By Susan Kelly
As temperatures plummet, it’s time to layer—even in the bedroom. This means topping snowy bed sheets with plump duvets and pillows and piling on snuggly blankets and throws. But maximizing warmth and comfort—and ultimately the best night’s rest—is less about quantity and more about understanding what goes into making each layer, says David Saini, owner of David’s Fine Linens. “The bedding you choose will not only create a cozy aesthetic, but determine your comfort level and how well you sleep,” says this expert, who has been sourcing and selling fine linens for more than 40 years. “Quality counts.”
Often it takes a single duvet to achieve an optimal sleeping temperature. It may be filled with wool, silk, or synthetic materials, but for light, airy warmth, we turn to down. The finest down also lets us rest easy knowing it’s responsibly and sustainably harvested. David’s carries eiderdown duvets, with filling that’s hand-collected from eider duck habitats in a Quebec wildlife sanctuary. The birds are not harmed; they shed down from the chest the way we shed hair from the head, Saini explains. But it takes more than 60 nests to make one duvet, making it a costly material. Premium down’s cloud-like softness and exceptional insulating ability is due to something called loft. “And there is no real difference in comfort, whether it is from a duck or goose, or comes from Europe or Canada,” Saini says. “Loft is the true measure of down quality.” This retailer also carries duvets and pillows filled with down sourced in Europe or the Hutterite communities of Alberta. They allow the geese and ducks, which are raised primarily as food, to range freely. The down plucked as a by-product is considered superbly fine. The pleasure of slipping between the sheets at the end of the day is undoubtedly one of life’s greatest joys, made better only when they are sumptuously soft. Most of us prefer crisp cotton over silk or linen, Saini says. And we think that the highest thread count is all that matters. But it’s the quality of the cotton that makes the difference, he adds. Egyptian cotton has a justified reputation for being the best in the world. However, because there are imitators out there, his store stocks bedding composed only of fabric from certified genuine sources. La crème of Egyptian cottons is Giza, grown and handpicked close to the Nile River. Saini considers it the “cashmere of the cotton world,” making it rarer and giving it unique qualities that aren’t found elsewhere. It’s not only luxuriously soft but takes dyes beautifully. The red diamond of cottons—meaning rarest and most expensive—is Sea Island cotton. Grown only on certain Caribbean islands, it accounts for 0.004 percent of the world’s cotton supply.
Some people still prefer the coziness of flannel sheets. The versions at David’s Fine Linens are sourced in Italy and Portugal from fine cotton spun to keep the warming qualities without the rustic roughness. “Many people talk about hotel sheets, but nothing you experience in a hospitality setting can compare with the comfort and softness of what we offer,” he says.
Like duvets, pillows may be filled with down, wool, manmade materials, or silk. Does it take mounds of them to make a bed cozy? That’s a matter of preference, says this expert. But everyone needs two types of pillows—one for sleep and the rest for decor. The sleep pillow is more about function, whether you’re a side- or back-sleeper or need neck support. Pillow height and firmness are also important.
Saini advises against king-size pillows as too large. Downsize to queen for more comfort and better sleep. And for a sumptuous finishing touch, layering blankets and throws is an instinctual response to chilly nights. A merino wool throw, made in Ireland, would provide warmth along with an injection of color. Here you can play with texture, the softness of a cashmere throw, or one of nubby mohair. For added drama, toss a striking knit or faux-fur throw on the foot of the bed. “Luxury materials are not only more beautiful to behold,” says Saini, “but give a sensation of cozy comfort every time you touch them.”
