Posts Tagged ‘linens’

In The Nude

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

I’m totally in love with Peacock Alley‘s new La Femme collection

la femme ensemble peacock alley

Peacock Alley says, “This classic yarn-dyed jacquard ensemble reveals that sophistication and sultriness can go to bed together.”  I say, “Sophistication and sultriness is my new favorite couple!”

soprano sheets from Peacock Alley

Aren’t these colors gorgeous?  Find all of Peacock Alley’s delicious bedding here!

Build A Better Bed, Pt. 10

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

I can’t believe it was the end of July when I wrote the first post of my Build A Better Bed series! That’s when I started the process of creating

Buy Cialis Generic Online

a luxurious bed. As I worked with Peacock Alley, I learned that dressing our bed is much like dressing ourselves. We started with the underwear (the sheets) and ended with the accessories. Hopefully you enjoyed the journey and learned a few things along the way. Today I’m happy to show you (with my very unprofessional photography) the bed that I created…

luxurious bed

After determining that Peacock Alley products were the luxury linens for me, visited their gorgeous design studio in the Dallas Design District and took care of what’s beneath the sheets, I focused on my bed’s underwear. I chose Peacock Alley’s Lyric collection in white…an amazing crisp 500-thread count Egyptian cotton percale. Pure heaven!

I also chose Marroquin Upholstery to make a custom upholstered headboard. I’ve never worked with such amazing craftsmen. They did a fantastic job on my tufted velvet headboard. It was exactly what I wanted and I think it’s beautiful!

custom upholstered headboard

It was important to me to chose linens that I could mix, match and change with the seasons. To follow are links to the choices that I made:

 

montauk white matelasse

2 standard shams and coverlet in Montauk Matelasse, white

rio birch bedskirt

Rio linen bedskirt in birch

 

linen duvet

Dominque cotton/linen duvet

Olympia linen duvet

Olympia linen duvet cover and two standard shams

rio sham decorative pillows

Rio decorative monogramed pillow in Driftwood

peacock alley linens

Now I need to remove the ceiling fan above my bed and replace it with a pretty vintage chandelier, determine whether or not to add a backdrop behind the bed (in front of the windows) and replace my old bedside tables. For now…I look forward to bedtime every night and feel like a Princess!

Would you put panels, a curtain or something else behind the bed? I would love to hear your opinion! Please weigh in and I’ll keep you posted on what develops!

bedside lamp

Good night!

 

Build A Better Bed, Pt. 9

Thursday, September 15th, 2011

Whether you’re a guy or a girl, you have accessories in your wardrobe and chances are that one of those is a scarf.  As I’ve mentioned before, your bed’s wardrobe is much like your own, so that means that your bed needs a scarf, as well.

peacock alley bed scarf

I’m sure that you’ve seen many beautiful beds with fluffy duvets, blankets or coverlets folded at the foot of the bed.  I don’t ever feel like a bed is totally complete without something spread or folded across the bed.  I love the idea of simple bed scarves as an option.

bed scarf peacock alley

Peacock Alley has beautiful bed scarf choices like this luscious brown linen piece.  Doesn’t it just make the bed complete?

peacock alley bed scarf

I’m also crazy about this classic matelasse bed scarf .  The perfect finish to a timeless white bed just as a Hermes scarf would complete a little black dress!

So treat your luxurious bed to a scarf to complete its look!

Your opportunity to get 20% off your Peacock Alley order is almost over.  Don’t miss out on taking advantage of this amazing deal!  This discount is good for sales items too!  Score!

Enter HIDDEN11 as the coupon code to receive your savings at check out!

