LoveMyPlace.com - Renovation, Design, Real Estate

Statistics show that 74.7 per cent of Canadians fantasize at this time of year about going to bed, pulling the covers over their heads and staying put until April. Okay, we made that up, but we’ll bet our 450-thread count, Egyptian cotton sheets that the number is pretty close to the mark. While it’s not healthy – physically or financially – to hibernate for six months, luxurious new bed linen will make it even harder to resist the urge to settle down for really, really long winter’s nap.

You can make any bed instantly cozy with that miracle of human invention - the hot water bottle -  which can be picked up at a drug store for less than $10. In the olden days, the hot water bottle was merely wrapped in a towel before being tucked between the sheets, a much less sophisticated option than a cable-knit cashmere bottle holder available from The Cashmere Shop (24 Bellair St., 416-925-0831, thecashmereshop.com). The perfect gift, perhaps, for the person who has everything, these holders sell for $120 and come in baby blue or pink, charcoal grey and off-white. 

Snuggling under flannel sheets is a great way to spend a winter evening. Designer Brian Gluckstein has brought a new twist to flannel with his Hampton line of bedding, which is available at The Bay. A queen-size sheet set, which includes a flat and fitted sheet and two pillow cases, sells for $99.99, as does the matching duvet. 

This design comes in dignified dark blue plaid, but the camel, grey and cream plaid is lovely, especially when teamed with grey or brown accessories, such as a butter-soft Rani cashmere throw from Au Lit Fine Linen (2049 Yonge St., 416-489-7010, aulitfinelinens.com). These come in several different finishes, and are available in chocolate, tan, grey and aloe. But that kind of luxury doesn’t come cheap — prices run between $400 and $1600 

Lots of textured pieces in darker colours for the top of the bed are being shown at Au Lit this fall, including a nubbly, knotted throw from the new washed-linen line called Matteo. Prices for pillow cases, sheets and duvet covers run from $145 to $829, while the throw sells for $995. 

Just down the street from Au Lit, at 2031 Yonge St., is Lucca (416-485-4999), which also sells linens for the bed, bath and table. The stand-outs here are incredibly beautiful pillows that feature hand-made fabrics, including kitten-soft burnt velvet. Created by the Kevin O’Brien Studio in Philadelphia, these pillows may be a guilty pleasure, since prices start at $350. But they are sure to add a dash of welcome colour to the winter-chilled bedroom.

Lucca also sells O’Brien Studio linens by special order, including a lush Persian throw in burnt velvet that sells for $650US. O’Brien’s pillows are also available at Horse Feathers (1400 Castlefield Ave. 416-486-4555, horsefeathershome.com) and his pillows, duvet covers and throws can be found at Constantine Interiors (1110 Yonge St., 416-929-1177).

For a retro look, Lucca has 100 per cent cotton chenille covers in six patterns, including matelasse and waffle weave. These warm and fuzzy covers are available by order in 60 colours, and take between three and 12 weeks to be made. Prices start at $305 for a twin, and run to $660 for a king.

Sunbeam has updated the fusty image of the electric blanket with a new line of machine-washable warming throws that they say are about 20 per cent lighter than the electric blankets your grandma owned. New this season is the micromink, a cuddly blanket available in four colours that sells for $100 at Canadian Tire, Home Outfitters, Sears and Wal-Mart. 

To keep you truly toasty, Sunbeam also has a new line of warming mattress pads. Prices start at about $110 for a queen, but the top of the line is a 250 thread count, 100 per cent cotton pad that has 10 warming settings, a 10-hour auto-off function and a pre-heating feature. The faceplate for the controller comes with two colour plates — one black, one white. A queen-size pad that will fit mattresses up to 24 inches sells for about $250. 

At some point, you’re going to have to get out of bed. When you do, make sure there’s something soothing and warm under foot. Try a hand-loomed angora area rug, available from Spotted Zebra (1062 Yonge St., 416-944-0251, spottedzebragifts.com) Made in Turkey, these long-lasting, cold-water washable rugs are combed on one side, and come in three sizes — 48 by 31 inches, which sells for $95, 70 by 44 inches, which sells for $195, and 84 by 60 inches, which sells for $295. 

This entry was posted on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 9:25 am and is filed under Design/Decor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.