How To Shop for and Wash Sheets with SFERRA’s Paul Hooker

Welcome to Part III of my three-part (obviously) interview with SFERRA president, Paul Hooker. This is a man who knows his yarn. You can read Part I, in which we discuss the whole thread-count issue, by following this link.  Read Part II, all about style here.

Paul and I ended out discussion with some dirty talk. How to wash the sheets, that is. He’s got a few tips on shopping as well.

DH: Is it important to wash linens with special detergent?

PH: What you have to watch for in detergent is chlorine bleach.  Chlorine bleach kills cotton fabric.  It not only yellows the fabric, but it breaks down the fibers, causing the sheets to have a shorter life. They pill and rip more easily. There are many good detergents on the market. Just avoid any that contain chlorine bleach. Use an oxygen bleach instead. We have a page on our site dedicated to this subject.

DH: I iron my sheets, which has spoiled me forever. What makes an ironed sheets feel so much better?

PH: It brings out the crispness of the cotton or linen of the sheet.  The same way a nicely pressed piece of clothing becomes the person, the nicely pressed cotton or linen makes one feel “extra special” when crawling into bed.  It could also have something to do with the fact that extra attention was given to get this fabric just right.

Paul’s Tips on How to Buy and Wash Bed Linens

• Educate yourself about the various types of sheets. Do you want percale or sateen?¬† A specialty store can tell and show you the difference.
• Know and trust the merchant who is selling you the sheets.¬† If it sounds too good to be true, it generally is.¬† Will they stand behind their product?¬† Have they been in business a long time?¬† Will they be there tomorrow?¬† Those who have a long history tend to take the business more seriously, and offer better quality than others.¬† Sometimes price leads the way. If it doesn’t, shop at a specialty store that carries the best quality possible.

More shopping tips and all about washing after the jump. Read More…

My turn! Read All About How My Interior Design Career Began

I guess this is interview week here at Design Hole. Design Style Guide interviewed me about my career, how I got started, and about my thoughts on interior design. You can read all about it by following this link.You can also see some photos from my portfolio, which I’m finally pulling together. Yay! I’d like to say thanks to Design Style Guide for the opportunity to let me talk about myself. :-)

My interview at Housewears

Jillian, the writer of the design blog, Housewears, interviewed me a few days ago and wrote a lovely post. If you’re interested in reading about my work as a designer, hop on over and read the interview here.

Thanks, Jillian!

Getting to Know the Top: Nathan Thomas Exclusive

Loft Life, the newcomer to the world of shelter magazines, published an interview with this season’s winner of Top Design, Nathan Thomas. Read on!

From the start of this season’s Top Design, one designer stuck out as the obvious front-runner to us. With stints at Alexandra Champalimaud & Associates and Nathan Egan Interiors, New York-based designer Nathan Thomas displayed an approach to design that would enhance any loft. Following a well-deserved win on the Bravo series, he has now launched his own eponymous design firm, Nathan Thomas Studios.

We had the opportunity to ask this season’s Top Design winner a few questions about his artistic sensibility.

LoftLife: First things first: Season One’s finale was a loft challenge and you were tasked with a nondescript townhouse. Which kind of space do you prefer to work with?

Nathan Thomas: In comparing both finale spaces, the loft of Season One and the townhouse of Season Two, I would have to say that the loft speaks to me more in a designer’s vocabulary versus a townhouse. I find the architecture of cast iron or old warehouse with soaring windows to be full of personality and possibility.

The bones of a real loft space are historical, and conjure up ideas of modernity and sophistication. I tend to view architecture of the late 19th century and its prospects of re-purpose as so relevant today. Although I was very happy with outcome of my town home in the finale, I feel I only achieved that by channeling an idea of a more architectural spirit. It was a builder’s home, void of character and personality. This is the true test of a designer/decorator, however. The ability to look beyond what may be a dull and vacant space and transform that into something special and unique.

LL: Your artwork tends to be such a striking focal point. What draws you to a piece? When do you work it into the design process, at the beginning or the end?

NT: When decorating interior spaces, whether they be commercial, residential, private, or public, artwork plays such a crucial role in the outcome and total package. I have always been deeply connected to art and have never felt like a room should be designed around art. Rather, the art is the piece de la resistance, the bonus, the firework!

Read the rest here.

Dwell Interview with Patrizia Moroso

There’s a fun interview with Moroso owner, Patrizia Moroso over at Dwell’s Blog. Patrizia is the brains behind this cutting edge Italian furniture company. The world’s most talented designers line up to work for them. She has a good eye for new talent, too. At last year’s Salone, Moroso premiered work from Patricia Urquiola, Ron Arad, and newcomers Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien.

Here’s the start of the interview:

Creative director of the storied Italian furniture manufacturer Moroso, Patrizia Moroso was in San Francisco on Thursday morning at the Dzine showroom to chat with the press about the history of her company—founded by her parents outside Milan in the 1950s—and what we can expect in the future.

A disarming, unpretentious woman, Moroso chattering about this Parisian showroom or that trip to India or how this is her first ever visit to San Francisco. Dressed in a colorful top, loose pants and flat shoes, with short burgundy hair and chunky glasses, she looked like any Italian mother and seemed at greater ease than the bubble skirted, pastel tied and perilously high heeled in attendance. We spoke after things quieted down and I found her pleasant, personable, and happy to chat.

To read the rest of the interview, scoot over to the Dwell blog here.