Josephine Home Linen Brochure
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Transcript of Josephine Home Linen Brochure
Why every thread counts.
LINEN
An experience to savour.
Once upon a time, luxury was about
making a statement. To be ‘dressed in
purple and fine linen’ spoke of linen as a
display of wealth and comfort in biblical
times. But nowadays, true luxury marks
itself out as a more private experience.
Today, connoisseurs of luxury are not
looking to make a loud statement, but are
instead seeking out personal experiences
which lift the spirit. These can often
be the simplest pleasures in life, just
made special: the taste of an exceptional
vintage wine, the appreciation of a
wonderful painting, or a stroke of the
softest cashmere. The difference, as it
always was, is in the detail.
LUXURY
The mark of a good household.
There was a time when the value of
bed linen to a household was second to
none. Often woven by expert artisans
and embroidered by noble ladies, it was
a symbol of wealth and would be listed
among one’s most treasured possessions,
alongside gold and silverware or even
works of art. Since its earliest days, fine
bed linen has cast its spell on all who have
experienced the difference – a feel which
should improve with time and use. Indeed,
to Louis XIV, bed linen was a treasure so
unique and personal that he would send
his linen, in trunks, ahead of his entourage
wherever he travelled. Fine linen, it seems,
has long been an essential luxury.
HISTORY
From indulgence to addiction.
You don’t necessarily need to be Louis XIV
to know that there is something addictive
about the comfort of a beautifully appointed
bed. What begins as a rare treat soon
becomes one of life’s essential luxuries.
And the greater your understanding
of bed linen – from the patina of a
high threadcount, to the extraordinary
lightness of the finest cotton batistes –
the more you can refine your selection.
This is a journey of discovery leading to
nothing less than your dream bed. In the
end, it isn’t just about the quality of your
sleep, but the quality of your life. After
all, what can be more important than
feeling comfortable and cosseted when
going to bed, and waking up knowing
you’re in the best place in the world?
COMFORT
A new appetite for traditional luxury.
With the decline of large country
estates as family homes and the rise of
the disposable culture, the last century
witnessed a fall in the reverence for,
and delight in, fine bed linen. When
we founded Josephine Home, it was
with a belief that while fashions may
change, a desire for true quality would
never entirely disappear. We believed
that one should know the real thing,
instinctively. And this belief has led us
on a personal quest to rediscover the
original bed linen and household textile
tradition and its great craftsmen, with
their generations-old skills.
Now that tastes are returning once
again to the comfort and reassurance of
traditional and understated quality,
we are delighted to be at the vanguard
of this renaissance.
RENAISSANCE
White is right.
At Josephine Home, we adhere to time-
honoured traditions through every
step of our production process – from
weaving to stitching. When it comes to
the colour of our bed linen, our great
love is white. Historically, the whiteness
of bed linen said so much about its
owner’s sense of style and social status,
that people went to extravagant lengths
to make theirs the whitest of white.
Today, there remains nothing quite
as welcoming as the look and feel of
immaculate, crisp white sheets at the end
of a long day. However, the closer you
look at our bed linen, the more variety
you will find in the detail. For example,
our signature discreet grosgrain trim
adds a contemporary twist, and will
either gently complement or cleverly
offset the colour scheme of your room.
PURITY
Getting ready for bed.
When it comes to dressing your bed,
we would recommend these few simple
but effective tips: if using flat sheets,
neat ‘hospital corners’ made by pulling
the sheet extremely taut across the bed
are a must. If using a duvet, make sure
you give it a good shake to plump it and
spread the down evenly. Four pillows
tend to make a bed more inviting than
two, but the number of pillows to be
used on a bed (a recurrent question) is
truly a matter of taste and habit - seven
being the upper limit on a super king
bed, with four flat sleeping pillows plus
three reading pillows. The main rule is
to hide any pillows that have already
been slept on underneath the least
creased pillows or behind the decorative
pillows. So even a slept-in bed looks
fresh and new.
PREPARATION
Your bed, your rules.
To go from a well-dressed bed to a
‘couture’ bed, attention to detail makes
all the difference. Once you’ve chosen
the mood and colour scheme of your
room, you can use finishing details
on the bed (cushions, throws and bed
linen) to create a harmonious tension
which will bring the whole room to life.
Remember, over-matching is really the
opposite of couture. Finally, to have real
impact, a personal touch makes all the
difference. Anything could work: a rare
silk brought back from a special trip
could be made into a bespoke cushion,
or a textured throw might perfectly
contrast with the fresh white linen
underneath. Ultimately, there’s no room
quite as personal as your bedroom, and
no part of it quite as private as your own
bed; all the more reason why returning
to this part of your home should be one
of life’s special occasions.
CREATIVITY
Long live your linen.
For generations, laundering, whitening
and darning bed linen were vital rituals in
the cycle of life associated with fine linen.
Today, a few simple rules will ensure you
get the best out of your bed linen. Firstly,
wash at the lowest temperature (40- 60
degrees) without filling the drum too
tightly as water must be able to circulate
to ensure a thorough wash. Soft water
makes a huge difference to the feel of
your linen, so it is really worth investing
in a water softener if you live in a hard
water area. Secondly, always iron sheets
while they’re still slightly damp for an
easy glide and a perfect finish. Finally,
store well away from any dust - ideally
in a separate linen cupboard, or even
drawer, perhaps adding an evocative
scent to infuse the linen. The result will
be long lasting, crisply ironed, freshly
scented linen, which will make it a treat
to get into bed every night. Given that we
spend up to a third of our lives in bed, it
just has to be worth it.
CARE
592 Kings Road, London www.josephinehome.co.uk +44 (0)20 7751 0100