French Quarter Founder's Blog

Question about linen sheets.

2008-01-30T11:26:00.000-08:00

We are considering buying sheets from you. Our choice is between all linen and 50% linen/50% cotton. How do they compare? What are the strengths and weaknesses of either?

That's a tough question!

I like pure linen in the summer as it has a cool hand; this is a classic in Europe, but a challenge for Americans as there is the wrinkle factor and the crisp factor. Linen sheets do get softer with time, but it does take some time. I'm not crazy about sleeping in pure linen in the winter.

I like a 50/50 blend because it has the unusual feel and heft of linen, but also the softness of cotton. This fabric tends to be thicker, heavier. This is a better year-round fabric.

I hope this helps.

I'll show you mine....

2007-05-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

We've been given the opportunity to do the bedrooms and bathrooms in one of the most spectacular penthouses in the Pearl District -- for the second time! The orginal owners of The Henry unit are among our best and favorite customers, and when they recently sold, they sent the new owners to us for bedding style and expertise.

Another of our favorite customers leads an intriguing life of weekends in a Pearl District loft and week days in a contemporary Eastside home just 1.8 miles away from the loft! We've helped him with both master bedrooms and the results are stunning and sophisticated.

Another of our customers is in the process of "doing" four bedrooms in her river front home that sits on 1,000 acres and through which the explorers Lewis and Clark traveled.

Essentially, our customers get to live out my bedding fantasies by choosing our finest textiles with their great taste and working them into their own, exquisite personal spaces. Even though I own the joint, there is a limit to how much luxury bedding and towels I can accumulate.

I'd like to start an online scrapbook of our customers' bed. If you're so inclined, please email me photos of what you've been able to create using French Quarter products (and if you have a before picture, all the better). I won't divulge any personal details. Please email photos to: timo@frenchquarterlinens.com

Ok, so here's mine, wrinkles and all:
I just made my bed last night and decided to pull off the Legna (this was a difficult decision!) and put on my second favorite sheets and shams which are a 460 threadcount Italian percale with three lines of embroidery. My duvet cover and shams are Leitner's pure-linen Istanbul in a faint blue. I also threw the Leitner geometric top sheet over my ancient Peacock Alley matlasse coverlet.

And how about that wallpaper? Just put up and it's from Cole & Son, a pattern they pulled from their 1950's archives. www.cole-and-son.com

Ok, now... show me yours!

It only took us 12 years!

2007-04-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

Meet Cindy. Meet Eileen.

And meet our Dream Bed, debuting the month of our 12th anniversary!

Cindy and Eileen are genuine customers right off the street and they're lounging in our real life tester bed. We should have thought of this before because our customers are loving it. And we love coaxing the occasional reticent customer to hop into bed in broad daylight.

The handmade RoyalPedic mattress sports a three-inch wool and latex pad, which sports a French washable-wool mattress pad, which sports our favorite ultra-soft sheets (good 'ole Legna, the wood fiber gems). The bed is also decked out with a premier duvet and sleeping pillows from Scandia Down. And all of this is tucked away in a far corner of the store where you can have a little fun. (Shoes must be off and clothes must stay on!)

What are you waiting for?

Cindy and Eileen had a blast this afternoon.

If it's April, it's White & Ivory month!

2007-04-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

After my winter hiatus from blogging, I'm back to tell you about our annual White & Ivory Sale. We used to call it our Bread & Butter sale-- get it? white (bread), ivory (butter) -- because we've got the bread and butter of our stock on sale at 20% off for the entire month of April. We changed the name a couple of years ago to White & Ivory, just so there would be no doubt in anyone's mind about the best month of the year for stocking up on fine linens.

So, here's a sampling of what you might consider adding to your linen wardrobe: white and ivory sheets, duvet covers and shams in percales, sateens, linen and Legna (see my first blog entry for more details on Legna); white and ivory towels and yes, this includes Super Pile; all of our down products--hey, they're white!; and our RoyalPedic mattresses; plus whatever else might catch your eye in our stores that falls into a white or ivory slot.

Note that the 20% discount will be honored for special orders as long as they are placed during the month of April. Happy shopping!

A Dirty Little Secret Revealed

2007-04-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, well, a few little dirty secrets: I make mistakes, my staff makes mistakes, our vendors make mistakes. In fact, the world of savvy retail is all about making mistakes--merchandise buying mistakes! Back in the good old days when I was participating in my Masters Class of Retail (it was a buying career at Meier & Frank; remember that name?!) we were always told that if we weren't taking risks with merchandise, we weren't doing our job; markdowns were invented to correct retail mistakes.

