Trending: Quality Over Quantity
As we seek the trends for 2018 - traveling to trade shows in North America and Europe, reading up and reaching out to those in the industry - we find not colour or texture but rather philosophy is at the heart of this year's trend in interior design.
Ditching the habit of buying more for less, for the simplicity behind "buy once, buy well". Quality and longevity is where it's at.
In a world where we have all been guilty of stocking up at designer discount stores, we have diluted our sense of quality for the immediate gratification and brands that we think signify high end. When really, we are bringing in more than we can use and settling for imitation style as opposed to a unique individual take on what we relate to.
This is the year to reflect before we purchase. Reflect on where and how the item is manufactured. Not just for the sake of ethically produced goods, but rather in an effort to bring to our homes, long lasting, high performance pieces that showcase design and create a comfortable home.
How can you tell the difference between "designer" and well-designed? Examples, please!
Take your mattress, for example...
We, as consumers, have a certain price range in mind, followed by self-diagnosed sleeping preferences. While sales people will help you find what you think you are looking for, there is often less emphasis on your personal well being and more so on the extended warranty sale and commission.
Spend time researching how the mattress is made, your preference in the level of firmness and whether the price tag is really worth what you are getting. A well made mattress can last you a decade, two in the case of organic, that’s a lot of excellent sleep!
If you have health problems, consult your doctor or alternative therapist for their opinion on what your body needs when it comes to a mattress. Get real feedback from people who can sympathize with your situation from trusted health forums. (Ex. https://www.arthritis.ca | https://osteoporosis.ca | https://www.backclinicsofcanada.ca/sciatica/ | etc.)
Don’t have the time…or desire…to do the research? Get in touch and we can help you!
Let’s talk sheets!
Why spend time and money on sheets when you can walk in and walk out of a designer discount store with a brand name set for less than $150? Let’s just focus on a few of the main reasons.
Sizing
Sizing is a huge issue when it comes to buying your sheets from a general retail store. While you may assume your King bed takes King sheets, you most likely don’t realize that every brand differs in their sizing. It may not seem like a big deal until you are trying to get to sleep and your fitted sheet keeps slipping off the corner of your bed, or you think your partner is stealing the covers…when really, they are just too small. Most packaging provides dimensions but rarely for the depth of the pocket of your fitted sheet.
What to do? Take a few seconds and measure the depth of your mattress. Most mattresses are 76 x 80” but the general depth ranges from 5” to 16”. Make sure you have at least 2” more than the depth of your bed and enough on the width of the sheet to fall over both sides, generously if you like to tuck in your sheets. (If you have a 14” mattress: 76” W + 16” + 16” = 108” W. You want a sheet that is at least 108” in width.) A well fitted set of sheets make sleep that much sweeter.
Comfort & Longevity
You might find your “designer” sheets soft to the touch, beautifully coloured and considering the brand, well made. Here’s what you might not know. Many brands marketed as “high end” are made in China. This is not necessarily a bad thing. However, more often than not, the cotton is not well sourced. In an effort to reduce the end cost, the manufactures use short fibres as opposed to the long staple cotton used by Italian cotton manufacturers. So - while your sheets feel perfectly soft out of the package, the short staples wear as you wash and use them. Often enough, they wear within a year, creating the ever dreaded pilled, scratchy and faded sheets. With a little research (easy peasy if you consult our blogs) and a small increase in budget, you can easily see and feel the difference. Well made cotton sheets, using long staple cotton - without taking shortcuts - deliver sheets that get softer and softer with each use/wash. The fibres don’t wear out and your set of sheets can easily last you 10 years, no exaggeration. At what cost? Reasonably low.
Think about it this way:
The same can be said of duvets, sleeping pillows, towels and so on.
Think twice before you run out to redecorate or refresh your bedroom as a whole. Focus on the quality, the real quality - not just the packaged appearance. Save the frequent purchases for small, decorative pieces that you can switch up with the change in seasons. Invest in your well being and the real rest you deserve at the end of the day.
Create a home that is built to last and a bedroom built for great sleep!
