The new Peter Som bedding and pillow collections from SFERRA bring the high fashion of the runway into your home, for a stylishly modern look.  It’s haute couture for the bedroom. Read more

Have you ever slept on linen sheets?  If you’ve stayed in really exclusive hotels across Europe, you probably have, but there’s no need to break the bank in order to enjoy something countless numbers of Europeans enjoy night after night.   To them, nothing else feels quite right, and once you’ve slept on linen, you’ll know what they mean.
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In keeping with our simpler times, Libeco Home’s table linen collections are fresh, pure, and very relaxed.  Every piece is made from Belgian linen, so they are highly absorbent, lint-free, and non-allergenic.  They’re perfect for use this season, and  since they get softer with every wash, we can see them going from the table to the washing machine and back again.
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We’ve just come back from New York and we’ll soon be showing you many of the great new items we’ll be offering at Gracious Style this year.

But first, we have to make room.  So this week, we are featuring our best-selling Campagna table linens at 40% off.  Campagna is very special to us.  It’s made for Gracious Style in a small workroom in Italy and we love its silky hand and the subtle design in the background.  It’s made from pure Egyptian cotton and it is available in champagne (with an ivory background) or soft white.  Both are classics.

If you’ve loved this fine Italian hemstitched cotton collection, don’t wait.  We just have a few pieces left.

And if you are looking for a new set of dinnerware, Campagna looks great with our Maintenon Patine dinnerware:

Have a great weekend!

Gracious Style is an online retailer of sophisticated, high-quality products for every room in the house.  We love helping others create warm and welcoming rooms for themselves.  To read more, visit our blog.

Although snow is still falling in much of the country, in L.A. the rains have stopped and the sun is shining brightly.  We’ve spent the last two weeks planting  in our yard and lots of birds have kept us company.  The trees in our neighborhood are stripped of leaves, but there is something very moving about seeing the sculptural shapes of trees during winter.

Which got us to thinking … usually, spring dinnerware is full of color and flowers, but what if we could find something that’s more timeless?  Something that would work all year long?

Happily, Raynaud has two new lines of dinnerware that fit the bill.

The Ombrages Limoges dinnerware collection is a stylish, modern take on a classic floral pattern. From the French ombrages, meaning “shadows”, the playful design evokes the movement of light and shadows in a summer garden. Exquisitely crafted by French artisans following age-old techniques, every piece in the collection is slightly different, lending the entire setting a custom look.  The black, platinum, and yellow colors remind us of Kelly Wearstler’s designs.

And if you like birds, the Bird Limoges dinnerware collection is whimsical, yet refined. It’s available in a neutral palette of grey, taupe, and celadon, so it would work well if you lean toward antiques and weathered pieces.

Gracious Style is an online retailer of sophisticated, high-quality products for every room in the house.  We love helping others create warm and welcoming rooms for themselves.  To read more, visit our blog.

Springtime is still a long time away, but we have a wonderful pick-me-up for you. If you’re dreaming of April flowers, take a look at these bright, beautiful new plates, mugs and trays from Raynaud.

Fleur Exquise is French for “exquisite flower” and we think they are very appropriately named! Available in four richly colored flowers, the designs remind us of French Impressionist paintings. They’re sure to banish your winter blues.

Go grab a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes with some gorgeous flowers. We’ll wait for you.
 

Feel less blue now? Why not send this to a friend and brighten their day as well! Springtime will arrive soon, but for now enjoy some spring dreams.
 

To get you started for the new year, we’ve added some new items to our after-holiday sale.  Here’s a sneak preview:

Bristol 600 thread count solid Italian Bedding is 50% off …

Palace 1020 thread count solid Italian Bedding is 40% off …

Varga Art Crystal’s Hand-Engraved Pacifica Stemware is 30% off …

Iris Embroidered Towels are 25% off …

To see all the items on sale, click here.

Gracious Style is an online retailer of sophisticated, high-quality products for every room in the house.  We love helping others create warm and welcoming rooms for themselves.  To read more, visit our blog.

Happy holidays!!!

Some of our favorite items are on sale for up to 50% off.  Quantities are very limited, so shop now for the best selection. To shop our year-end sale, click here.

To see all the items on sale, click here.

Gracious Style is an online retailer of sophisticated, high-quality products for every room in the house.  We love helping others create warm and welcoming rooms for themselves.  To read more, visit our blog.