Build A Better Bed, Pt. 7

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

Now that we’ve covered our bed with luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets, what’s next?  My choice is a beautiful cotton matelasse coverlet and shams!

peacock alley vienna coverlet

Matelasse (pronounced mat-le-SAY) is French for “quilted” or “cushioned”, and when speaking of fabrics, refers to quilted textiles.  Peacock Alley‘s matelasse fabrics are woven on jacquard looms in Portugal and Italy.  The looms give the appearance of hand quilting.  These fabrics appear to be padded, but there is no padding within the fabric.

white matelasse peacock alley

 

Placing a beautiful cotton matelasse coverlet and shams over your crisp white sheets is a classic, timeless look that always gives the look of luxury.

vienna matelasse peacock alley sham

One of Peacock Alley‘s most popular matelasse is my favorite.  Vienna has their signature for over 30 years.  This pattern was fashioned after an 18th Century french button found in France by Peacock Alley’s founder.  This classic, understated, elegant matelasse is made of 100% cotton Egyptian cotton, imported from Portugal.

alyssa peacock alley matelasse coverlet

Alyssa matelasse is crafted with 8 rows of double needle hemstitching enhanced with a diamond design.  This classic is made with 100% Egyptian cotton from Portugal, as well.

montauk matelasse from peacock alley

Montauk matelasse is the perfect modern neutral for the sophisticated bed.  I love this pebble pattern with double needle details!

So who’s craving a gorgeous Peacock Alley matelasse coverlet and shams for their bed?  Well, there’s no better time than NOW to get yours!  Peacock Alley is offering The Hidden List readers 20% off your next order!  Simply enter coupon code HIDDENLIST11 and receive your discount when you check out!

What’s your favorite matelasse from Peacock Alley?  Should I stick with my favorite, Vienna, for my new bed?

Build A Better Bed, Pt. 6

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

The Peacock Alley Design Studio and website leave no stone left unturned when it comes to bedding.  They make sure that you have the very best linen wash available when it comes to caring for your luxurious bedding!

leblanc linen wash

Le Blanc Linen Wash has proven to be the safest cleaner and stain remover in the home textile industry.  Whether caring for new product or restoring an old one, Le Blanc will do the trick in removing tough stains in fine fabrics.  Red wine, lip stick, grease, coffee, blood and yellow age stains can all be handled without the use of bleach, caustics and phosphates. Le Blanc‘s neutral pH balance make it safe enough to use on linens, 100% Egyptian cottons, synthetics and blends.

Find all of Le Blanc’s Do’s and Don’t's of Laundering here.  Do you dry your sheets on high?  If you do, you really need to read these do’s and don’t's!  I need to change some of my laundry habits!!

You’ll find Le Blanc linen was at the Peacock Alley Showroom or here, on their website.

peacock alley bedding

Our friends at Peacock Alley are offering THL readers an exclusive coupon code for 20% off your next purchase, so now’s the time to get those amazing sheets we talked about last week!!  Simply enter coupon code HIDDENLIST11 to get your discount when you checkout!

Thank you, Peacock Alley!!

Building A Better Bed, Pt. 4

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Let’s talk sheets!  They’re the bed’s underwear…the part of the bed that touches our body the most!  So, when building your bed, if you only splurge on one component, it should be the sheets!  And since you’re going to make that investment in quality linens, don’t you want to touch and feel what you’re buying?  Peacock Alley’s Design Studio allows you to touch and feel before you buy, so you’re sure to make the right choice for your body.

peacock alley design studio

 

Most people think if you buy any sheets with a high thread count, you’re getting good quality.  Not necessarily so!  The quality of the cotton is extremely important in this equation.  That’s why you’ll feel a HUGE difference in a 400-count sheet from Walmart and a 400-count sheet from Peacock Alley.  In fact a 200-count sheet from Peacock Alley will trump most brand’s 600-count sheets because of the quality cotton used.

calypso collection peacock alley linens

When it comes to sheets, the thing that you need to determine is whether you’re a “percale person” or a “sateen person”.

If you like a matte finish and crisp feel, then percale is for you.  Cotton percale is light, breathable and feels great in the hot summer months.  If percale is for you, I suggest Peacock Alley’s Lyric sheets.  They’re a crisp 500-thread count, 100% Egyptian cotton percale made in Italy and they have a beautiful double hemstitch.  Pure luxury and my choice!

lyric collection peacock alley linens

Do you sleep in flannel pj’s and socks?  Then you’ll likely be happier with a sateen sheet.  Silky smooth and known for it’s drape, sateen is a bit thicker, tightly woven and soft making it perfect for snuggling in during cold winter nights.  Peacock Alley’s number one selling sheet, for over 15 years, is their 420-thread count sateen Soprano.  They’re incredibly soft, made with 100% Egyptian cotton and are enhanced with a classic blanket stitch hem.  You won’t dress in flannel from head to toe on these sheets…  They’re so yummy!

soprano sheets peacock alley

Congratulations!  You’ve completed Linen Lingo 101!

