President, Design Theory Interiors

I love linen and cotton bedding. And when my mother reads this post, she will probably have to be committed. My mom has a very close relationship with her iron and ironing board. So much so that her ironing board is always ready for action in its upright position with the iron on deck and a measuring cup full of water for her steamer waiting in the wings. Her addiction is so extreme that she irons every item of clothing that she puts on her body to near perfect dry cleaning quality rigidity. Her jeans have the permanent press mark down the leg and I wouldn’t put it past her to press her socks and underwear when no one’s looking.

I, on the other hand, view the ironing board as an antiquated torture device that serves no other purpose than to break the spirit of the newly married woman. The best day of my young life was when I realized how much more efficient and cost effective it was to have dress shirts laundered and pressed by the pros. I’m sure that revelation saved my marriage.

I don’t iron anything I wear unless it looks like it has been wadded up and stuffed into a Starbucks espresso cup for a week. In spite of that, for years I let my mother’s sinister mind games spill into my home decorative decisions. My bedding had to be permanent press, wrinkle-free, stiff, and I never actually slept under the comforter for fear of ruining the finish. The fabric on my chairs was durable and practical. And my window treatments had to have the perfect drape with each fold the exact same width.

Recently I posted this photo (top left) of my new bedroom on Facebook. I’m sure my poor mother nearly choked on her Circus Peanuts when she saw the wrinkles in the bedspread. But she was subtle. She simply posted a comment that said, “What kind of bedspread is that?” Now, any daughter knows what that comment really meant. What she was saying is this:

“Oh my goodness! Look at that awful bedspread. It looks like you left it in the dryer for a week! Well, I would be humiliated if any of my friends saw the way you live. I can’t believe you don’t have more self respect than to share that photo with anyone, let alone in a public forum! Just wait til your Dad gets home!’

And if I were in the room, I’d get “The Look”. But that’s a subject for a different time.

Well today I’m publicly declaring that rumpled bedding is the hottest look on the streets. The bedroom is the most intimate space in the home. It should feel cozy, making you want to cuddle up in fluffy fabrics and feel safe. Linen and cotton bedding look and feel casual and I like to compare it to distressed wood furniture. The beauty of wood that is distressed and aged is that new nicks and dents won’t jump out at you, ruining the look of the piece. Instead, they actually enhance the character. Well, the inherent nature of linen is to be soft, wrinkled and carefree so you can only enhance it’s spontaneity by tossing it askew across the bed letting the folds fall as they will. Linen bedding is sexy and romantic. It teases by hinting that you’ve been up to something you wouldn’t want to tell your mom about!

Take a gander at some of my favorite sources for linen and cotton bedding. In the meantime, I need to call home to soften the blow of this rebellious post!

The first is Matteo at www.matteohome.com. This company does fabulous 100% linen and

cotton duvets, sheeting, blankets, bath products and even some sleepwear. I’m a huge fan of their cotton blankets. Their attention to detail is unmatched, making this line very unique and a bit pricey. A king size duvet cover could run you anywhere from $450-$895 retail.

Rough Linen www.roughlinen.com is another of my favorites. The entire line has a very clean

organic look and feel. The Orkney collection is carefree undyed natural linen. The duvet has button closures with standard white buttons or optional bone buttons in 4 colors. The St. Barts collection is a mix of geometric patterns with color combos including pale blue/natural, yellow/natural, burnt orange/natural, and white/natural. Pricing starts aro

und $175 for a twin duvet up to $410 retail for a king duvet. Decorative throw pillows are very affordable at $35-$45 per pillow.

And then there’s Pom Pom at Home at www.pompomathome.com. Pom Pom offers a gorgeous collection of romantic linen bedding and crib bedding at

a lower price. But don’t be fooled, this is still luxury bedding. Collections range from simple & sophisticated to more ornate victorian with wonderful embroidery. This line can only be purchased from interior designers or registered retailers but as a comparison price point, a king duvet could run around $225 retail.

I advise everyone to contact an interior designer for purchase of any of the above items. While you can purchase Matteo and Rough Linen online, your designer may be able to offer a nice discount off the retail pricing.