Sooooooo, this mistake-making is really risk-taking, right? Right! There is so much cool and beautiful bedding that falls into this category.

And here's the one secret that isn't so dirty: in the back of our Pearl District store we have a newly configured and organized sale and clearance area. Instead of the cramped, messy and disorganized zone you may have experienced before, you'll find neat and organized racks that allow you to power shop! We've pulled each thing out of its package, put it on a hangar and clearly marked it. All of our buying mistakes, overstocks and discontinueds can be found at 70% off the original retails. And please, this is one secret we want shared, so help us spread the word!

Some details of the Gold Dot Sale

2006-12-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

Annual Gold Dot Sale

2006-12-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

It starts today.

It's the best one yet. And I'm not just saying that!

I've made some special purchases on basic bedding and towel items that guarantee that you'll be able to walk out with a great value.

At 33% off you'll find:

+ 310 thread count Egyptian Cotton sheets in white and natural from Peacock Alley

+ Matlasse coverlets and shams in white and ecru

+ Thirsty Egyptian cotton towels in white, bamboo, brick, butter and coffee

+ Duvets and pillows from Scandia down

+ Most throws, bathrobes, pj's

+ All blankets

+ Lots of assorted bedding styles

Enjoy the savings.

Sale runs through January 15.

Holiday Gifts For You....

2006-12-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

In the spirt of holiday giving, please accept this invitation to enjoy a 20% discount off any single item in any of our stores through December 24.

Also, with any purchase of $50 or more, please choose your favorite fragrance of our 250g Pre de Provence soap and it's yours..... our gift to you.

Simply print a copy of this blog entry and bring it into one of our stores.

Join us in the pursuit of making the rituals of sleeping and bathing special.

Adieu to a Friend, Mentor and Leader.

2006-09-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ray Gabler of Peacock Alley, 1928 - 2006

Those of us at French Quarter Linens are saddened by the news of Ray's passing last week, in Dallas, at the age of 78. Ray is survived by his wife, Mary Ella, who is the founder and creative design force behind the successful brand of luxury linens. Ray worked closely with the company and his years of experience in dealing with retailers allowed him to serve as a mentor to many of us. Ray is also survived by an extended family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as friends and a dedicated team at Peacock Alley in Dallas.

Ray has visited all the French Quarter Linens stores and has spent many hours working with me on building a strong business and personal relationship. Peacock Alley and French Quarter Linens go back to 1995 when, on this day 11 years ago, I opened the first store. Our companies have always had a strong personal and business partnership. Ray represents the end of an era of the old guard, and the old way of conducting business, which is refreshing these days.

Ray's wife and family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Escargot moments...

2006-07-21T01:27:00.000-07:00

We've known our friends Curt, Todd and Landon for what seems like forever. Portland's a small town, after all, and they are also our Pearl retail next door neighbors. What with JD Madison, Studio G11, and Madison-Millinger Rugs, they are busy!

We invaded their rustic and removed French territory (The Aveyron for those of you Francophiles) for a week of our French excursion and rented a 14th century Mas not far from them. Imagine our surprise when we discovered these guys really living the country life! With fancy Portland and Seattle stores and a fancy Portland house, we got to know their other side....

Curt and the boys hunting snails by candlelight, after a leisurely dinner on their terrace. A leaky water faucet is the bait!

These snails were NOT being hunted for eating!

Me, lounging on their terrace after several bottles of rose wine (not drunk all by myself!) and a delicious dinner of duck confit, salad, haricots verts, and a local specialty called Aligote. This dish is basically mashed potatoes but they are whipped with huge quantities of local cheese.

Oh, and the quarry of the hunt in the glass jar!

Todd, putting the finishing touches on our evening. Note the vivid umbrella that provides a beacon to all visitors to their small (and we mean small!) town of Peyrusse le Roc.

L'Art de Vivre

2006-07-07T02:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Jacqueline and Andre. I've known them most of my adult life and they became friends of my Great Aunt and Uncle in the early 1950's. They've lived in their 12 Arrondissement apartment since 1961 and at 89 and 85 years old respectively, are still active, interested and productive. Andre is a well-know artist who recently had a sold-out show in the Latin Quarter.

