Those of you who found your calling before the cottagecore movement were stockpiling the best patchwork quilts when the trend was but a whisper—long before bed skirts returned, eyelet shams dominated the bedding market, canopy beds made a comeback, and Jane Austen interiors resurfaced. Nostalgia is, indubitably, having its big moment, but not all of us had pioneer grandmothers to pass down hand-quilted heirlooms and antique coverlets. Some of us must turn to GreenRow, for example, Williams Sonoma, and Six Bells: retailers that know the sad reality of an individual without heirlooms, save for no-sew fleece fringe blankets that were (for some reason) ubiquitous through 2008. In place of those, we offer you star quilts, stitch quilts, floral quilts, and more, all in the style of the mountain home your grandfather built with his dividends from the GI bill.
Our Favorite Patchwork Quilts
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Editor-Vetted
Commerce writer Julia Harrison has slept under this quilt for more than a year: “I was drawn to it because of its distinctly Y2K pre-teen girl vibe. It looked nostalgic for Limited Too but without the metallic threads or sassy monkey decals.” It’s the fastest way to create a personality for your room with a single piece, and that personality looks a lot less Hannah Montana–coded than you’d expect. Instead, it delivers on playful and colorful without being stylish, thanks in large part to the ultra-soft and 100% organic cotton material (13-year-olds are not living like that), and the high-quality craftsmanship by Indian makers.
Modern Heirloom
Who better to make a patchwork quilt than the retail queen of cottagecore itself? Their little store in Cobble Hill is decked ceiling-to-baseboards with splatter-ware, pin-striped linens, ceramic salt cellars, decorative crocks, and, thankfully for our purposes, quilt sets. It was literally designed “in a small barn in West Dorset,” but brings English countryside to even the Amazon couches of the world. A perfect top layer for all seasons. While there’s no matching shams, their catalog lists many a pillowcase that would make a perfect companion, like this corduroy piece with a ruffled edge and needlepoint embroidery.
Sunny Bedroom Essential
We’re playing favorites with GreenRow but only because their whole vibe is patchwork quilt. For a sunny side of life-style bedroom, this patchwork palette feels super fresh, with a petal-stem green and vibrant red in an abstract floral pattern. This cotton quilt is fully machine washable, meaning that if you love a lightweight quilt in place of a comforter (and top sheet), this is as easy to wash as your average throw blanket—maybe even easier if you suffer from a cashmere problem.
Classic Coverlet
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Designer Josh Young delivers a perfect replica of the early American star quilts that decorate every Revolutionary-era home you’ve toured on your middle school field trips. This linen quilt is painstakingly handcrafted in much the same way as it was hundreds of years ago. Linen makes for the perfect lightweight bed cover year-round, in place of a duvet in the summer and for extra warmth in the winter months. Paired with flannel sheets (maybe these in a taupe), this would make a great addition for cabin bedding.
For a Kid’s Room
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Misha and Puff cleverly imagines the cutest things that could exist for children (and adults, actually) and then makes them with ethically sourced materials—all with craftsmanship top of mind. In their tasteful West Elm collab, they’ve channeled that gift into an heirloom stitch quilt with matching pillow shams and a reversible side of petite chintz florals. The cotton voile makes for a soft and lightweight bed layer. Craving a queen-size? This iteration from L.L. Bean scratches that itch.
More AD-Approved Quilts
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Citizenry rejects the American patchwork star quilt altogether for a piece defined by its muted palette and abstract approach. The radial center is broken up with long rectangular accents in deeper colors to create something worthy of wall-hanging, which they’ve already considered. A removable linen panel on the back allows the piece to be displayed as a decorative accent. Though it would also be easy to style with a solid color set of sheets—maybe a sage green—a low-hanging pendant, a few large baskets as artwork, and a bedside incense burner.
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The traditional kantha gets a splashy and color-saturated makeover from Rentrayage, who considers quilts a place to make a statement. These designs recycle previous kanthas to give them a second life as bold and cozy home decor.
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Patchwork meets jacquard in this cotton quilt from IKEA. Something about the color and pattern of this feels distinctly “boy room,” if that boy (or man) had taste a bit too elegant for the expected Pulp Fiction poster, or a hastily Scotch-taped Sports Illustrated swimsuit spread. This is better for a guy’s room that includes a good record collection, a framed Cy Twombly, even a proper shoe rack.
