We're Having A Party!

It's hard to believe that it's that been more than a year already, this October marked our first anniversary. It's been in many ways a very long year packed full of excitement and hard work, but it also feels like it was just a couple of days ago that we were opening our door for the first time.

I'd like to extend an invitation to join us at our first anniversary party Thursday November 15 2007 from 6-9 pm at Oleander for Home, 14 Clarence Street in Ottawa's Byward Market. You can view the official invitation on line here

I hope you can join us!

Oleander on TV

CBC's show Living in Ottawa came by for a visit a few weeks and we had some fun trying to find the perfect pillow for one of the shows producers. The story "Pillow-ology" will be included in the Monday, October 22nd episode. Living in Ottawa airs at 1 PM on CBC, channel 8. After the initial airing the episode will be posted online and will be accessible for a week at www.cbc.ca/livinginottawa.

It was a fun feature to do, but let me tell you I was pretty nervous about the whole camera/being on television thing. I just hope that anyone who gets to see it learns a little about shopping for pillows and is able to have a bit of fun with it.

For those who can't see the show, I'll do a post on the best ways to find yourself a great pillow and how to care for it.

Caldrea

So I've been looking for a good laundry detergent for ages. One that is gentle on my fabulous bedding fabrics but still works, one that smells good and cleans well, did I mention that I wanted one that works? Well, I found it. Last January at the New York trade show, I happened upon the Caldrea booth. It was a line of home care products that I had heard of but wasn't very familiar with. The girl I spoke with at the show gave me all sorts of product info and a couple of samples, and I walked away with out placing an order.

I tried the laundry detergent when I got home and holy cow did I sleep like a baby that night. My sheets felt so fresh and smelled so wonderful, I could hardly believe it. It still took me a couple of months to place an order, but eventually I got around to it and I am really glad I did.

So I now have a fairly comprehensive collection of home and laundry products. I brought in two of Caldreas 8 fragrances, Ginger Pomelo and Lavender Pine in the previously mentioned laundry detergent, linen spray, liquid hand soap and hand lotion. Additionally I have the Ginger Pomelo in all purpose cleanser, counter top cleanser, stainless steel cleaner and liquid dish soap. I've tried it all, they all work very well, they make my home and my hands smell great, I love it all. And did I mention it is eco-friendly?

Caldreas philosophy boils down to this: we all have to clean, so why not make the task as pleasant as possible? Their fragrances are soft and fresh, there are no strong chemical or medicinal odours. So they use essential oils instead of chemical perfumes. They believe that overly harsh cleansing agents aren't good for your skin, your homes or your planet, so they make responsible raw material choices, instead of ammonia, chlorine, phosphates and petroleum distillates they use borax, plant derived surfactants, soap bark extracts and essential oils. All of their products are biodegradable and none of them are tested on animals. All of their packaging is recyclable and there are refill sizes for a few of the most popular lines.

So come in and try them out!

More Organics!

I can hardly believe it, two posts in two days? I really couldn't let this one go by with out mention.

I'm very happy to announce that Oleander is now stocking organic cotton towels. Made from 100% Skal, certified combed organic cotton, this luxurious towel is eco-friendly, plush and thirsty. The organic cotton is grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides, thus, making this towel the perfect Eco-friendly textile for a pure and healthy bathing experience. I'm currently carrying them in white, natural and the stone colours, but any of the others are available for custom order.

These towels are a little lighter in weight than some of my other collections, but they are buttery soft and feel a little spongy. They are also comparable in price to both my 100% cotton and bamboo/cotton blend towels. I'll be buying a set for myself today and I'll check back in a few days to let you know how absorbent they are and how they wash.

One of the big things that I look for when I buy "green" or organic products for the store is third party certification. As mentioned above the cotton of these towels is certified by Skal, a independent inspection company based in the Netherlands.

Happy eco-friendly towels!

What's been going on?

I am a terrible blogger. I know it. This is the 6th post and the second time I've had to apologize for being a neglectful blogger. I'm sorry. I really am.

