The Victorian era brought us many things—floral motifs, linen trimmed in lace, and some of the best ruffled bedding history has ever witnessed. Two centuries later, frills and flounces are back in style on the heels of the cottagecore bedding scene, allowing your bedscape to embrace its softer side.The beauty of frills lies in its delicate silhouette that pairs equally well with gingham bedding as it does with florals or simple solid colors. In fact, an all-white ruffled bedding set or a frilly decorative pillow is all you need to lighten the mood in a room. Extra pomp doesn’t have to skew antiquated, either, as several modern variations from upscale brands like Sferra and Annie Selke illustrate. Below, some of the finest ruffled bedding around the web for creating the frothy bedscape of your daydreams.Our Top Picks for the Best Ruffled BeddingBest Ruffled Duvet: Lulu and Georgia Charlie Linen Duvet by Pom Pom at Home, $701, $561Best Ruffled Bed Sheets: West Elm European Flax Linen Ruffle Sheet Set, $279Best Ruffled Bedroom Decor: Lulu and Georgia Westmont Platform Bed, $1,798 $1,438Best Ruffled Quilt Set: Serena & Lily Nantucket Stripe Linen Quilt,$478 $358Best Ruffle Duvet Cover: GreenRow Linen Ruffle Crochet Duvet Cover, $319Pom Pom at Home Charlie Linen DuvetThe Lulu and Georgia Charlie duvet cover is 100% linen with a shell-button closure that wraps up your comforter in a layer of light, frothy goodness. A four-inch ruffle adds inconspicuous detail to an otherwise, uh, no-frills design. While it only comes in flax and white colorways, muted simplicity is actually the goal here.West Elm European Flax Linen Ruffle Sheet SetEmploying the teeniest of ruffles, this West Elm sheet set features just a hint of twee detailing, almost like a playful coquette. The bedding is all-linen, lending it an even softer, lived-in feel. The brick colorway is especially dreamy, a mix of terracotta and mocha that feels both moody and soothing at the same time.Lulu and Georgia Westmont Platform BedIt doesn’t get much more charming than this ruffled Lulu and Georgia Westmont platform bed with the lushest of velveteen frills. The gingham print seen here screams “cottagecore” for a B&B in the woods feel. It even comes with a matching headboard that continues the storybook style above your head as you snooze.Serena & Lily Nantucket Stripe Linen QuiltSeersucker is officially in season, whether you’re heading to the Nantucket coast or not this year. You can certainly embody the same coastal vibe anywhere around the country with one of Serena & Lily’s quintessentially beachy linens, like this quilt with a four-inch ruffle flange that calls to mind sea air, hydrangea bushes, and lively tennis matches. It’s made in Portugal, and the linen itself is woven from premium flax sourced from Belgium and France. The diamond pattern lends the quilt some structure and you can even make it an entire set with matching shams and sheets.GreenRow Linen Ruffle Crochet Duvet CoverIf you’re leaning into period piece vibes in your bedroom, start with this romantic GreenRow duvet cover that’s both Oeko-Tex– and Fair Trade–certified. The European flax bedding comes embellished with a crocheted seam just above the ruffled edge and looks like it was plucked right out of a Victorian trousseau. In an all-white set, it reads as clean and unfettered. Other colorways such as dusty rose, pale blue, and marigold yellow embody the same vintage style but with more saturation involved.Other Ruffled Bedding We LikeUrban Outfitters Cleo Ruffle Skirt Rohini Daybed CushionTransform a regular bench into a dreamy daybed seat with an Urban Outfitters ruffle skirt cushion. It comes in olive green and striped cream colorways—both highly adaptable to any bedroom decor. The top is tufted, and the slightly pleated skirt gives it just enough charm without treading into childish territory.Sferra Giotto Bed SkirtLeave it up to Sferra to render the traditional ruffled bedskirt in a rich, luxurious way. In the Giotto bed skirt, folds don’t just ripple so much as elegantly undulate, glistening with the kind of delicate sheen that only sateen and silk can accomplish. Consider it for the kind of evergreen upgrade that will subtly transform your bedroom for years and years to come.Biselina Linen Ruffled Duvet Cover SetFor those looking for extra color choices—rust, purple, and green—consider Biselina’s ruffle duvet cover and shams. Unlike other more flouncy options, the ruffle detail here is shrunken down for some elegant, but not over-the-top character. The Oeko-Tex certified linen set includes shams, all for less than $150.Piglet In Bed Gingham Linen Bed SkirtFor