Rough Linen - everyday luxury
Mon, 29 Aug 2016
Have you noticed it? There is a quiet revolution going on. A stand against fads and the throw away. In a world that is getting faster and smaller and increasingly more wasteful it's about quality, craftsmanship and longevity. It's about luxury but not the store it away and hoard it type of luxury. Everyday luxury. Taking the time to source the best, the most beautiful and using it all the time.
I have loved Tricia Rose's Rough Linen for so many years now. The story goes that Tricia found a homespun, hand-sewn linen pillowslip while clearing her grandmother's cottage in Scotland. Made by her great-grandmother in about 1840, it had been in regular use for generations. When she found a natural linen several years later with the same wonderful homespun texture and feel, she started making bedding, each piece handmade, cut to the thread, pre-washed for shrinkage and to release the texture. Good materials, careful and mindful production. Her range of bedding (sheets, duvet covers, shams and more), curtains, table linens, pinafores and robes is strong, elemental. You don't need to fuss with it, just use it, enjoy it's beauty and practicality.
And then there's the look, the smell, the feel of linen. Once you've slept in linen sheets you'll never want to sleep in anything else. I love the feel of linen against my skin. The best part is that it gets better with use, softening, becoming almost lustrous. But there's nothing "precious" about linen. Machine wash with a mild detergent and I love to hang my linens out to air dry. No need to iron. The natural creases are part of the Rough Linen look. Could everyday luxury be any easier?
These images of key pieces from Rough Linen's line were taken in a house in California's Wine Country, which belongs to a friend, designer Patricia Adrian-Hanson. Dan Hale the architect is a friend of Tricia's too, and she says "I LUST after his houses!" With photography by Laurie Frankel and styling by Christina Watkinson they epitomise the beauty, the elegant sufficiency of Rough Linen pieces. An object may be simple, practical, efficient yet it can be equally luxurious. The ritual of family meals is finished with a swipe of the lips with a soft linen napkin and everyday chores become just a little more delightful. Imagine drying dishes with such a lovely linen teatowel. I think that just about sums it up. Rough Linen is a luxury you will use every day.
This post is in collaboration with Rough Linen.
Reader Comments (4)
So beautiful!
It's seriously about time I get myself some 'rough linen'. So incredibly beautiful indeed. Kudos Tricia for having such a beautiful shop.
I found Rough Linen way back in the beginning. I am embarrassed to say that I have an addiction to nearly everything Tricia makes, but I can't say enough how much I love the summer covers she sells. The perfect weight for summer nights. And if you have pets that sleep on the bed, they make for an easy to clean protection of your blankets or quilt.
No, I don't have any affiliation, just a problem with finding an excuse not to NEED another RL product :)
I have and love a Rough Linen pinafore and look forward to one day (or night, actually) sleeping on Rough Linen sheets. ;o)