It's been a busy summer at Oleander. I had great new products, lots of new faces in the door, not nearly as many American visitors as I would expect to see in the tourist season, but many many more visitors from Quebec than I would have thought. I really need to get my mediocre (o.k., o.k. very bad) French skills up to par. I went to the Toronto trade show this summer (it was a bust) and did a little research and fabric sourcing in London, UK. I've expanded into table linen and yikes there is a lot to know that I don't know about table linens. Now fall is here and I've been thinking about Christmas for a few months.

I think it might be time for some of the dirty details. Here goes.

As far as the look of the store goes I draw inspiration from everything around me. From the colours and shapes of clothes in tiny boutique shops and big chains, from design and decor mags, from the wacky street wear of the fashion students who study around the corner from my shop to the fashionista black of the many stylists that work in the Market and even from the fruit and veg, plants and flowers that pack the market from spring through fall. I mix it with my own aesthetic and flare and hope like mad that it sells.

The biggest problem with all this is that as a small shop I don't have the buying power or capital to dictate to my suppliers exactly what it is that I want. I can and do tell them what I'm looking for and I constantly seek out new manufacturers who are in line with my own vision, but ultimately my vision and my store are currently limited by what I can buy from the market. Thats where the trade shows come in.

All the conceptualization and planning in the world won't get me any where if I go to a trade show where all the manufacturers are showing product lines in black and white. Or beige. Or spring appropriate patterns for the fall season. Or boring play it safe and hopefully it will sell collections. And that is exactly what happened at the fall Toronto show this year.

Ordinarily I go to Toronto (the largest Canadian trade show and where all my regular suppliers show) twice a year to buy most of my stock. I can expect to take one or two bedding collections from each of my 5 or 6 "big gun" suppliers for a total of 5 - 8 new beds for my floor. This August I bought 2 collections at the show. Total. Panic attack much? I was very disappointed with this seasons offerings and pretty worried about how I was going to fill my floor with lovely sparkling new product for the fall and winter seasons. And by pretty worried I actually mean freaking out.

The story ends well though. Forced to go abroad or at least online, I was able to find 3 new collections which I'm sure will not only look fabulous but will also sell quite well. One of them I've already blogged about. The Amenity organic collection that I previously carried in 2 patterns has proved so popular that I've added 3 more patterns and a few more colours and will carry them on the floor through fall and winter.

The second is a line that came to me when a sales rep from the west coast came in to show me Bella Notte. This collection at first glance is not really in keeping with the overall style of my store. It is a little on the frilly overly feminine side but on closer inspection the real strengths in the collection are the dyed to order colours and textures of the fabrics. This makes it a perfect fit for Oleander, I can mix and match their pieces to get the clean modern classic look that I love and benefit from the richness and delicacy of their fabrication and construction. My first Bella Notte order has shipped from California yesterday and should be on the floor in about two weeks. Canada Customs and Revenue allowing.

The third collection is a fashion forward and more trend conscious line from Greece. It's a great group of printed fabrics in slightly trendier colours and patterns and I'm sure it will brighten my floor. What I'm not sure about is when it will get here. I'll let you know and get you more details when it arrives.

There is so much more to tell you, hypothetical reader, but as usual I have to get back to the floor. I really will try to check in more often.

Organic Duvet Covers!

So I've got a back log of new products to announce, but it's been very busy in the store so I'll introduce just one today and try to get back with more shortly.

I now have two patterns by Amenity in stock, Bloom and Willow both in Cream + Cocoa on organic cotton. From their website "Amenity is a Los Angeles based design studio founded by Nicole Chiala and Kristina de Corpo. Our goal is to create beautiful, yet useful, everyday objects of high quality that reflect the warmth and beauty of nature" The duvet covers I am currently carrying are from the organic line featuring oversized silhouettes individually printed with non-toxic, eco-friendly, water based dyes on certified organically grown and processed cotton. The patterns have a clean modern look while maintaining a softness that will work in many settings. Which is the slightly fancy way of saying "it's gorgeous and I love it!"

So the question now is why buy organic? There are two equally good reasons for considering organic products when choosing bedding. This might get a little heavy, are you ready?

