ArchivesMarch, 2011

We all want to be consumers of local products; but when one of them is one of America’s top manufacturers of luxury bedding, well that makes it easy. Matouk, headquartered in Fall River, MA, designs and mills the finest European quality linens and with products that span the range, there is truly something for everyone.

I have been buying the line for years; everyone in my family has a set. I must say, I adore the look, feel, and design options that allow me to personalize each bed and room. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Colleen Brewer over in Product Development at Matouk. I am pleased to share our talk with you!

1. What product would you say offers the best value from Matouk

Our classic Meridian 350 thread count bedding with stitched taped detail in a rainbow of colors.

2. What product offers the most luxury and why?

I would have to say our Bespoke line which lets you have bed linens exactly the way you want them. We start with 600 thread count sheeting and the options are endless for choosing colors, embroideries and monograms. For me, the height of luxury is to finish off a duvet and shams with a hand-stitched appliqué or Swiss embroidery–it’s old-school and modern and chic all at the same time.

3. With tape and embroidery becoming more accessible to the masses, how does the Matouk brand differentiate?

We’ve been perfecting our craft for over 80 years using the best fabrics imported from Europe and it shows in the finished product. Every day inside our factory in Fall River I see the attention to the tiniest details, from the stitching to the final packaging.

4. What’s new and notable?

We’ve just added an extensive collection of quilts. There are lustrous sateens, solids with scalloped edges, Lulu DK prints and even seersuckers– a terrific layering element. We are also doing a summery and casual new line of printed table linens by Lulu DK that is really taking off.

5. What are some online sources?

Gracious Home and our site also lists the many retailers nationwide who carry our products and swatch books so you can sit down, play with style combinations and create your dream bed.

Being from LA, I adore anything ethnic, batik, or block printed. John Robshaw, Peter Dunham, Kathryn M. Ireland, and Robert Kime —bring it on.

It’s sometimes difficult to integrate what I consider such “warm weather” cottons and summery fabrics into interiors in colder climates. You must use these pieces judiciously of course, as an overload tends to look somehow misplaced with bare trees and gray skies outside the windows…

Lee Jofa’s new Blithfield line from England addresses this issue and hits the target. I get to pair colorful graphic prints and florals with flax-ish linen and other natural backgrounds. This means I get to have my cake and eat it too!

You aren’t limited to any palette—you can create your own. So, for those of us who love that look, but don’t live in LA or Florida—we can get the look in a way that fits into our own climate and surroundings. Imagine these prints layered on a cotton herringbone upholstered sofa or a beige linen velvet one. They are just as at home in either setting. Brilliant!

With the change of seasons, inevitably comes an extreme and urgent need for me to re-vamp and re-organize my house, my belongings, my…everything. This past weekend I found myself in full mode, switching everyone’s closets over, changing from heavy to cotton blankets, pulling the cotton and linen pillows out of their Rubbermaid hibernation….

I took a short but oh-so-wonderful trip to see my friends at the Container Store and I went ga-ga for:

All-in-One-Hangers

A no-slip claim that actually lives up to it’s word! Find them here.

Clothes Closet

I am obsessed! I put all of our off-season clothes in a few of these. Find it here.

Stor-It-All Trunk

Ski clothing, meet your new home! Find it here.

Heavy-Duty Triple Storage Bin

Lacrosse Sticks, balls, tennis rackets, helmuts and everything else cluttering my garage will be tossed in here: Find it here.

It’s my 16th anniversary today and we are having a special night together. Cozy dinner, a little wine (if you know me, you know why I said a little…) and catching up after a long and very stressful few days.

Anniversaries after 16 years become, well, a little rote. The gift-giving becomes much less important; I mean who the hell cares after so many years? I put together a (ridiculous and very “inside”) list of anniversary gifts I could give to my husband. On second thought, I think I’ll pass.

For me, at this point, I am just happy to be alive, healthy and surrounded by people whom I love. That in and of itself is a gift. Happy Anniversary, D!