One Room: Sheet Society Founder Hayley Worley’s Serene Bedroom

When Hayley and Andy Worley founded Sheet Society in 2017, the ethos was simple: we spend a third of our lives sleeping, so the experience should be memorable. Their Melbourne-based bedding brand pioneered selling sheets as mix-and-match separates rather than in sets.

The same thinking guides the design of the main bedroom in their new home in Melbourne’s inner north. “We positioned [it] on the upper level, with an east-facing view to the backyard and pool,” Hayley says. The room’s pared-back aesthetic is almost monastic in its simplicity. This restraint means “colour and trend [can] easily be styled through our bed and soft furnishings”.

Approaching the bedroom like a capsule wardrobe, Hayley laid its foundations with natural materials like stone and timber, along with an earthy palette of taupe, olive green and cream. “The materials we’ve used do a lot of the heavy lifting from a design perspective.”

An open-plan bathroom divides the space, with a mirror and vanity that leave the ceiling line uninterrupted. Naturally, the bed is the focal point, designed in collaboration with Melbourne brand Zenn Design. “As it’s a large room, I wanted the bed to feel like it was a little cocoon, so the ends of the bedhead curve in,” Hayley says. The result is enveloping, ideal for when one (or all) of Worley’s three children sneak in for an early morning cuddle.

The room is still a work in progress. “The bed’s curved ends make finding the right bedside tables a little harder, so I’m hoping the right ones find me.” For now, a pair from Temple & Webster fill in. Fungi-inspired chrome sculptures by Sydney-based jewellery label Casper Land hang above the bed and the Kvadrat rug is sourced from In Good Measure.

Linen is where Hayley likes to get creative. Experimenting with Manchester comes with the territory when you run a burgeoning bedding empire. “I’ve got a good base of staple solid colours that I know go with the room. I love to then mix in more vibrant colours or patterns for a bit of fun. I change them depending on the mood or the season.” That includes simple polka dots and stripes. In her regular rotation: a dark tone (chocolate), something light (warm white) and a colour (marshmallow) to pair with whatever else is in the room. Right now, she’s using the Juni quilt – a subtle abstract print.

Before you ask, not even the founder of a bedding company has hard-and-fast rules for how often to change your sheets. “I aim for every two weeks, but it’s a very loose rule,” she says. “If it gets to the two-week mark and I really don’t need the extra laundry that week, I’ll just switch out my pillowcases for some fresh ones and go another week.”

Permission to skip laundry day, granted.

Want a look inside more beautiful spaces? Head here to see more in our One Room series.