What’s your choice?  Percale or Sateen?

Tune next week as our Build A Better Bed series covers how to care for these linens…

 

 

Building A Better Bed, Pt 3

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

OK…it’s time to get started…I’m assuming everyone has their mattress ready to start building a better bed, right?  Before we dress our bed, we must make sure that we have taken care of what is actually beneath the sheets…the mattress enhancers and pillows!

Peacock Alley logo

Peacock Alley has a well-rounded selection of both!  The mattress enhancers (which some of you may refer to as feather beds or pillow tops) are for those of us that may not have purchased as good of a mattress as we would have liked and need a little more cushion.  They carry three different choices from Ogallala.

Wool – The most popular choice for hot Texas weather, keeps sleeping bodies warm in the winter and cool in the summer, while providing firm support for the spine and neck

Bed Box Down – This choice is top of the line luxury with Hypodown 700 fill so you can truly be surrounded in comfort.  Sewn in a baffled box design (so the down doesn’t all end up at one end)  in a 300-thread-count.

Feather Bed – 230-thread-count cotton twill featherbed is stitched on the horizontal channels and generously filled with 75% Goose Feather  and 25% Goose Down.

mattress enhanders at Peacock Alley's Design Studio

The naked bed, found at Peacock Alley’s Design Studio, allows you to touch and feel each and see which is right for your body temperature and personal “firmness” needs.

the pillow bar pillows

When it comes to pillows, Merrimac Dillon’s The Pillow Bar is the creme de la creme!  Merrimac actually invented a “pillow-bar” that allows you to custom-make the pillow that’s perfect for you.  Filled with pristine 650-fill Hungarian goose down, these pillows are pure luxury and like no other!  The 300-thread-count cotton sateen cover can even be embroidered (so no one else in the house will try to claim it…) with whatever you desire and scented with your choice of herbal pouches.  Pure heaven!  You can get your custom pillow at Peacock Alley’s Design Studio or at several locations listed here.

There’s a couple of videos here that allow you to see the pillow bar in action!  I can’t wait to get one!

woman stretching in bed photo

If you have allergies, Peacock Alley also offers a hypo-down version from Ogallala.  This company discovered a recipe for hypoallergenic down and uses this special mix in their products.  This secret ingredient?  Milkweed….who knew?

Mattress enhancers are not an essential part of your bed…more of a choice depending on how you like your bed to feel.  I’m going to start out without one, since I just bought a brand new mattress, and see how that works.  I can always add one later…

So, step one for me is snagging my perfect pillow!  And I’ve decided The Pillow Bar is the way to go.

Do you have any other questions about what’s beneath your sheets?  I’ll get the answer for you!  Can’t wait to hear from you!

 

 

 

Winner!

Friday, July 29th, 2011

And the winner of the luxurious Peacock Alley resort throw is….

peacock alley resort throw

Mrs. Jewel, who said…

“Never heard of Peacock Alley till your post, and I think it’s something we’ll have to check out on our next bedding adventure. We got a duvet cover from Z Gallerie– with a pattern we both love, but it’s only a year old and is starting to show age.”
Congrats, Mrs. Jewel!  Contact me at kelley@thehiddenlist.com and I’ll get your resort throw to you soon!
So, who’s jealous?  Don’t fret!  There’s much more fun to come!  Stay tuned for next week’s “Build A Better Bed” series for more yummy goodies!!

Build A Better Bed, Part 2

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

You may want to pack your PJ’s when you visit the inviting Peacock Alley Design Studio…I found myself wanting to crawl right into one of the comfy beds piled with luxurious linens or wrap myself in a luxurious throw.