all things gingham and linen, make a pit stop at Piglet in Bed, which specializes in both. Their gingham bed skirt features a 15-inch drop and lightly drapes to cover up dust bunnies and other unmentionables you’ve stuffed under the bed. In a breathable cotton blend made of 55% European linen, the splashy dust ruffle has an overall youthful, laid-back effect.Peri Home Rene Ruffle Duvet Cover and Shams SetIf you’re piling on the charm, top off those ruffles with some scalloped trim. Peri Home’s Rene bedding set tows the line between cottagecore and antique aesthetics with this quilted texture that feels like an heirloom passed down from a wiser relative. Pair it with similarly palate-cleansing pastels or employ some pattern clashing with stripes and prints for a more artful bedscape.Taylor Linens Farmhouse Stripe Bed SkirtTight pinstripes give your bedding a more buttoned-up feel, like you’ve dressed your bed in office-friendly attire, especially when they appear on a bedskirt like this one from Taylor Linens. The subtle pleat pattern gives the ruffle a refined character that pairs exceptionally well with quilts and starchy white duvet covers.Maeve Cotton Striped Ruffle Printed Duvet CoverCandy stripers are a relic of the past, but the same retro red-and-white wardrobe has a different appeal when seen in a bedding setting. This Maeve organic cotton piece looks like something Dorothy Draper would select, and comes in a wide range of sizing (from twin to California King beds) so everyone can add this bold bedding to their cart.Annie Selke Wilton BedspreadOf all the bedding on this list, this gathered bedspread has the longest drop (30 inches!) for a flowing waterfall effect. The cotton-blend fabric, a hybrid that contains some linen for added breathability and texture, has just the right weight to feel structured but relaxed.Lush Decor Garden of Flowers Ruffle Sheet SetLush Decor specializes in the kind of posies you’re likely to find in a spring garden: Take this sheet set that would feel right at home in a nursery or romantic guest bedroom. The four-inch ruffled edge supersizes the romantic detailing, but won’t interfere with dressing your bed.GreenRow Lillian Velvet Ruffle Standard ShamAnd if you want to leave the ruffles to your bedding accents, GreenRow makes just the sort of velvet ruffle shams to round out your search. The heavy plush poly-velvet cover is finished off with a lightweight Tencel ruffle that drapes beautifully, like butterflies aflutter on your bed.

Designing for the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale is never simply about surface-level graphics. For TEMPLO, now in its third year collaborating with the British Council on the project, it's become an exercise in turning complex political, historical, and geological themes into a rich, resonant visual language. This year's exhibition – GBR – Geology of Britannic Repair –is no exception. Curated by Jayden Ali, Meneesha Kellay, Victoria Broackes, and Rashid Ali, and with architecture by Nairobi-based cave_bureau, the 2025 Pavilion delves into ideas of extractivism, colonial legacies, and geopolitical fragmentation. It casts architecture not just as a practice of form but of land and memory (what the curators describe as an "earth practice"). TEMPLO's response is a brand identity that mirrors these themes in every detail, from tectonic type to movement-led visuals. It's an approach built not around a traditional logo-first mindset but through what managing director Anoushka Rodda calls a "graphic toolbox". It's flexible enough to span everything from wayfinding signage and social media posts to films, merchandise, and even sound. "Over our three years of working with the British Council in Venice, we've developed a deeply collaborative and interpretative approach," says Anoushka. "That requires a very close working relationship, which we built with an initial workshop and then regular catch-ups with the curatorial team." The result is an identity that doesn't shy away from complexity but embraces it. At its core is the symbolism of the Rift Valley, one of the most significant geological formations on Earth and a site rich with colonial, ecological, and geopolitical resonance. "Given the exhibition's thematic anchor in the Rift Valley, we had to develop an engaging and accessible visual system that could communicate multi-faceted and complex ideas, which could be all too easy to caricature," says co-founder and creative director Pali Palavathanan. The Rift Valley offered both metaphorical weight and formal inspiration for the project. Typography, in particular, was key, and the team began with