Latest news with #linenbedding
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Bed Threads Organic Cotton review: Budget ‘buttery soft' linen
When it comes to home furnishings, I've always had champagne tastes despite my budget being decidedly more beer-adjacent (just ask my husband). I firmly believe every home should be a haven of comfort and that the saying 'buy cheap, buy twice' applies one hundred fold when it comes to your homewares and appliances. That being said, in this current financial climate, one must economise — even when it comes to a place where we spend at least eight hours a day. For years, I've loved the look and feel of linen bedding. It gives your bedroom an understated, chic finish with minimal effort thanks to linen 's natural texture. It is also so comfy in summer and only gets softer with every wash. However it is prohibitively expensive at times, costing upwards of $500 to kit out a queen bed. Which is why it's no surprise we've seen an increase in brands adopting a more affordable material. From $50 at Bed Threads Known for their high-quality 100% French Flax Linen Bedding range, Bed Threads has become the latest brand to release an Organic Cotton range which I have been road testing* for the last four weeks. Bed Threads co-founder Genevieve Rosen Biller told checkout that Organic Cotton 's affordability has been a 'welcome benefit, but it wasn't the driving factor'. 'The main motivator here was delivering customers the Bed Threads experience in the fibre they were genuinely looking for,' she said. Rosen Biller said the response since launching a second material in its signature bedding range has been 'incredible'. 'We sold out of our Espresso and Berry colourways in the first week, which was far sooner than we anticipated,' she said. 'We've been thrilled to receive five-star reviews and comments like 'finally' and 'we've been waiting for this' from customers as well.' FIRST IMPRESSIONS Bed Threads' Organic Cotton range is available in eight colourways: Vanilla, Berry, Butterscotch, Apple, Moss, Aegean and Espresso. Personally, I prefer more muted or neutral tones that lean on the cool tone side for my bedding, so I struggled to pick a colour combo at first. But given Bed Threads is known for its jewel shades and bold colour combos, I decided to go wild and pick out a set of sheets in Espresso, a rich chocolate brown, and duvet colour/pillowcases in Moss, a dark forest green. The bedding came beautifully packaged in organic cotton bags, a nice touch given other brands will usually package their manchester in plastic. Straight away, the quality was evident — the stitching was to a high standard with no snags or lose threads and the cotton was buttery soft to the touch. Putting the set on my bed, it transformed my bedroom instantly into a trendy hotel room — the colour combination was perfection and it gave off a sophisticated, (dare I say) sexy feel. Given it's cotton and not linen it does have a more structured look on the bed which was a bit hard to get used at first. But it still had that understated, elegant look that I love about block-colour manchester. WHAT'S IT LIKE TO SLEEP ON? In short: Extremely comfortable. These sheets are like floating on air on a cool, crisp day. They don't make you feel hot but also aren't as cooling as linen, making it ideal as an all-year bed linen option. The sheets are soft without being slippy or too shiny, a pet hate of mine with high thread count cotton sheets. HOW DOES IT WASH? One of the benefits of Bed Threads' Organic Cotton collection is that they're more low maintenance then their more sophisticated cousin, 100% French Flax Linen Bedding. Bed Threads recommends washing its linen range in a cold, gentle cycle and avoid putting it in the dryer. I've washed this range four times now on a regular cycle, throwing it in the dryer on two occasions. All times the colour has held well and it's stayed soft too. Being cotton, it is also quick to dry if you hang it on the line. My only issue that I find it does collect a few bits of fuzz and my hair. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? A queen bundle set of the Bed Threads Organic Cotton range will set you back $360 versus $576 for the 100% French Flax Linen Bedding range. Each Bed Threads bundle includes a duvet cover, fitted sheet, flax sheet and four pillowcases. Otherwise it's $150 for a queen duvet cover (versus $250 for the linen cover), $50 for a pair of pillowcases ($70 for the linen version), $100 for a queen fitted sheet or flat sheet ($160 and $170 in linen). Despite the price difference, Rosen Biller said that both collections are 'long-lasting products crafted to the highest quality standards' and 'our customers are ultimately choosing the fibre (or colour palette) that most resonates with them'. 'As a more widely available fabric, cotton is naturally more economical than linen – a fibre which is so in-demand that it's often subject to shortages,' she said. OVERALL VERDICT While the Organic Cotton range is still priced at the more expensive end for bedding, after road testing it for a month I can say it is well worth ir. It's incredibly comfortable to sleep on, washes well and you can tell the fabric and stitching is high quality. It's also a great alternative for shoppers who want a more affordable and low maintenance fabric than linen, but don't want to sacrifice on style or comfort. And let's face it, what's better than saving a few pennies on bedding and using that money to treat yourself to a bottle of bubbly. French champagne anyone? Sign up to our free shopping newsletter for the latest deals and sales you won't want to miss.