Peacock Alley design studio

This 2,400 square foot space , located in the Dallas Design District, serves as a creative place where you can mix and match fine linens to your heart’s desire.  Most showrooms of this caliber are only for design professionals, but all are welcome here!

peacock alley naked bed

One of my favorite features of the showroom is the “naked bed” which allows you to play with different fabrics, textures and prints on a blank canvas and see what works best for you.  I’ll share my personal experience using the “naked bed” in a future post!

peacock alley coverlets

image via housesgardenspeople

Their white sheets and basic bedding are displayed in a way that will allow you to touch, feel and compare textures.  I learned so much from the staff about different sheeting options that I can’t wait to share with you in this series!

peacock alley design studio

There’s professional designer tools and workspace to help assist design professionals and for those like me who need a little help, there’s a friendly creative staff there to help you build the bed of your dreams!  Thinking outside the box is encouraged at Peacock Alley.  The options for customization of size, monograming or creating a unique product with their fabrics are all available!

peacock alley design studio

Go see the Peacock Alley Design Studio soon!  It’s eye and hand candy!  What a treat!

No…I didn’t forget…You still have one more day to comment on Part 1 or Part 2 (which ever you feel is luckiest!) of the “Build A Better Bed” series posts to win your chance at a luxurious resort throw!  Here’s how to snag your chance…

resort throw peacock alley

First“Like” Peacock Alley’s facebook page.  Then, “Like” The Hidden List facebook page (you may have already done this, but I’ll be checking both pages to confirm the winner).  Finally, leave a comment about what you look for when choosing bed linens.  Do you simply look for color…pattern…design?  Or do you search for quality fabrics that feel the best to the touch?  Do you have a special heirloom that you build your bed around?

You have until 5pm CST on Thursday, July 28, to comment.  A winner will be announced on Friday!  Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Build A Better Bed ~ Part 1

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

I recently experienced a “life change” that had me shopping for a queen-sized bed just for me!  Buying a mattress is one of my least favorite things to purchase, so I went to Weir’s, took the advice of the salesperson on which would be the best fit and value for me and got out relatively quick…  Now?  On to the fun stuff!  Dressing the bed!!

peacock alley linens

About 12 years ago I bought my favorite bedding from Peacock Alley for a guest bedroom.  It has proven to be timeless and seems to get more soft and luxurious with age.

peacock alley linens

I chose a neutral color pallet and subtle pattern so that I could display one of my favorite possessions…a tatted coverlet that belonged to my grandmother…at the foot of the bed.  I love the way the patterns and textures work.  Peacock Alley linens are perfect for working together with that special blanket or throw you purchased on a special vacation or your own family heirloom.  The patterns used in their line are specifically chosen to work well with others so that you can change the look of the bed with the seasons… or your mood.

peacock alley showroom

Peacock Alley Design Studio

At the same time I put together this bed, I also had custom bedding made for my own bed.  That custom-made bedding was sold at a garage sale several years ago and, although I spent a fortune on fabrics and labor, didn’t hold up well.  So, now that it’s time to “make another bed and lie in it” it’s a no-brainer to seek the help of Peacock Alley for luxurious linens that will last.

I was so excited to learn that Peacock Alley recently opened a design studio in the Dallas Design District.  It’s absolutely gorgeous and has all of the components of what you need to build a dream bed.  Next week I’ll show you more of their new digs and tell you about their “naked bed”.  Don’t worry…I’ll keep it G-rated…

Peacock Alley resort throw

To get this “bed building” series started, I’m giving away Peacock Alley’s resort throw…a $95 value.  These are so dreamy!  They almost melt in your hands…simply irresistible!  Here’s what you need to do to win!

First, “Like” Peacock Alley’s facebook page.  Then, “Like” The Hidden List facebook page (you may have already done this, but I’ll be checking both pages to confirm the winner).  Finally, leave a comment about what you look for when choosing bed linens.  Do you simply look for color…pattern…design?  Or do you search for quality fabrics that feel the best to the touch?  Do you have a special heirloom that you build your bed around?  Let us know…

You’ll have all week to leave your comments, we’ll chose randomly and I’ll announce the winner next week in Part 2, as we explore the Peacock Alley showroom and I share my experience there.

Good luck!