Do you travel often, or know someone who does?  Then we’ve got the perfect gifts for you this holiday season.

For short-haul flights, the Platinum Travel Companion from Sferra Fine Linens is chic, luxurious, and well-priced at $100.  The three-piece set includes one pair of ultrasoft charcoal cashmere slippers, one cashmere eye mask, and one linen drawstring bag for easy carrying onboard.

For longer trips, seasoned travelers know that the key to a good night’s sleep is comfort.  With the Platinum Travel Companion Elite, you can drift off to sleep wrapped in a luxurious Sferra superfine merino wool throw, while your charcoal cashmere eye mask does the rest. Nestle your feet in the ultrasoft cashmere slippers with specially constructed soles for durability. And finally, cover your pillow with our Italian Egyptian cotton sateen sateen pillow cover, embroidered with “Do Not Disturb” in case anyone even thinks of waking you up. All travel items are packed in a linen bag, and tucked inside a sturdy travel tote with extra room for a few goodies.  The Platinum Travel Companion Elite is $450.

Either of these sets make a perfect gift for the traveler in your life.

Gracious Style is an online retailer of sophisticated, high-quality products for every room in the house.  We love helping others create warm and welcoming rooms for themselves.  To read more, visit our blog.

Ever wonder why a down blanket or comforter is so warm and comfy on a cold winter night?  It’s because they’re made from one of nature’s best insulating materials.  Tucked safely under the long feathers of ducks and geese, down is actually many soft, fluffy plumules which connect with each other through thousands of strands of fiber.  As these plumules connect with each other, they create little pockets of warm air which provide an incredible amount of insulation without a lot of weight.  That’s why down blankets and comforters are so warm, light, and comfortable — perfect for curling up on a long winter night.

If you’re thinking about a down comforter this winter, here are some tips on how to choose the right one.

Weight and Fill Power

First, check the weight and fill power.  You’ll see a lot of products advertised with so many ounces of down, but fill power is just as important.  Fill power is the number of cubic inches that an ounce of down takes up.  The more space the down clusters fill, the higher the fill power, and hence less material (and weight) required to provide the same warmth.  For example, a duvet cover with 30 oz of down at a fill power of 700 has the same amount of warmth as another one with 50 oz of down but a fill power of just 575, but the first duvet cover will feel lighter.

Our Himalaya Siberian Down 800 Fill Power Duvet Cover has between 27 oz (twin) and 43 oz (oversized king) of 800 fill power Siberian goose down, giving it the maximum amount of insulating warmth:

Slightly lower in fill power, but still very warm, is the Bernina 650 Fill Power Hungarian Goose Down Duvet Cover:

A good year-round choice with 600 fill power white goose down is the Cascada Summit 600 Fill Power White Goose Down Duvet Cover:

Fabric Shell Material and Thread Count

The next thing to check is the material and thread count of the fabric shell of the duvet cover, pillow, or bedding.  Like any bedding item, both thread count and material are important, because they determine how the item feels against you.  (Since we spend–or should spend–a third of our lives sleeping, why not get the best possible?)

For down items, though, the fabric shell has another importance: this is what keeps the down inside and potential allergens, dust, and bacteria out.  A higher thread count fabric shell will protect your down better and keep it cleaner.  Therefore, we’d recommend a 300 thread count, pure 100% cotton fabric shell for your down duvet covers and bedding.

Construction of the Duvet Cover

Have you ever noticed how some duvet covers, like the ones above, have boxes or baffles?  Here’s a close up of the Sferra Cardigan Down Duvets to show you what I mean:

These baffle boxes actually have an important job: In addition to giving the duvet a puffy checkered quilting, they help keep the down remain evenly distributed throughout the duvet cover.  Otherwise, the down feathers may fall to the bottom or sides of the duvet, leaving the center cold and empty.

A Great Down Alternative

If you’re allergic to down, here’s a great alternative that’s a great value as well.  Made from DuPont Comforel, a synthetic material designed to imitate the clusters of natural down, and a 280 thread 100% cotton shell with baffle boxes, the Sierra Down Alternative Duvet Cover has many of the great features of our down duvet covers.  It’s hypo-allergenic, and the price, starting at $140 for a twin duvet cover, makes it a great value as well:

We hope you keep warm this holiday season!

Gracious Style is an online retailer of sophisticated, high-quality products for every room in the house.  We love helping others create warm and welcoming rooms for themselves.  To read more, visit our blog.