube. If you recall the hotel, you might be able to find instruction on how to make your bed according to their standards.
posted by windykites at 6:17 PM on March 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by windykites at 6:17 PM on March 6, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I am using a rolled up feather topper as a bolster.
The French hotel I stayed at with the very hard bolster was a very inexpensive hotel. It was forty years ago. It looked like it had not been updated since before World War II. The more expensive and updated hotels had softer bolsters. I think I have figured out how to arrange the sheets. If I place the bolster on the bed, then place a flat sheet over the bolster, leaving a two to three feet of the sheet to hang down the back of the top of the bed, I can then use my hand to tuck the sheet under the bolster all the way across. I do the same in the front of the bolster. The sides of the sheet are tucked in under the mattress. This sheet will not be long enough to tuck in at the bottom, but it is not going to move. A second flat sheet is then used and tucked in at the bottom and around the sides. A third flat sheet is used as the top sheet.
With this arrangement the bolster need not be moved to change the sheets.
posted by Sunday Morning at 2:31 PM on March 9, 2019
The French hotel I stayed at with the very hard bolster was a very inexpensive hotel. It was forty years ago. It looked like it had not been updated since before World War II. The more expensive and updated hotels had softer bolsters. I think I have figured out how to arrange the sheets. If I place the bolster on the bed, then place a flat sheet over the bolster, leaving a two to three feet of the sheet to hang down the back of the top of the bed, I can then use my hand to tuck the sheet under the bolster all the way across. I do the same in the front of the bolster. The sides of the sheet are tucked in under the mattress. This sheet will not be long enough to tuck in at the bottom, but it is not going to move. A second flat sheet is then used and tucked in at the bottom and around the sides. A third flat sheet is used as the top sheet.
With this arrangement the bolster need not be moved to change the sheets.
posted by Sunday Morning at 2:31 PM on March 9, 2019
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posted by beandip at 12:35 PM on March 6, 2019