They invited us to lunch yesterday at 12:30 and we left about 6pm! We started with Champagne and crackers and then spent a few hours at the table with a delicious meal of cold meats, charcuterie and salads--and a bottle of Alsatian Riesling and a bottle of Bordeaux.

No French meal is complete without cheese and I just had to share a picture of what we savored. The cheeses were fresh and delicious and come from a neighborhood cheese shop that represents 400 different cheeses from Europe that are delivered direct from the producers.

"Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage?"
("How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?")
Charles de Gaulle (from Les Mots du Général, Ernest Mignon (1962))
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_French_cheeses"

When in Paris.....

2006-07-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

and it's 92 degrees, you go to MacDonald's. Especially when it's across the street from the stifling and musty Musee de Paleontologie (whose third floor could easily have surpassed 110 degrees) and one's six year-old is about to come unglued from hunger, thirst and heat.

And it's AIR CONDITIONED!! At that moment we were thrilled at the American import!

However, a tepid Diet Coke with no ice isn't really a Diet Doke, though that might be forgiven as MacDonald's also serves beer! And a lovely olive oil vinaigrette with the side salad. And a special Pommes Frites (French Fries) sauce. And, (and I don't know why they haven't thought of this in the good 'ole US of A) takeout bags with handles. (Not that we were taking out; we nearly stayed there all afternoon!)

So, fellow travelers, in the heat of a Paris summer with a child in tow, dont knock MacDonald's!

Ecstasy in Paris.

2006-07-02T02:34:00.000-07:00

The deserted Paris Tuileries Carnivale at 10pm. Temperature about 80 degreees.

My son and I arrived in Paris Saturday morning at 8 am. My son, proud of the fact he didn't sleep on the plane from Atlanta to Paris, slept our entire first day in the City of Light (or City of Heat this weekend!).

At 8pm, we finally headed out into the city taking the Metro right into the middle of things: Place de la Concorde. As we were inhaling our foot-long Hot Dog au Fromage, we were struck by the lack of people. We wandered into a carnival inside Les Tuileries (think of Waterfront Park during Rose Festival, but with beautifully maintained rides and hosted by well-dressed and groomed attendants) and couldn't believe the rides were completely empty on this beautiful Saturday night in the center of Paris.

And then we saw a TV in a carnival bar surrounded by scores of cheering fans watching the France-Brazil soccer match of the World Cup. So, not only is it vacation month in France, and Parisians with any sense have headed out of town, but folks were holed up at home and, as we discovered later, holed up in every bar and cafe in Paris that has a TV!

Anyway, we headed for Montmartre to get a view of the city from the breezy heights of Sacre Coeur and enjoyed the sights and sounds of an ecstatic Paris, once more savoring a total defeat of the Brazilians at the last moment. Here are some photos taken about 11pm last night.

Fireworks celebration off Montmartre balcony 11pm, steps from Place du Tertre.

Darkened Tour Eiffel lights up again, in twinkles, once France won the match.

Sacre-Coeur glowing last night. There was actually room to walk around. A crescent moon hovered over Paris.

A happy customer!

2006-06-29T20:33:00.000-07:00

While I'm happy to say that we rarely receive complaints in our stores, it's always affirming and encouraging when a happy customer takes the time to write. Here's an email I received from a customer earlier this afternoon:

Good afternoon! I was looking through your blog online and wanted to let you know that every time I have gone into French Quarter there is always someone very friendly and knowledgeable to greet me. Particularly at your Bridgeport location! When I get the extra $ someday (Hopefully soon) I will be in for more sheets! The Sferra Giotto sheets have my name all over them! Well take care and keep up the good work!

Thank you,
Catie

Seattle Mission Accomplished!

2006-06-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

It was a fun and hot weeked in Seattle and our French Quarter Linens store has been completely transformed in its new location at 903 Western Avenue.

Hats off to Kristin, Geno and Chris for making the move come together with true mind and muscle power. I just got to show up to make the store look pretty.

Our first day of business on Saturday was stellar (best in the company by far!) as several of our Pacific Place customers braved the unknown parking situation and fresh, sunny air to seek us out. Day two on Sunday was not as good as we battled record high temperatures and a newly-routed Gay Pride Parade that snarled downtown traffic for hours.

Here are some photos:

Meet Tom.

2006-06-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Tom Beebe, a new French Quarter Linens convert, wandered into our new Seattle store on Western Avenue the day before we officially opened for business.

