Bedroom Decor Trends

The luxuries of linen

Nothing beats the feeling of sinking into a soft bed at the end of the day, and sliding between cool percale sheets. The ultimate in a luxurious, indulgent end to your day has to be the 600 thread count cotton percale linen on offer from Linen Drawer. It is so smooth that it feels like silky satin, yet it has the hard-wearing qualities of cotton fibres that will last for years if laundered carefully.

“Percale” was not a term that was used much until recently. Suddenly Percale has made its presence felt in the world of luxury linen, but what does it mean? Put simply, Percale is a closely woven plain-weave fabric. To be considered percale a fabric’s thread count should be 180 or higher.

“Thread Count” means the number of threads woven across plus the number of threads woven up and down in a square inch. The higher the thread count, the smoother and more luxurious the linen feels, because the threads have to be finer to fit so many into a square inch. And no, the fabric does not get thicker and heavier as the thread count goes up.  A fabric with a higher thread count will actually feel softer and, as a bonus, will have greater durability.

There are many different “Percales” on the market, so what should one look for?  For the purists, and anyone who longs for that feeling of sinking into utter luxury at the end of the day, 100% cotton is the way to go. It absorbs more moisture than blended fibres, making it much more comfortable. An additional bonus is that pure cotton doesn’t “pill” (those little fibre balls that form on blended polycotton fibres and can end up feeling like sandpaper on your skin).

Pure cotton does crease, but there are ways of getting around that minor obstacle. Wash the linen at a lower temperature to minimise creasing, and press the sheets with a hot iron while they are still damp to get a beautifully smooth, crisp finish. A labour-saving trick is to select a duvet cover with decorative stitching or pin tucks or pleats, as those fine details on the fabric somehow seem to disguise the creases and only light ironing will be required.

Linen Drawer will customise any of their bed linen or towels. They specialise in decorative stitching, and have a range of colours so that you do not only have to stick to white bedding. Their new Designer Linen range is a move away from the more traditional plain colours. Whether you are a modern minimalist or absolute romantic, you will find linen that complements your style and personality.

Duvet inners and pillows are available with feather or hypo-allergenic fillings. Other items to add to you luxury list are their king sized feather pillows. O what bliss to lay your head on one of these!

Linen Drawer products are available from decorators and specialist supply stores.

Trish Strydom Interiors

082 422 3333