Cotton production is one of the really big environmental offenders when it comes to large scale pollution. Mass production of cotton for any of its many applications uses a lot of pesticides. Pesticides while it is growing and then a whole lot of chemicals in the processing and finishing. Not all of them are bad but some of them certainly are. Organic cotton is grown without all of the chemicals and a reduction of chemicals, even in a small way is a good thing.

The second important bit involved regards chemical sensitivities. Many people are becoming increasingly sensitive to the chemicals that are involved with manufacturing. If I can offer people a product that will help them sleep better I will. Organic bedding definitely fits the bill. And did I tell that this line feels really good? 'Cause it feels really good.

The little details regarding Amenity bedding are: the products are printed and sewn in Los Angeles, they do fabulous printed linen pillows, bags and large scale prints suitable for hanging or leaning on your walls. I can order in anything you see on their web site and orders usually take 3 weeks or so.

It's been a beautiful weekend here in Ottawa. I hope it's just as nice where ever you are!

New Arrivals! New Arrivals!

Gah! Four posts into this whole blogging thing and I've already got to be apologizing for neglecting my blogging duties. So let's get it out of the way now, I'm so sorry for being a bad blogger. I will admit to occasionally letting my time management skills slip and I am surely guilty of that this month. Will it make it any better if I tell you it is because of all the fabulous new stuff we have in? Because it really is fabulous. The store looks better than ever and I am thrilled with all the new things we have.

Since I last checked in early in May we've been getting our spring trade show orders with as many as 4 deliveries coming in each day. It doesn't seem like many as I write it, but as a small boutique (1380 square feet) with 1 or 2 people on the floor each day, it is in fact quite a lot to deal with. So where to start, where to start . . .

Three new styles of robes which include: nonotho Russian linen in 3 colours, ivory, natural and flax. Silk and cashmere in teal and taupe, this is one of the softest fabrics I've ever felt and the cut of the robe is extremely flattering. My favourite are the fabulous Thai silk robes, we've got 4 colour combinations each in two different patterns. The prints are very contemporary, bubbles, butterflies, jasmine and wallpaper and the colours are vibrant but still very sophisticated. It has always been a struggle to find really great robes, so I am very pleased with the current line up. The silks in particular were really a great find. To top it off, they not only look and feel wonderful, but all of the new robes are light weight so they will travel really well on your summer holiday. Also in the lounge wear department (not that Oleander is big enough to have departments) we are really pleased to have cotton pyjamas by L.A.'s BedHead. I've got their classic pj in chocolate and pink polka dots, mint with chocolate floral and teal blue also with the chocolate exotic floral. I think that BedHead pj's have been seen on both "Friends" and in Oprah's magazine. I'm really coveting the polka dots ones.

As for the bedding we are doing a wonderful linen collection called Umbria in lilac and cream, the duvet cover is a lilac linen jacquard with hemstitch details, the sheets in solid ivory linen. The linen is made in Italy and then it's cut and sewn in Vancouver. This fabric comes in three textures; jacquard, crepe and solid each available in twelve colours. Very easy to mix and match to get the perfect bed. I was initially a little hesitant to show linen on the floor, as there seems to be a great deal of misconceptions about how difficult it is to care for, and that it is really only good for summer, but I'm glad that I brought it in as it is stunning to look at and gives me a chance to offer an alternative to cotton. As for the issues about care, we are taking time to let people know that it is machine washable and can be tumble dried or air only. As for the wrinkle factor, it is important to keep in mind that linen should look slightly rumpled, it should be a casual looking fabric, soft and relaxed looking. If you need it to look pristine you do have to iron it but it feels just as nice rumpled as smooth. The other thing to keep in mind is that linen does age better than cotton, so as it wears it gets softer, smoother and will develop a bit more luster. Like wine, cheese and people with a little more care when young it gets better with age.

We are also now showing Lin de Vosge, a 80% linen 20% cotton blend fabric made in France and cut and sewn in Montreal. The styling of this collection is a little more contemporary than the Umbria, while keeping a very classic and clean look. It is available in four construction styles and five colours. The cotton in this blend helps to alleviate the appearance of wrinkles in this collection and helps to keep the cost down a bit. Lin de Vosge does have all the benefits of linen being cool to the touch in warmer weather and warm to the touch in cooler temperatures. It is also a little better than pure cotton at dealing with moisture wicking away perspiration to help moderate sleeping temperatures.