After hearing the story about our incredible Super Pile Towel he indulged and bought one to try!

Tom became our first official customer in our new location and in this photo is proudly holding his new towel.

Moving Week in Seattle.

2006-06-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

We've had a good run at Pacific Place in Seattle for two and one-half years, and now we're on the move. In a strategic move to escape new concrete, canned music, flourescent light and the pre-movie tire-kickers, we're headed streetside where there's hot/cold/wet/windy weather, grit, grime, parking problems and cracked concrete. Sounds nutty, I know, but we're excited to get back to the essence of what we do: show the fine and luxurious alongside the way most of us live, in imperfection with a sense of heritage.

So here's our new home on the corner of Western Avenue and Marion Street, right where the ferries load and unload, at 903 Western Avenue. Tel: 206-223-9700.

Yep, we'll be right in that corner space, flooded with light, street grime and the roar of cars and ferries.

For those of you that know our buddy Gerard who owns Versailles (we know him from Portland where he has a store near ours in The Pearl; he has also expanded to Seattle on Western Avenue) our new store is tucked right in with his.

The store will be closed this week through June 23, but we'll back in business on Saturday, June 24.

As a carrot to persuade you to visit us in our new location, you'll receive 20% off your entire purchase of regular priced items if you come pay us a visit by July 31. AND if you mention this blog! Sorry, no adjustments on prior purchases.

We'll be getting back to you soon on parking.

Wish us luck and, more importantly, come visit and tell all your friends to come visit!

See blog entry below to me the seasoned Seattle team that will be in our new location.

Meet & Greet the Seattle Staff.

2006-06-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

We'll be open for business in our new Seattle location on Saturday, June 24. Our new address is 903 Western Avenue and our phone number will remain the same at 206-223-9700.

Meet Kristin!

Kristin moved to Seattle recently after having worked in our Pearl District store in Portland. Kristin's latest accomplishment (besides moving to Seattle to pursue her career as an artist!) is masterminding the entire Seattle store move from Pacific Place to Western Avenue.

Meet Chris!

Chris has worked at French Quarter Linens since our Seattle debut in October 2003. His quiet demeanor takes a few people by surprise, especially once he gets going on luxury linens! Chris is a guy that is completely and totally into what we sell; just ask him what he has on his bed this week!

Meet Geno!

Geno has also been at French Quarter Linens since we opened shop in Seattle almost three years ago. Few people forget Geno because of his uber-friendly and infectuous positive attitude. AND, Geno forgets no one! We all continue to be amazed by his rention of customers' names and what they bought and when they bought it.

En Solde.

2006-06-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

That's the French term for "On Sale." And while in France discounts are controlled by government mandate (yes, it's true; sales can only happen at certain times of the year and for limited lengths of time), we're free to do our own thing stateside.

We've just placed orders for new summer merchandise and we need to clear the shelves of lots of current merchandise in order to make room for it. We've reduced loads of current bedding inventory 25% and you bloggers are the second to know about these non-advertised markdowns. (If you'd like to be first on the list next time, sign up to become a member of Club FQ )

Our markdowns vary by store and include sheets, cases, duvet covers, shams, blankets and throws from Peacock Alley, Sferra, The Purists, Nancy Koltes, Area, Ygle, Legna, Yves Delorme and La Signoria.

Come check out the goods and pick up some pieces to freshen the look of your bedding wardrobe. Or put together a whole new look.

Sorry, but we're unable to adjust prices on prior purchases as this is an in-stock, stock-reduction sale.

Indulge!

It was all about skin, great art and a great cause.

2006-05-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

As promised, it was a great time at the Cascade AIDS Project Art for Life event last Saturday evening. Our model Rick set the tone for the evening by being scantily clad and the first Portland heatwave of the year caused necklines to plunge and hemlines to rise!

Here are a few photos to give you a sense of the evening.

Here's our guy, Rick Dinihanian, hunkering down for a long evening of lounging between the sheets to be on display for hundreds of guests.

Yep it's me and my right hand gal, Syslee, pre-cocktails, pre-dinner and pre-bidding. Behind us is the installation (Rick was in the bed all evening) that each guest had to saunter past in order to get to the evening's action. A lucky couple in Lake Oswego made the final bid and will get a complete bedroom makeover compliments of French Quarter, JD Madison, Madison-Millinger Rugs, Bella Casa and Bedford-Brown.

