Bedding 411

Researchers say that we spend 1/3 of our life in bed. Being the single mother of an infant and working a full time job, I question that number at 4:00 a.m. but.....whatever. Rachel and I are currently in the process of adding new bedding product to the InteriorMall.com website and revamping our whole bedding section. We are EXTREMELY excited to be a new dealer of SFERRA Fine Linens. For those of you unfamiliar with SFERRA they are one of the world's leading companies in luxury bedding. They were the first company ever to offer 1020 thread count sheets, all made from 100% Egyptian Cotton.

I know everyone always talks about thread count but maybe you don't understand what exactly they are referring to. I know until just recently the only thing I personally knew was that the higher the thread count, the better the quality and the better the feel of the fabric....and that is true to an extent. Thread count refers to the number of vertical and horizontal threads per square inch of fabric. What many companies do in order to show a higher thread count is double up the threads. So, if for instance the customer is buying 1020 thread count sheets, they are buying 1,000 thread counts but the quality is only a 500 thread count. There isn't 1,000 threads per square inch of fabric, there is 500 doubled. Just recently Linen N Things was sued over this very issue. A customer bought bed linens with the assumption they were 1,000 thread count sheets. As time wore on they noticed them depreciating faster than should happen. After testing, it was found that they were not actually 1,000 thread count sheets, they were 500 doubled and passed as 1,000. This is not to say that every set of sheets you purchase is fraudulent, however, it is something to be aware of. I can tell you this, SFERRA does not take part in these practices and stands behind there product 100%. Should you ever have problems with your linens they will test them for $100 and find out exactly what caused the problems and if it seems to be a manufacturers flaw, they will replace the sheets.

There's cotton and then there's Egyptian Cotton. Egyptian Cotton is the finest cotton in the world. Found a long the Nile River in Egypt it is used to make the finest linens in the world. What makes this the best cotton in the world? The length of the yarn and the growing process. Researchers have come to realize the longer the yarn and the longer the growing process, the better quality the cotton.

Don't forget to check out the InteriorMall.com bedding page for one of the best bedding selections around.

Retro and Vintage Fabrics

So, spending my weekend at The Paper Doll House rekindled my love for all things old (or old-looking, as the case may be). The love of vintage/retro items has grown exponentially in the design industry in the past few years. The old adage, "what once was old is new again" is showing its truth.

F. Schumacher has come out with some really neat "vintage" fabrics. These new fabrics are available through InteriorMall.com .

Another great source for vintage-inspired fabrics is Laura Ashley. Many of their patterns are reminiscent of days gone by and are great with the ever popular "Shabby Chic" look or a country-cottage scene.

Meet the Staff: Rachel

IT'S FRIDAY!!!! We're glad Shanna returned from her trip to Chicago safe and sound. This week I am introducing everyone to Rachel. She is "the new girl" around the office and we are lovin' her! She was hired on to help take up some of the slack from my job. We get so many new products everyday that need to be added to InteriorMall.com it was becoming difficult for me to keep up with that and the other jobs I do. Thanks to Rachel things are slowly getting better. She's only been here 3 weeks but she's doing a fantastic job!


Carrie: You've only been working here for a short period of time. What have enjoyed most about your job so far?
Rachel: Any job that you can wear jeans to is my kind of job. Everyone here has been so great to ask me about my family and what's going on. I love coming to work in the mornings.

Carrie: How would you describe your interior design taste?
Rachel: I really enjoy modern design. I love sleek lines and clean colors.

Carrie: How do you spend your time outside of work?
Rachel: I spend a lot of time with my baby 3 year old Rat Terrier, Princess. My husband and I got her right after we got married so she's grown with our marriage. I love my family and I look forward to the weekends so I can eat out with friends and relatives.

Carrie: One random question: What is the hardest decision you've ever made?
Rachel: Moving 5 hours south to attend LSU-S was probably the hardest decision I've had to make. I left my fiancee, all my friends, and my family. Everything worked out great though, my fiancee became my husband and we're enjoying being back home with everyone in a place we grew up and hope to raise our children one day.

Meet the Staff: Bruce

Last week we met Cady from the showroom. This week we're meeting Bruce. He works here at the office with myself and all the other girls you've met. He's our behind the scenes guy. If we have phone problems, computer problems, pretty much anything that could go wrong that we can't fix ourselves Bruce is the one who does.

Carrie: How long have you been working for Interior Mall?
Bruce: 4 years

Carrie: What do you enjoy most about your job?
Bruce: Solving lots of different problems and working with pleasant and friendly people.

Carrie: What is the most difficult task you've dealt with while working here?
Bruce: Connecting our office and store so everything worked seamlessly.

Carrie: How do you spend your time outside of work?
Bruce: I like to take photographs and do astronomy. I also like to do astrophotography.

Carrie: One random question: Who has had the most influence in your life and why?
Bruce: My father. He has taught me the value of laughter but also of responsibility. He has shown me how to be firm when needed but also loving and not stern. He has instilled in me the love of God, family, and those I meet each day on my adventure through life.

Next week "The New Girl"......Rachel!
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Wow!

Hello from beautiful Sycamore, Illinois!

We all arrived safely and are enjoying our vacation. The place we are staying in is "The Paper Doll House" in Sycamore. The Paper Doll House is a scrapbooking-oriented bed and breakfast set in a quaint, historically appointed victorian-style home. The Paper Doll House was built in 1893 by Charles O. Boynton as a wedding gift for his daughter, and her husband-to-be, Frederick B. Townsend.

Many of the intricate details in this home point to the fact that this was a wedding gift. There are six fireplaces in the home, and each spectacularly crafted mantelpiece has something symbolic of marriage.

In the dining room are two mantels, one being an actual fireplace, on the outside wall. The details are absolutely amazing in these! They both have a carved rose motif on them and the one on the inside wall has a dragon on each side. The picture on the left is a close-up of the detail of one of the fireplace mantels.

The fireplace shown on the right is in the front parlour of the home. It has the atypical rose motif, along with cherubs on the brass fittings around the fireplace itself. All of the woodwork in the home is original and is in pristine shape.

Later, I will post about some of the individual rooms in the home, such as the Rose Room and the Master Bedroom.

To all y'all at the office - hope you're having a fabulous Thursday!