The Big Blanket Theory
Because sometimes you just need something big enough to hide under.
It started with a text from Jenna Lyons: Do you know the best blankets?
One condition: they had to be BIG.
I’ve always had an affinity for blankets. Cue Fergie: “and I’m gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket.” I still sleep with mine, the same one from childhood. Yes, I wash it. No, I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow it.
On set, two surfaces always give me anxiety: the kitchen island and the bed. The island is usually too empty, the bed too loud. A massive rectangle that eats up half the frame. And very quickly I learned: the only way to quiet the tyranny of the bed is with a big blanket. Not a skimpy throw, not decorative parsley. A full meal.
Because big blankets aren’t just styling tools. They’re forgiveness in fabric. They hide the bad sheets, quiet the loud bed, and remind you that comfort is less about perfection and more about coverage. A room exhales differently under a good blanket. So does a person.
Somewhere along the way, blankets shifted for me from prop to philosophy. They taught me that design doesn’t always need to sparkle, it needs to soften. They taught me that life looks better layered. That utility and beauty aren’t opposites, but partners.
Small throws are charming, sure. I’ve folded plenty at the foot of a bed. But they’re like garnish. They don’t anchor the room. Big blankets, the heavy ones that drape all the way down and pool at the edge, have a presence that makes the bed part of the room rather than the whole show.
At home, I rely on them for entirely different reasons. They forgive the mornings I don’t make the bed. They let me disappear under the weight when I need to feel smaller. They have a way of listening without asking for anything back. Somewhere between childhood comfort and grown-up practicality, they became my favorite design tool.
I’ve designed two heavyweight linen bedcovers with Cultiver, and when they arrived in the studio I realized I had simply made the blanket I always needed. Linen with heft. Linen that doesn’t just decorate but transforms the bed into something architectural.
And it isn’t just about styling or coziness. Blankets are timekeepers. They mark seasons, relationships, apartments. They move with you. They gather memories the way they gather dust. The best ones age into themselves. A frayed edge, a softened dye, a weight that starts to feel like presence itself.
Which is maybe why I’ve never outgrown mine. Blankets grow up with you. They hold your doubts, your naps, your bad nights. The stool you thought you’d need forever may not make it past your next move, but the blanket almost always does.
The truth is, we don’t outgrow our blankets. We just start calling them “bedcovers” and pretending it’s about design.
A Few of My Favorite Big Blankets
Cultiver Thatch Linen Bedcover
The heavyweight linen I designed with them. Proof that sometimes the solution is to just make the blanket you’ve been looking for.
Zara Home Washed Linen Bedspread
Budget-friendly and oversized. Less parsley, more pasta.
Zara Home Plain Faded Linen Bedspread
Soft, forgiving, looks like it already knows your secrets.
Zara Home Textured Bedspread
The texture does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to.
Rose Uniacke Bedspread
For when you want understatement with a British accent.
Studio Shamshiri x Abask Cashmere Irregular Border Blanket
Cashmere, but with personality. The irregular border keeps it from taking itself too seriously.
Studio Shamshiri x Abask Cashmere Double-Faced Blanket
Two moods in one. The design equivalent of having a day look and a night look.
Denis Colomb Stitched-Edge Cashmere Blanket
Quiet luxury before we called it that. Understated, weighty, forever.
Elder Statesman Stripe Super Soft Blanket
Like wrapping yourself in California optimism.
Frette Tuileries Blanket
Grand hotel energy. The kind of blanket that makes you want to sit up straighter.
Ralph Lauren Hayes Bed Blanket
American classicism in blanket form. Pairs well with coffee and Sunday mornings.
Rose Uniacke Felted Cashmere Blanket
The ultimate dream. If big blankets are forgiveness in fabric, this one is absolution.
Love,
Colin
Very much into your rhythm as of late. As a frequent Substack reader - I have looked forward to your themes each week.
This was such a fun read! I always look forward to your emails—the imagery is stunning, the writing is beautiful, and your perspective is so intriguing. Thank you for introducing me to your Cultivar throw, it's perfection and I think I need one for myself!