a sharp, authoritative serif, which is a deliberate nod to imperial structures and colonial architecture. Through a process of carefully chipping away, serifs were softened, and corners were bevelled. The result is a custom treatment that feels weathered, precise and grounded. This softened, fragmented type treatment takes cues directly from the Pavilion's architecture. The British Pavilion's façade, typically defined by its neoclassical columns, has been veiled in a beaded skin by cave_bureau, crafted from agricultural waste, clay from Kenya and India, and shards of red glass. Inspired by Maasai manyatta dwellings, the veil transforms the building's tone from dominant to open, echoing the Pavilion's thematic commitment to repair and transformation. "We wanted to reflect this effect in the identity," says Pali. "So we chose a sharp-edged, authoritative typeface that conveys an impression of imperiousness – colonial authority, almost – which we then 'softened' by bevelling the edges, trimming the serifs and corners to create something more organic, earthy and geographic." Colour also plays a quiet but powerful role. Rather than using overt national or cultural motifs, TEMPLO wove in subtle references to Kenya, an intentional move given that the British Pavilion is part of the British Council's Year of Kenya season. Earthy tones inspired by the Kenyan flag lend the identity warmth and weight without leaning on cliché or pastiche. Movement truly brings the identity to life through type that fractures, shifts, pulls apart and converges. These tectonic actions are present both literally and symbolically, animated in digital formats and implied through dimensional perspective in static applications. "Movement was something that emerged organically early in the process," says Pali. "It soon became clear that movement is integral to the concept of architecture as earth practice, to the tectonic actions of the earth in forming the Rift Valley – the shifting of tectonic plates, the pulling apart and coming together – and to the extractive actions of humans upon the land." The effect is one of tension and possibility: a visual system always on the brink of something, whether it's collapse, repair, destruction, or reformation. That energy carries through all aspects of the campaign, from animated posters and online videos to physical lanyards and in-situ signage. "We are creating a digital campaign of film, audio and social media content for the world to experience, which to us is just as important as the experience in Venice," says Anoushka. Ensuring that cohesion across such a broad spectrum of media is no small task, but for TEMPLO, the answer was to resist the temptation of leading with a static mark. "If you start with a logo and treat everything else as secondary, it's easy to end up with something incoherent or introduce weaker visual elements," Anoushka continues. "But by transforming thematic ideas into a graphic toolbox that can be used to create brand elements of every kind – whether that's the logo, a piece of exhibition signage, a lanyard, or a piece of digital film – the identity becomes expansive, not restrictive." As with much of TEMPLO's work, the personal undercurrents are strong. The agency has long engaged with issues of climate justice, cultural restitution, and postcolonial narratives, but this year's Pavilion feels especially aligned. "Climate change and colonialism are at the heart of what we do," says Pali. "The curators' interests map perfectly onto our own values and personal stories. The Rift Valley begins in Lebanon, where Anoushka has roots, and my family came to the UK from a village in Sri Lanka that was used as a source for extraction." That emotional connection added extra weight to the Pavilion's opening, where the curators dedicated the space to colonised peoples (past and present) from Kenya to Palestine. For TEMPLO, it affirmed the value of design that moves beyond visual language into something more civic, ethical, and effective. "The British Pavilion is always about much more than architecture; it provides a platform for unheard voices and alternative perspectives," says Anoushka. "That's what drives us as an agency to continue to want to collaborate with the British Council – there's a consistent bravery to what they do." In Geology of Britannic Repair, that bravery takes shape through topography and typography, fracture and form, a quietly radical reimagining of what national representation at Venice can be. For TEMPLO, it's not about spectacle. It's about systems that move – across media, meanings, and geographies – with care, clarity, and conscience.

