Come summer, a coverlet is great alternative to quilts or heavy blankets and adds an extra layer of comfort, color and decoration to the foot of a bed. Traditionally made of matelassé fabric, the stitching mimics quilting, but isn’t truly a quilt (which has a layer of batting between the two sides). Perfect for cottage bedrooms or bunkies, here are some examples of breezy coverlets from the H&H archives that will give your bedding a shot of summer style .
In this Muskoka cottage , a thin knit coverlet can be pulled up on cool nights and blends in with the neutral palette.
Photographer: Valerie Wilcox
Designer: Jaime Drohan
A modern patchwork coverlet picks up the tones of the riotous floral wallpaper in this Quebec, country home .
Photographer: André Rider
Designer: Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal
The channeled coverlets on these twin beds in this Quebec guesthouse create an earthy, tonal look that grounds this bedroom.
Photographer: Photographie Intérieur
Designer: Mélanie Cherrier and Laurence Pons Lavigne
This picnic fresh gingham coverlet brightens the mornings of owner Rosie Daykin in her West Coast bungalow .
Designer: Rosie Daykin
It’s no surprise that Deb Nelson’s Chester, Nova Scotia home sports nautical stripes. In her principal bedroom, a fresh combo of blues is bracing and perfect for summer.
Photographer: Janet Kimber
Designer: Deb Nelson
Pretty matelassé paisley coverlets pull a bedroom’s twin beds together. Old school quilts, antique furniture and fixtures are modernized with crisp white walls in this PEI home.
Photographer: Janet Kimber
Designer: Sarah Richardson, Tanya Bonus, Tommy Smythe and Lindsay Mens
A heritage Hudson Bay Point Blanket is a classic cottage essential. In designer Fenwick Bonnell’s New Brunswick cottage , the colorful stripes and sunny accent pillow are fun and functional.
Photographer: Janet Kimber
Designer: Fenwick Bonnell
At this Bowen Island retreat , the focus is on the natural beauty, so the bedding is white. To give a juicy hit of color, a coral Hay Mega Dot coverlet with a raised circular pattern is trimmed in a grey.
Photographer: Ema Peter
Designer: Office of McFarlane Biggar Architectue + Architects (OMB)
In this Muskoka cottage, the beige tassled trim is a fun touch for this quilted coverlet. Along with the woven pendant, this coverlet gives the room a tropical resort vibe.
Photographer: Valerie Wilcox
Designer: Cory DeFrancisco
Designer Deb Nelson mixes a soft, rosette-patterned coverlet with an oatmeal throw for a quaint, layered look that’s highly personal.
Photographer: Janet Kimber
Designer: Deb Nelson
Nubbly knit blue throws inject a shot of color in this West Coast cottage on Lake Whatcom. On these platform beds, the bedding is tucked tight under the mattress for a neat, orderly look.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Designer: Lisa Moody
In this West Coast cottage’s principal bedroom, two throws are layered together to enliven the white bedding, and mimic the striped pillows.
Photographer: Janis Nicolay
Designer: Lisa Moody
Along with a nubbly rug and pine panelling, a casual rumpled linen coverlet with a raw-edge injects subtle texture into this B.C. cottage on Bowen Island.
Photographer: Ema Peter
Designer: Patrick Warren
Pale, shell-pink twin coverlets are a subtly sweet way to warm up a neutral scheme in this Florida golf cottage .
Photographer: Andrea Kellaway
Designer: Emily Griffin and Gail Marshall
This chevron stitched coverlet looks cool, offers some lightweight comfort and is a pristine counterpoint to the medallion-print bedspread.
Photographer: Andrea Kellaway
Designer: Emily Griffin and Gail Marshall