How to Find Truly Luxurious Linens for Your Bed

If you search in stores or online for luxury linens, you're likely to find a host of name brands and looks... that are not so luxurious, well-made or pretty. I've been hunting for over a year for bedding to ohhh and ahhh over.

I saw linens that are expensive but too conservative. I saw linens that were impractical (white on white!) and totally traditional. And many brands that were poorly made and overpriced.

Finally, I found several lines of truly luxurious bedding that are a treat for the eyes and to touch. I'll share them with you here.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A desire to feather your nest with beautiful, well-made bedding
• A budget that recognizes you'll live with (and love) the bedding for years and years

1. 
    

   Use This Strategy for Finding and Price Shopping
   
   A. Browse : When you've got time to spare and are relaxed, take a look online at the luxury linens of the companies I've highlighted below. Browse the designs and fabrics, see if one or more ring your bell.
   
   B: Price Them and See Them: Obtain prices directly from the maker's web site (if available; if they sell direct to customers) for the sizes and items you need. Then browse the retail locations listed, to see if any are near you. When you're spending three or four figures on bedding, you need to be able to see and feel the fabric in person. Try to find a shop you can visit to see/evaluate fabric swatches and workmanship of the line you like best.
   
   C: Comparison Shop Online: Next, browse the online sellers, and compare prices to get the best deal. Many sellers have free shipping and may not charge sales tax in your state, so you're on 'even or better footing' with brick and mortar sellers at this point. I found my luxury linens in a shop near me, then priced the brand online and found free shipping and 20% lower prices (lower overhead than a retail location, makes sense).

2. 
    

   Look at Bella Notte Bedding
   
   This line has dozens of sumptuous designs, each available in a kaleidoscope of colors and rich textures. Burnout velvets, toile, open lace, jacquard, textured damask and more. You can find true luxury and easy care fabrics with beautiful workmanship here... and some very contemporary elegant looks. A queen size velvet coverlet (96 x 95") costs $370.

3. Look at Ann Gish Linens
   
   This line of linens offers luxury silks, velvets, quilted rose charmeuse, chenille and more... with exquisite details and workmanship. A 400 thread count duvet cover, made of cotton sateen and charmeuse silk trim, run $360 (queen size is 100" by 100"). The Monaco throw, a reversible, two color, creamy silk charmeuse with French knots, carries a price of $529 for 84" x 48". Fewer color choices than other lines, but lots of luxe.

4. 
    

   Look at Peacock Alley Bedding
   
   This line of bedding promises indulgence, comfort and luster. An Amalfi duvet cover, with a 600 thread count, Italian worked-Egyptian cotton, runs $845 for a queen duvet. A cotton tailored Merengue quilt in queen sells for $325. There are beautiful fabrics, colors and patterns to choose from.

5. 
    

   Look at Sferra Linens
   
   This line of bedding offers comfort, elegance and quality, with Egyptian cotton. Fewer selections and colors than Bella Notte, but definitely worth a look and feel. Thread counts range from 200 to 1020 in this Italian Egyptian cotton bedding. The Giotto Sheeting, at 590 thread count, will run you $275. The Giza 45 Sheeting was rated "the best of the best" in the annual luxury edition by the Robb Report, June 2008. One fitted sheet (queen size) can set you back $500, but if you're in that market, I thought you should know.

Tips & Warnings

• Make your bedroom a sanctuary, luxury linen in beautiful and sumptuous.
• It's not inexpensive, but one option is to blend luxury coverlets or shams and accessories like those featured here with other, more economical bedding you may have.

[highhealth]

on 1/28/2010 Well researched article How to Find Truly Luxurious Linens for Your Bed... learned a new brand to look for - sleep comfort means everything!

[greensugar]

on 1/15/2010 It's true, there's nothing like cozying up on great quality sheets! Thanks for the inspiration!

[tammyfrost]

on 12/18/2009 Thanks for these tips...I am also searching for some nice linens and comforter sets.

[steveatvero]

on 12/12/2009 FYI - Ann Gish and Bella Notte offer more for the top of the bed vs actual sheets - they have some but most of the line is top of bed & shams etc. Ann's stuff is very nice but priced accordingly. Sferra & Peacock have great stuff as well - and is mostly Italian - and the Italian fabrics, I think are the best for sheets. The Sferra Giza 45 is premo!

[psychonurse]

on 12/8/2009 Good tips! My husband insists that I only fins thread counts of 6000-1000--and a set on range from 70-100 dollars, depending on the thread count. They are usually bland and solid in color, so I'll check out the different sites you offered. Thanks 5*****