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