What's on the beds?

So I've been promising this post for ages on Twitter and it's finally ready. Almost everything that I've ordered for the spring/summer seasons has arrived so it's time to get the photos up. Starting at the front of the store and working back here is what we're showing for the season.

Bella in Sea Glass. This bed combines a Peony duvet cover, Homespun coverlet & shams, Whisper bed scarf & cases, Linen gathered bed skirt and Celeste toss cushions in Sea Glass with Linen sheets and Whisper bed scarf in White all by Bella Notte.









My current favourite is Wax by Alexandre Turpault. The vibrant pattern makes me smile every time I look at it. Even better is the fact that it can fit into rooms of many different colours as there are two shades of green, two aquas, two purples and three reds on the white ground. I'm showing it on the sky blue Frankie bed combined with our Lara sheets in white. Did I mention that it comes in a second colour as well? It's a more subtle version with tones of green, aqua and yellow on a pale aqua background.








Also by Alexandre Turpault is Mae in Silver. I've paired it with St.Geneve's Capri sheets and euro shams in Dusky Violet. It's a very soft modern floral in dusty tones of silver, mauve and taupe with some white highlights. It does really well on the deep charcoal fabric of the Franco bed and would look just as good on dark woods or leather.










On the cream coloured Alyce bed is Ophelia by Revelle paired with our light blue Lara sheets. I really like the flexibility of this pattern. It's a floral, but one that isn't overly feminine and it certainly isn't fussy. Pairing this pattern with the pale blue sheets gives it softness and a bit of warmth but it can just as easily be done with a pure white sheet for a bit of extra punch. I also really like the idea of doing this pattern on a dark chocolate or even black framed bed and adding some super vibrant accents (acid green!) to give it a fun, modern feel.






Tokyo plum is an abstract plum and dusty violet print on a background that fades from a very pale pink to a soft lilac. I've paired it with a dove grey sheet to tone down the pink a little bit. For a higher drama factor it can be combined with dark purple or aubergine sheets.

Last but not least is Melisande by Manuel Canovas.
Canovas is a new company to us and I couldn't resist this print combination. In a couple of ways it's not the norm for Oleander, the floral is a pretty traditional one and the colour combination is a little louder than I usually go for, but like I said, I just couldn't resist this one. I think that it's the three tone tent stripe in combination with the floral that's a little unexpected. The colour combination is also pretty much unbeatable.

So that's it for what I'm showing on the beds. Additionally we have Anne de Solenne Duetto in Topaz & Cumulus, some Homespun in Sea Glass and Dawson in Sand by Bella Notte on the shelves along with lots of other bits and pieces. We've Also got some really great new accessories, bath products and pj's in but I think that's going to have to wait for another post. Have a great long weekend and we hope to see you if you're going to be in the Market.

This Twitter Thing

So I've started Tweeting. Is that the right word for it? Well, whatever it's called, I'm doing it. I know that I have difficulty finding the time to sit down and write an interesting and informative blog post with any degree of regularity. I also know that I am really quite neglectful about getting the official website updated with product changes. I'm hoping that I'll find it easy to tweet a sentence or two about what's going on in the store at any given time.

Today, for instance, I tweeted that the spring arrivals from LinenMe have arrived. As it turns out I have more than enough time to do a blog post due to unbelievably nasty weather conditions, but hey, the more info you get the better right?

One of the biggest complaints I hear in store is how difficult it can be to get into the Byward Market and how hard it is to find parking so I'm hoping that I can use Twitter to do the occasional parking update. I can see quite a bit of the York Street street parking lot from my back window as well as Clarence Street and a bit of Murray Street from the front so I thought it might be helpful to people coming in to see us if they know in advance what the parking situation is like. Sounds good?

Like with the LinenMe (@linen_luxury in case you were curious) tweet today, I'll try to do product arrivals as they come in as well as the parking thing, announcements about sales and events and, if I get really good at this stuff, tweets about shopping the trade shows, inspiration and general things I love.

Are you with me? You can find me on Twitter @OleanderforHome.

But just for you blog reader, a couple of photos of the new arrivals.

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.

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!