Irish Times
22-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
Between the sheets glamour: Helen McAlinden on how to make your bed summer ready
Belfast native Helen McAlinden is a fan of natural fabrics, particularly in the bedroom. As a designer of the home range for Irish heritage brand Foxford for almost 20 years, she uses its new linen bedding in her own home, a sea-facing terrace in Blackrock. It comes in three stonewashed colours: a soft sunrise pink; an aqua green that is the colour of the Irish Sea; and a gentle glare-free white. It gives a look of casual ease, she says. 'It's not trying too hard but yet it looks really sophisticated. It's light to sleep under, cool in summer and warm in winter, and you don't need to iron it. I don't want to iron or pay someone to iron for me.' It uses Irish flax that is woven in Guimarães, northeast of Porto in Portugal – a region known for its weaving – and dries faster than cotton. Its long fibres make it smooth to the touch and give it tensile strength, she says. 'It's also low maintenance. You just wash it and hang it out on the line.' READ MORE Foxford's new shop in Dundrum Town Centre Now you can see and touch this bedding range in the new Foxford shop in Dundrum Town Centre, as well as other outlets such as Arnotts, where Mags Fitzgibbon is the brand manager. 'One thing Foxford has always had is distribution in the tourist industry, but it is more than that, it is a lifestyle brand,' says McAlinden. Indeed, its throws drape beds in ultra-luxe hotels such as Ballynahinch Castle and Ashford Castle and have found their way on to overseas hotel beds, including the Cornwall-based Hotel Tresanton, part of the Polizzi Collection. In addition to bed linen and throws, Foxford can supply almost all bedding needs, except the mattress, she says. For that she opts for a King Koil design, made in Ireland. Pure linen blush pink duvet set; double €289, king €319 and super king €355 She then layers her bed, starting with a mattress cover, made in Co Mayo for Foxford. A fitted bottom sheet is her foundation garment. Foxford's new linen range has a generous depth of 40cm so it will fit any mattress height and stops you having to wrestle with the base to try to get the bedding over the mattress corners. She also insists on luxuriating under a top sheet, a touch that works in summer, on hot nights. Then it's a featherlight duvet. Her main bedroom is bedecked in the aqua colourway, for it works with the warm grey of the walls, painted in Athena 858 by Benjamin Moore, and the seascapes of Dublin Bay that she can see from her home in Blackrock. The colours work with the animated greys and greens of the water breaking below. Her down duvet is Danish band Danica. 'I spent €300 on it when I didn't have €300, bought it in Copenhagen airport and carried it home as hand luggage. It's the only thing I can sleep under.' On the nights when there's a chill in the air, she adds a honeycomb waffle 100 per cent cotton throw, €139, also Foxford. Helen McAlinden's guest bedroom with linen white Lumi print, waffle bedspread and Foxford cushions. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw The feather and down pillows are part of Foxford's bedding range, made in Mayo. She opts for the empire-size, two of which will fit across her super-king bed. 'It is an Irish-designed bed.' The new collection, launching in the autumn, will feature additional colours, including a denim blue, a deep inky green, a mauve and nacre, a pearlescent colour. There will also be stripes, fresh takes on toile de jouy, and contemporary checks for the Christmas market. The brand also offers a 400-thread count boxed cotton bedding set that can be customised with monogrammed embroidery or another such message, a great wedding gift to give. A well dressed bed Easy ways to ensure your bed is well dressed, according to Mags Fitzgibbon, brand manager for Foxford at Arnotts Pillows should fit the width of the bed. If you sleep on a king-size bed buy king size pillows, which measure 50cm by 90cm instead of the standard 50cm by 75cm. This will fill in the gap in the centre of the bed. Continental pillows, 65cm squares, can be used to dress the bed. They also prop you up if you like to read or watch TV in bed. Mattress depths vary. There are about 10 different depths available. Before buying new fitted sheets, measure the depth of your mattress, to include any other layers; toppers, covers or electric blankets that will add to its height. Sales staff can then direct you to the brands that do those sizes. A flat sheet or top sheet has two purposes. It cuts down on how often you have to launder your duvet cover, and it adds a layer that feels silky to sleep under. When choosing a duvet, pick a size up from the size of the bed it will cover. Lay a king-size duvet on a double bed, for example, and so on. It gives a better look to the bed and hides part or all of the divan sides. It also gives enough cover to accommodate two people. The standard pillowcase with an inside flap, also known as the housewife, is so-called as it was developed in the 1880s by the Housewives Co-operative in Bolton to keep the pillowcase in place. Before that pillowcases were simple sleeves. Oxford pillowcases have the same internal dimensions as the housewife, but have an external edging. Bedding trends Vesteroy mattress, Ikea The pocket-springs in the Vesteroy mattress have been designed to respond independently to each other, meaning you can have a great night's sleep regardless of whether your partner tosses and turns. The springs also allow air to circulate whilst you sleep. From €318 at . Curve appeal Rimel bedside table, La Redoute Rimel is a lacquered metal bedside table that comes in two colour options, the teal, pictured and a bone white. It stands 61.5cm high and has a circumference of 48cm, with a rattan top covered with tempered glass and a secret storage. €234.99 from . Baby pink Joules Thornton bed, DFS Joules Thornton king-size bedframe, €1,625, exclusive to DFS, comes in a blue stripe, floral or pink, to order. Tropical taste Fia rectangular cushion, Harvey Norman This velvet feather filled cushion, Fia, 40cm by 60cm, €58, also comes in 58cm squares, €75. The print will add a taste of the tropics to summer nights. Frill seeking Birdie striped duvet cover set The French Bedroom Company This Birdie pistachio and petal coloured, frill-edged duvet cover and matching pillowcases set is a frivolous way to bring the trend for stripes into the boudoir. About €84 excluding delivery and charges from . Mood lighting Rechargeable wireless lamp, This white gold confetti-effect glass lamp, €59, from , looks good and is wireless and rechargeable. Secret storage Bedside table, JYSK This bedside table in natural oak has tambour doors to hide all your bits, €100, Statement lamp Favour lamp, Pieces This Favour lamp has a powdercoated steel frame and an acrylic shade, €105, from . Barefoot luxury Maze rug by Kukoon, at EZ Living A rug underfoot softens the feel of timber floors. This Maze design by Irish company Kukoon is available at EZ Living Interiors, €120 for a 120cm by 170cm size.