We had the best patron table in the house, in my opinion. Here are two of the stars.... Nicole Vogel, mademoiselle terrible of the West Coast magazine world and publisher of Portland Monthly AND Seattle Metropolitan; and Michele O'Hara mademoiselle terrible of the image and branding world and founder of Luminous Brands Consultancy. All that responsiblity and still very fun and smart at parties!

There was a lot '0 leg around our fancy Patron table, and here is just a smattering!

OK, not so much skin here. But hey, these smiling faces were representing the serious side of French Quarter Linens. Meet Erynn and Timothy from our Pearl District store and Maddie from our Bridgeport store.

Rick, center stage, during the final bidding on the ultimate bedroom package.

Hostess & Emcee Extraordinaire Miss Poison Waters and The Man of the Evening, clothed.

And one last skin shot!

And, please don't forget to support charities that touch a special place in your heart.
We at French Quarter Linens heartily support the incredible amounts of work and devotion that the folks at CAP have dedicated their lives to.

Special thanks and honors to Roma Peyser at CAP who really makes all this fundraising and event planning come together.

Check out Cascade AIDS Project website.

Art for Life. Tonight!

2006-05-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

The big shindig is tonight at the Oregon Convention Center. It's Cascade AIDS Project's largest fundraiser of the year and a great opportunity to bid on the region's finest art, donated by artists and galleries.

In the spirit of supporting CAP and providing a "live art" installation at tonight's event, we've teamed up with our Pearl neighbors JD Madison, Madison-Millinger Rugs, Bella Casa and Bedford Brown and are offering a bedroom makeover that will be auctioned off. The retail value of this package is about $18,000 and the installation is pictured above!

The "live" part of the installation is none other than our soon-to-be famous Sensuous Bed model, Rick Dininhanian. We've flown him out from his busy life in New York and he'll be modeling/posing/flexing/relaxing/enticing and entertaining all evening long--in bed!

Event pictures will be posted tomorrow.

May birthday greetings to you!

2006-05-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you with a birthday in May, we would like to offer you a small (or potentially large!) gift.

Enjoy a 25% discount off any one regular-priced item during the entire month--from a bar of soap to a new duvet cover. Please, just show us your id upon payment.

Our first spring bedding shipments have arrived and you'll see lots of new sensuous fabrics in our stores.

It's your birthday only once a year, so come on, indulge!

To receive our newsletter and tell us your birthday month, please click here.

Merci. Et Bon Anniversaire!

This is not April foolishness!

2006-04-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true. We do it only once a year at French Quarter Linens. It's a stock-up-and-save sale on the best of our basics. We call it the Bread & Butter Sale. Anything (well, anything that is the color of bread or butter!) white and ivory is 20% off its regular price. The best thing is that it includes any white or ivory special order merchandise too, so the possibilities are practically endless!

Think about that set of white linen sheets you've wanted ever since you slept in them in the south of France. Or a crispy set of ivory percale sheets with a subtle hemstitch. A nice, new lightweight duvet to ward off spring chilly feet ? A new mattress? And who doesn't need a new set of towels, right?

Come on; indulge. And save.

Oh, and don't forget to sign up for our email newsletter. News and values abound!

Our Bedding Toolbox.

2006-03-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

As more and more of our customers at French Quarter Linens are keen on creating a unique bedding ensemble that can't be found anywhere else, we've been working hard on figuring out a way to make it easier to imagine the possibilities.

If you haven't been into our stores recently, your next visit should be inspiring. Not only do we have several new ensembles displayed in our stores, we have hundreds (yes, hundreds; and yes, they all had to be ironed by hand!) of boudoir pillows dressed with options. We're getting ourselves outfitted so our customers can sit down, relax and play with the pillows. It's so much fun to pull the favorites off the wall, toss them on the table and see which ones work best to tell the story in your mind's eye.

And it's easy to have them all in one location. It's our new toolbox!

The photo above shows what we've done in our Pearl District store, and we have a sensational new table (hailing from France, of course!) to spread out around.

Come play with us soon!

Seeking Leadership!

2006-03-20T22:34:00.000-08:00

Do you know a Seattleite who would like to interview for our store Sales Manager position?

We need a dynamic and proven sales performer who is also a great coach.

Please send retail heroes my direction by having them send a resume to job@frenchquarterlinens.com.

Job is posted here: http://seattle.craigslist.org/bus/143774060.html.

Thank you for your help.