Here's a great starting point for the selection of an elegant matching bed set.  We have Euro-shams and duvets as will as vintage American sizes in a variety of styles.  Give your guest bedroom or master suite the eye-catching appeal of a Better Homes & Gardens photo spread.

Just click on one of links below the example photos to view the full collection.

Bedding - Autumn Collection	Bedding - Coptic Collection	Bedding - Elements Collection
Bedding - Habitat Collection	Bedding - Java Collection	Bedding - Metalik Collection
Bedding - Natura Collection	Bedding - Rice Collection	Bedding - Willow Collection
Bedding - Kaleidoscope	Bedding - Pollen Collection	Bedding - Souk Collection

Duvet - An Expanded Definition:

To Americans, the term "duvet" has a definite European ring to it - as well it should, for it is actually a French word meaning "down" or "fluff".  But what exactly is a duvet?

First, let's make sure that everyone knows that "duvet" is pronounced "doo-vay" with a silent "t" as in "Chevrolet". 

Second, a duvet is NOT the same thing as a comforter.  Here's the difference.  A duvet as originally used was a simplified bed covering in colder European climates where it replaced sheets, blanket and quilts.  We might think of it as an open sleeping bag for beds.

Comforters, on the other hand, are typically used as a covering placed on top of, or over sheets and blankets.  A comforter therefore, does not simplify our bedding, but simply adds additional warmth and/or decorative accents.

But Wait, There's More!

Originally, rural Europeans constructed each duvet as a loose bag partially filled with down plucked from the breast of female eiders.  What is an eider, you ask?  Well, it is a duck, actually an ocean water or sea-duck, which breeds in the Arctic and is commonly found in waters along the coast of northern Europe.

Today, this source of down has largely been replaced by goose down and synthetics.  If you are into permaculture, you may be interested to know that eiderdown is actually a sustainable, natural source of down.  It can be harvested from nests after the young have left - always a good thing, when it does not require taking the life of an adult bird. Eiderdown was long considered the ultimate in natural insulation.

So if you use a duvet correctly, no sheets or blankets are required - just the duvet.  However, in the interest of preserving the duvet from frequently washing, North Americans (even more popular in Canada than the U.S.) usually place a duvet on top of a sheet combination (fitted and top).  

Think You Know Your Duvets?  Then It's Time For a Pop Quiz:

Without going to WikiPedia, see if you can answer the following:

1. What is a duvet called in Australia?
2. What are duvets called in Pakistan?
3. What does the term "duvet day" mean?

Answers:

1  A "doona" or a "continental quilt"

2  "Ralli quilts"

3  A day when employees do not come in to work - and not because they are ill or using vacation time either. They are just taking a "duvet day."  (In the U.K., some companies have stated allowances for these days.  We've noticed that this also occurs here in the United States. We refer to them as "personal days" - which does not sound nearly as elegant!)  In fact, calling such a day a "down day" is actually quite appropriate when you consider the another definition for the word down.