I'm afraid that I've run out of time before I've run out of new arrivals to introduce. So I'll leave you with a promise to be a better blogger and get back to you with the rest of the new goodies in the next couple of days.

Not All Created Equal

The thread count issue continues. So we've established that we are looking for good quality cotton and that Egyptian cotton fits the bill. We also know that we have to be on the lookout for that sneaky "with" and "part" so only 100% Egyptian will do. We're still not done though.

Now we have to take into account how the fabric is woven. First and perhaps the easiest way to get good value for your dollar is to look for fabrics woven in Europe and cut and finished in Canada (or the US.) Some of the best sheets you'll ever see are woven in Italy. Many of the finest cotton bedding is produced there by small mills weaving small batches of fabrics in gorgeous colours, in both traditional and contemporary patterns in crisp percales and the silkiest of sateens. What's even better is that there are Canadian manufacturers, like St. Geneve, importing this fabric, cutting and sewing it by hand in North American sizes. That means that you get the best of the best in fabrics and finishing, while keeping the cost down a bit and supporting Canadian industry.

Buying bedding completely manufactured in Europe (Anichini, Frette) will also give you great sheets, but not necessarily good value. Brands like these often have two or three lines at varying price points, the best of which is not really affordable for anyone other than Oprah and the affordable versions are not much nicer than a decent department store brand. With a lot of the big name brands, what you end up paying for is a very successful marketing campaign, we all know the name, but it doesn't make the sheets feel better.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Asian import. As of a few years ago, China had become the largest importer of Egyptian cotton. They are making a lot of sheets at rock bottom prices with all the bells and whistles -- high thread count, Egyptian Cotton (most likely not 100%), silky feel and great packaging. It can be pretty tempting when you're looking at a 600 thread count sheet set from China for $80 beside a 235 thread sheet set of German fabric sewn in Canada for $ 344. But in the end the Chinese sheet will most likely have been mass produced with little to no quality control. The thread count will have been artificially inflated with double insertions. The fabric will have been dyed after it was woven rather than being dyed as threads then woven. It will have been cut and sewn by machine leaving loose threads and crooked seams. It may also have been subjected to finishing tricks including optical brightening and surface polishing in order to make it look and feel like a fine fabric. So the $80 good deal ends up needing to be replaced after a few months because it fell apart in the wash, has ripped and split where your feet rub on the fitted the sheet or has faded and discoloured unevenly and just plain looks bad. The 235 thread set on the other hand has washed beautifully and is getting softer each time you use it, all the seams are perfect and intact and the colour is as vibrant as the day you took it home.

So far we've covered the basics, that thread count isn't the way to pick a good quality sheet, that the kind of cotton matters and that the place of manufacture matters even more. Next time I'll give you the specifics on how to pick the type of sheet that is the best for you and some pointers on what to look for when you're shopping. We have had a quite a few new products in so there will be a quick post in the next couple of days with details on all of the recent arrivals.

Enjoy your weekend!

The Thread Count Issue

One of the questions I am asked most often is also the most difficult to deal with. Almost every day people walk in and the first thing they say is "What's your highest thread count?" My answer is invariably "1020, but that doesn't mean that it's the right sheet for you."

It turns out that there is a lot more to a high quality sheet than thread count. A lot more. The problem is that looking solely for a high thread count is ultimately only going to give you a sheet with a lot of cotton in it. It doesn't indicate that the cotton itself is good, that it is woven properly and with care, or that the finished product is well finished and correctly sewn. What's more worrisome is that in the past few years manufacturers have been developing techniques which allow them to insert extra threads into the weave of fabric independently from the actual structure of the weave thereby creating a higher thread count while decreasing the strength and longevity of the fabric. In the end a 1000 thread count sheet made with bad cotton is a bad sheet. The same goes for crooked seams, chemical based finishing tricks and low quality dyes, it will look great in the package and it may be very reasonably priced, but on your bed it looks and feels cheap, it washes horribly and you feel ripped off. No fun at all. It is not, however, as bleak as it sounds. There are lots of beautiful sheets, some reasonably priced and some not so reasonably priced, and with a bit of care you can find some that you'll love.

