In The Bedroom

Probably the most important room in your home, but often the one least lavished upon. We spend a good one third of our lives in our bedrooms and perform our most important act of living there- rejuevenation and rest. Anyone who knows me will tell you that my bed is something I take very seriously. I can live in a hovel, so long as I have a great bed.

I'm a natural person so I like the feel of 100% cotton or linen (polyester is depressing), 100% goose down feather beds, comforters, and pillows, cotton and linen or wool blankets.

I've long fostered a fetish for great bedding and I recently found a website that sells luxury bedding from some of the best brands; Sferra, Peacock Alley, Brahms/Mount. http://www.finelinens.com/

Many of the items are made here in America, which for me is an added value. Yes, they're more expensive than the average brand but the quality is well worth the price. Every linen closet should be well stocked with staples that will stand the test of time. Here are a few of my recent finds.

a beautiful herringbone twill weave cotton blanket by

Brahms/Mount made in Maine

a beautiful tailored 100% linen ensemble by Peacock Alley

made in the USA

a handsome masculine ensemble in my favorite color brown

by Sferra imported from Italy (can't you tell)

a sweet and slightly frilly linen cotton ensemble perfect for

a lady of any age- from Peacock Alley- made in the USA

Great looking cotton ticking duvet from Brahms/Mount

as durable and comfy as it is classic- great for a guys

room, a cabin, or country house- made in the USA

When making the bed, Liz and I favor a layered mix and match style rather than matchy match bed-in-a-bag look. We have such a great collection that it's fun to mix things up. We change our bedding with the seasons to keep it looking fresh and we're constantly adding new finds to our linen closet. I like the bed to look and feel great, but I also want it practical. We only buy machine washable bedding (who wants dry cleaninng chemicals in their bed). There is nothing quite like pressed sheets though if you have the time or the money.

We work in bed so we like a lot of pillows, I recommend using standard size pillows for sleeping, and European squares to prop yourself up for reading or watching a movie.

We also invite our dogs to sleep with us, so we also use inexpensive cotton blankets from Target or Pottery Barn to protect the foot of the bed. Lint pick ups are essential with two big shaggy dogs.

Finally, every room needs those finishing touches to make it feel like home; a bouquet of fresh flowers bedside, a fantastic scented candle from Molton Brown or Jo Malone, and really good reading lamps as well as handy bedside tables with plenty of storage.