Templo has created designs inspired by tectonic plates for the British Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale. The London-based studio worked on the visual identity, exhibition graphics, global marketing campaign and digital content for the pavilion, which has been commissioned by the British Council since 1937. It’s the third pavilion Templo has worked on, after they came through what Joanne Jolley, the British Council’s head of marketing, arts, called a “robust procurement process,” which included a paid creative pitch. “Templo stood out from the very beginning for their clear understanding of, and sensitivity to, the issues around the 2023 pavilion, which explored the everyday rituals of diaspora communities,” she says. “They know how to communicate these complicated subjects, but also bring joy into them through their designs.” Each year’s identity is treated as a new project, because the themes of each pavilion are very different, as is the level of input each curatorial team wants and expects into the process. For this year’s pavilion, commissioner Sevra Davis wanted to bring the British Council’s overarching mission – to foster ”cross cultural connection and collaboration”– into its Venice presence. “It struck me that this was a way to use the pavilion to celebrate what the British Council does in every other way, which is to connect across cultures to build trust, build connection, and build understanding,” Davis says. “I got a lot of flack for it, because people thought I had narrowed it down too much. But I think it’s incredibly exciting, the process of working together with the team in Kenya and other people all around the world. That’s what the British Council is all about, and so this becomes an exemplar of that.” Templo’s identity for this year’s British pavilion at the Venice Biennale Produced as part of the British Council’s UK/Kenya season of culture, this year’s exhibition looks “to examine the relationship between architecture and colonisation as parallel, interconnected systems.” GBR – Geology of Britannic Repair takes inspiration from the pavilion’s location on an axis that links the UK to Kenya and the Rift Valley, raising questions about power, politics, and identity. Installations include maps of the night sky above London and Nairobi the day Kenya gained independence from Britain in 1963, a bronze cast of the Rift Valley, and a room that explores how salvage materials could be used to rebuild war-torn Gaza. For Templo’s Pali Palavathanan and Anoushka Rodda, the approach spoke to many of their personal and professional interests. “Myself being Sri Lankan, and Anoushka’s family coming from Lebanon, which is the start of the Rift Valley, there were a lot of connections to who we are as a studio, and what we’re drawn to,” Palavathanan explains. This year’s British pavilion with its veil of beads This year’s British pavilion with its veil of beads The design approach was inspired by the veil of beads, made from agricultural waste and clay, which covers the angular British pavilion. The covering “softens and curves out this harsh imperial building,” Palavathanan says. They took a similar approach to the typeface, choosing Lithic for its angular, imperial sensibility and then using a “bevel effect to round off its harsh edges.” The secondary font is Flexa, chosen for its practical legibility. The red, green and black colour palette is taken from the Kenyan flag – despite Palavathanan’s initial misgivings that it would look “chaotic” – and the motion design is built on geological references. “Originally it was quite linear, but then we made it more like tectonic plates, like a rock formation converging with one another, or pulling apart. It all ties back to those themes of rift and repair.” The result is a thrillingly unusual combination of rhythms and patterns that feels very organic. And it speaks to one of Templo’s biggest challenges – to reflect the weighty subject matter of this year’s pavilion without making it feel too sombre. https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/05/02-Geology-of-Britannic-Repair-teaser.mp4 “It’s an incredibly serious exhibition,” Palavathanan says. “It’s dealing with difficult things, but we want to be optimistic and playful in some ways, and the visual identity helps us to do that.” For Rodda, the fact that they know the British Council team so well gives them the confidence to push the creative direction. “The nice thing about these ongoing relationships is that you get a really good feel for what they prioritise, and what they find significant.” “That trust helps us push the boundaries more,” Jolley agrees. Exhibition graphics at this year’s British pavilion. Photo by Chris Lane. While around 80% of visitors to the Biennale will attend the UK exhibition, for Jolley and her team, a major focus is on the much bigger audience who won’t see the pavilion in person. Templo created a flythrough video so people can get a sense of how the exhibition unfolds, and they are also working with Kenyan influencers to create content that responds to this year’s themes. “We have to think a bit differently about how we can enrich the experience for people who won’t go to the exhibition,” Rodda says. “I think this the first time the British Council has done this, handing over control of part of the campaign.” Templo’s identity for this year’s British pavilion at the Venice Biennale Templo’s identity for this year’s British pavilion at the Venice Biennale Templo’s identity for this year’s British pavilion at the Venice Biennale Templo’s identity for this year’s British pavilion at the Venice Biennale