So if thread count isn't where it's at, how do we tell it's a good sheet? The first and most important thing is the cotton itself. Like people, cotton comes in many sizes. There are short cottons and long cottons, with a lot of variations all through the spectrum. The term we use for determining the value and quality of cotton is "staple." For sheeting fabrics the longer the staple the better. So what I'm looking for in bedding is Egyptian cotton, even better I prefer when the species of Egyptian cotton is identified. Some of the finest fabrics I deal with are 100% Giza Egyptian cotton, its staple is very fine and very long. When woven into percale it is light and crisp with a cool hand while remaining very soft, in satin or sateen weaves it is soft, silky and smooth with a warm feel and beautiful drape. Egyptian cotton can do all this with out chemical and mechanical finishes often used on shorter staple cottons. That means that the 100% Egyptian cotton fabrics will age well becoming softer over time while poor quality cotton will coarsen and show uneven wear. It is important to double check labels when shopping for "100% Egyptian Cotton" or "Full Egyptian Cotton" because frequently manufacturers will use small amounts of Egyptian cotton mixed with inexpensive/poor quality short staple cotton and label the fabric as "with Egyptian Cotton" or "part Egyptian Cotton."

So we're off to a good start, we've gotten beyond thread count, we're looking for the best cottons, we're on the right track but there is still more to learn. I think it's time for a break though so I'll sign off for now and and continue a little later with "Not All Created Equal" the thread count issue continues. I'm afraid that this entry has been a little dry and that the next one may be as well. The fun stuff is coming though, I promise.

Oleander the Blog

Hello my name is Kristin and I run Oleander for Home. Sounds a bit like a confession, doesn't it? Oleander is a bed and bath shop in the Byward Market in Ottawa. We've been open since October of 2006 and things are going pretty well. Now that we've settled in a bit I thought I would start something new so allow me to introduce you to my latest project.

This is Oleander the Blog. I'm hoping that it will be a great place to give you all of the details. All of them. That means I'll be doing the basics like the best ways to care for your linens, how to put together the perfect bed, what a pillow sham is, which pillows can be washed and which need to be dry cleaned, why you should never ever put tennis balls in your dryer, all kinds of things like that.

I'll also fill you in on the secret stuff, like how I pick what goes on the beds in my shop, what I think will be the big hits next season and I'll tell you when I was wrong and which of my big hits turned into a big miss. Seriously, I'll tell ya, then you can leave comments to let me know what you think. I'll tell you what it's like to go shopping at the Toronto and New York shows and I'll probably complain a little about said shows. I'll probably post info about sales and promotions here, but that's not really the point of all this. Did I mention that I'll post when new things arrive? I promise to do that. I'll also give you the thread count talk and how to really look for good quality bedding whether you're at my store, Home Sense or in a flea market.

It may take a while to get to all that, so you'll have to have a little patience. In the mean time, I'll officially start with a new arrival update. This week we've received two really exciting collections.

The first is a line of silk bedding. Silk! The sheets come in sets of flat, fitted and cases in chocolate brown, sky blue and green tea. They are light as air and as soft as, well, silk. I've also got quilted coverlets in chocolate and blue. Simply beautiful.

The other new product is a line of 100% Bamboo sheeting. I'm really excited about this because it is super luxurious and beautiful but also more eco-friendly than traditional cotton sheeting. Bamboo grows very rapidly and requires little to no pesticide use making it a great choice for many home decor products. I'm not yet completely informed about how the grass is turned into fabric, but I think it is similar to how linen is processed from flax. In any case the end result is fantastic. The fabric has a very silk like hand, yet is as weighty and as strong feeling as a very high thread count cotton sheet. The sheets are packaged in sets of flat, fitted and cases and are quite well priced.

I've got to get back to the floor so thanks for reading and you're welcome to stop by and browse any time you like!