Thank You Timothy Paul

A HUGE thank you to Mia and Timothy Worrell for hosting our most recent SFERRA Lose Count party. Their Washington, D.C., shop has a growing legion of fans, and for good reason—they both have an eye for the best. Timothy specializes in carpets, while Mia focuses her efforts on textiles, exclusive lighting and furnishings from the United States, Canada, and France. Their store really is the perfect backdrop for a party and SFERRA linens.

I also want to thank everyone who attended (despite a rainy start to the day) and my friend Malcolm for taking the train down from NYC at the last minute. It was especially fun to meet fellow bloggers and Terri Sapienza of the Washington Post.

We will be hosting additional parties in San Francisco and New Orleans in the spring. To learn more about Lose Count and great bedding tips click here.

Mia and Timothy Worrell, owners of Timothy Paul

Paul Hooker, SFERRA President; Ronda Carman; Aaron Stewart, Creative Director

Malcolm James Kutner and Aaron Stewart

Timothy Worrell, Meaghan Burdick, Marika Meyer

Paul Sherril and Jana Abel

Michele Ginnerty, Nester Santacruz, Barbara Franceski

Mary Early, Kathy Campanella, Amy Zantzinger

Ankie Barnes, Barry Dixon, Aaron Stewart

Joseph Ireland, Barbara Franceski and Malcolm James Kutner

Lindsey Nye and Katherine Boyle

Raji Radhakrishnan, Barry Dixon, Ronda Carman, Murali Narasimhan

Darrel Rippeteau, Kerry Putnam, Maegan Sweeney

Jeremiah Stapleton and Veronica Revilla

Aaron Sewart: Creative Director for SFERRA

I mentioned on Friday that I would share Aaron Stewart's top tips for sheet shopping, creating a dream-worthy bed and caring for your linens. If you want to learn more visit LoseCount.com or leave your questions in the comment section.

What are your top tips for caring for linens?
Only wash sheets with sheets. Don’t wash sheets with bath towels or washcloths. The abrasion from other items will shorten the life of your linens.

Also, don’t over dry your sheets. Many people have a tendency to put sheets in the dryer on extra dry. When sheets are hot to the touch you’re basically overcooking the fiber and you’re causing it to break down. Not only does it shorten the life of the linens, but it causes your sheets to pill. You should take the sheets out of the dryer when they are still a little bit damp.

What is the biggest mistake most people make when buying linens?
Relying solely on thread count, or thinking that the most expensive sheets on the market must be the best. Often times you will see '800 thread count' boldly printed across a set of sheets that cost $79.99. The $79.99 sheets may be as hard as a rock, but people believe that if they wash them three or four times they’ll soften.

After several washes they actually feel worse. This is because the finish has washed away. Some costly brands also add a finish to their linens, giving them a soft feel in the store, but it wears away too after washing.

SFERRA sheets are the perfect combination of the best Egyptian Cotton yarns, a time-tested weaving technique and an amazing bleach/dye house that uses our special formula. It gives our sheets that wonderful feel of luxury.

What are the essentials for creating a cozy and inviting bed?
I think the absolute essentials are a great set of sheets, a blanket, and a really soft down comforter.

As far as design, what new trends are you seeing?
One of the biggest things everyone is asking us for is gray. For the past decade it’s really been about beige. And everyone wanted beige, beige, and beige. Everyone was looking for taupe and tan and beige and cream, all mixed together. Now everyone is looking for beautiful shades of gray.

You're Invited to Lose Count

For too long thread count has been considered THE measure of quality linens. In an effort to demystify thread count and educate consumers about quality linens, SFERRA has launched LoseCount.com. While thread count is one factor, others to consider are fiber, weight, finish and feel (you can learn more about each here).

Aaron Stewart, Creative Director for SFERRA, suggests the following to anyone buying linens. Ask yourself these questions: Do I like the pattern? Is it within my price range? If yes, then open up the package and feel it. If you like the way it feels (at that moment—not after being washed) and it fits the other criteria, then you have found your sheets. You will find that you don’t need to buy the most expensive linens on the market to enjoy luxurious sheets.

For more information on thread count, buying linens, video tips and a bedding glossary visit LoseCount.com. On Monday I will share with you Aaron’s top tips for creating an amazing bed and caring for linens.

Once again I will host parties with SFERRA to promote the Lose Count campaign. This spring we will be in Atlanta (Mrs. Howard—Phoebe Howard); Chicago (Branca—Alessandra Branca); and Dallas (Ceylon et Cie—Michelle Nussbaumer).

Our fall parties with Kelly Wearstler and Nathan Turner in LA and Todd Romano in NYC were a smashing success. Our spring events look to be equally popular. Unfortunately, due to space limitations, both events are by invitation only. However, I would love invite 15 readers to join us.

Five (5) people will be drawn at random to receive an invitation to the Atlanta event; five (5) people will be drawn at random to receive an invitation to the Chicago event; and five (5) people will be drawn at random to receive an invitation to the Dallas event.

To enter please send an email to allthebestevents@gmail.com with the subject ‘Atlanta’/’Chicago’/or ‘Dallas’ depending on your geographical location. Or leave a comment below. Invitations are non-transferable and limited to the named guest only. The deadline to enter is 11:59 PM EST Friday, March 12, 2010. Invitees will be announced here on March 15, 2010.