A luxurious bed depends on bed linens, duvets, throws (perhaps cashmere, for true luxury) or even faux fur throws.

BED LINENS
Thread count is measured by the number of horizontal and vertical threads per inch in the fabric. A good, practical sheet will have 150 to 350 threads per inch, with 400 to 600 giving you greater luxury – and even a 700 count in pure linen is available in some speciality stores, but these high-end sheets need greater care.

This extra care includes washing luxury sheets in warm water (not hot), on the gentle cycle, using a very mild detergent, such as Zero, and avoiding using bleach. If bleach is needed, it must be an oxygenated type. You can use a dryer but only on the warm cycle.

Luxury bed linens, throws and duvets pay off when you consider the hours you spend in bed

THROWS
We use throws on the bottoms of our beds or, more often, have them on our sofas for a chic appearance and a comfy way to snuggle.

If you’re looking for luxury, consider cashmere. Pashmina shawls, which became a huge rage in fashion circles among chic woman, are an example of very fine cashmere, but pashminas are too thin for throws. A two-ply is a little thicker. For the ultimate in a cashmere throw, why not register for a four-ply one? The softness is unbelievable!

Beware: don’t buy a cheap cashmere. It’s far better to move to another fabric.

You might enjoy a faux fur, which is practical, easy to care for and feels luxurious.

DUVETS
Feather or down duvets are the first choice of many, but not for those with allergies. These people should look for cotton or synthetic fillers. But shop around. Some of these fillers give the same feel as feather or down.

Down is valued because it is the softest feathers or ducks and geese (with the quill shafts removed). The least expensive down duvet has one ounce of down to fill 300 cubic inches.

The way in which the duvet is filled matters because you want to avoid movement or clumping of the fill so that, over time, some areas become fuller while others are flat. For example, some have square pockets that are stuffed with down so it can’t move around. If the duvet is stitched tunnel style, the filling can move around.

You don’t want a duvet with too high a thread count because if the cover is too fine, the down can poke through. The cover needs a thread count of about 230.



FALL/WINTER 2005