French Quarter Founder's Blog

One Cool Lady

2009-04-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Just the other day I got to chat with one of my retail inspirations.

I was engrossed in a computer project when the commanding energy field from a trim and sharply dressed customer caught my eye.

It was Judith Hofer, former president of Meier & Frank (now....eeek....Macy's), former president of Filene's, Famous-Barr and May Merchandising.

She hails from Portland but has lived all over the country. Where she now resides in retirement, I don't know, but she was window shopping with a couple of friends when she strolled into French Quarter.

I was a buyer at Meier & Frank (a division of May Company) under Ms. Hofer and I have to credit her with my departure from corporate life after six years. I began as a management trainee out of college and worked as a store department manager and assistant buyer before being promoted to a high-volume and fashion-forward buyer for junior girl's knits and activewear (sounds soooooo department store, right?!).

Being young (I was 28 when I left M&F) and independent, I wasn't really cut out for the constraints and rigidity of my position. And these were the days (the '80's) when department stores were struggling for survival and towing the corporate line was de riguer or la mort.

So, back to chatting with Ms. Hofer in the store the other day. I was able to remind her of two things she said that have remained etched in my memory.

The first etching was her speech to buyers assembled in the now defunct 10th floor Georgian Room in the downtown Portland building where our offices were located. She was rallying the forces around markdowns and store presentation and spoke about a silk blouse she had recently bought from a markdown rack at Nordstrom.

When she got that blouse home it was a brand new blouse and an exciting addition to her wardrobe. To staff in most stores, however, markdown merchandise is treated as third class merchandise and relegated to the back of the store and to unruly racks. The lesson was to treat markdown merchandise with the same respect and care as newly arrived product.

And these are words we live by at French Quarter: our markdown product is always organized, tagged and signed to make it as easy as possible to shop.

The second "etching" I got to share with Ms. Hofer the other day, were the words she spoke in my ear at a corporate meeting. While she didn't actually fire me, my bosses had never heard her speak to a buyer that way and I knew that I had better move on, which I did a few months later.

May Company buying staff from around the country were assembled for a few days in upstate New York to sort out the private label program. I wasn't being a team player and my commitments to this important May Company program were weak and therefore glaringly stood out during the president's meeting.

Ms. Hofer took me aside with my two bosses (DMM Norine Metzger and GMM Mark Blankenship for you department store folks!), lowered her reading glasses and quietly growled into my ear, "Who in the hell do you think you are?"

I think I'm still trying to figure that out, but it was the kick I needed to get out and move on!

After I reminded her of these two memories, she left the store telling her two companions that she was too hard on us and that we all hated her.

Not true! We loved and respected her.

Meet the Flock

2009-04-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

Chicks are patently unrelated to luxury linens.

But they are so damned cute they trump almost any other subject!

My son Henry and I celebrated Earth Day on Wednesday by catching an afternoon showing of Disney's new Earth.

Still feeling celebratory on the way home we made the mistake (or good fortune.... this is still to be determined!) of stopping by Urban Farm Store just to see what city chicks look like. Proprietor Robert was friendly, patient and encouraging and two hours later, Henry and I were zipping home with four chicks, a heat lamp, 25 pounds of chick feed and miscellaneous livestock paraphernalia.

The first night went well and our pet chinchilla Lucky is thrilled to be getting more attention by being in the vicinity of our chirping chicks.

If you look carefully at this picture, however, you'll see not four chicks, but rather five. And that's only because I cropped one of the six (!) out of the picture.

Yes, we went back two days later and got two more because, well, they are so damed cute!

Our menagerie consists of one each of the following: a Buff Orpington, a Barred Plymouth Rock, a Welsummer, a Black Sex Link, an Ameraucana and a Gold Laced Wyandotte.

Our next project is getting a coop and henhouse, which will need to be super secure as we have very aggressive raccoons in our midst.

Oh, do we live on a farm, you ask? No. Seven minutes from downtown Portland!

And what will we do with three dozen eggs a week? I'm open to your suggestions.

A full video presentation of our new pets can be seen here.

Cheese, Please. And Eggs.

2009-04-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

Oregon is home to a great purveyor of luxury linens, but our state is perhaps better known for its bounties of the earth.

Wine, hazelnuts, cranberries, Christmas trees, strawberries and Tillamook cheese just scratch the surface of this vast subject.

I met Chrissy of Kookoolan Farms last year at our Hillsdale Farmers' Market and bought a couple dozen eggs and a fresh chicken.

Since my son is on Spring Break this week (his French immersion school follows the vacation schedule of France!) and the weather in Portland was fine, we decided to stay home for the week and make day trips. Tuesday was country day and we headed out to beautiful and rural Yamhill to visit Chrissy, the farm and the farm store.

Since my cheese making kit had just arrived, I was on the hunt for farm-fresh raw milk to begin my new hobby as a cheese maker. Since Kookoolan Farms has three lactating cows, I found my source for milk. And fresh eggs. And a freshly killed chicken. And more supplies for making cheese.

Chrissy was welcoming and gave us a quick tour of the henhouse and more detailed tour of her hyper-clean and constantly monitored milking parlor. This is important, of course, when dealing with raw milk. We also learned how the self-service farm store works: you pick up the goods, write your own receipt, leave cash or a check or run your own credit card, and be on your way. You've gotta love Oregon!

With our two gallons of milk and assorted dairy treats all on ice, we headed back to sunny Portland so I could begin making some cheese.

After measuring, mixing, heating, agitating, stirring, draining, heating again and kneading, I made myself a pound of delicious mozzarella cheese and half a pound of ricotta cheese.

Not white like store bought varieties, my fresh cheeses carry both the flavor and color of the pasture to the table. Crazy, huh?

Is all press good press?

2009-04-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

Gosh, is it any wonder that newspapers are going the way of dinosaurs?

Thanks to our friends at The Oregonian, we've already received several phone calls asking if we're still in business.

Settled down at home with a double latte this morning, I was looking forward to skimming the Sunday Oregonian. When I saw a pair of articles under the headline "Landlords take their lumps" in the business section I was immediately interested in reading the fine print.

One of the articles had the heading "Recession spares no place, not trendy Northwest 23rd, not suburban Kruse Way". I was really intrigued because, hey, I'm a retailer and I used to have a store near NW 23rd.

Imagine my surprise when in the fourth paragraph, French Quarter on NW 23rd is reported as "Gone" as a victim of the recession. Later in the article French Quarter is mentioned as having papered over windows.

Note to the fact checkers at The Oregonian: French Quarter on NW Westover (one block off NW 23rd) had its last day of business on February 28, 2006.

Yes, 2006. More than three years ago! And the windows have been papered over ever since.

Oh yeah, fact checkers: it has been documented that the current recession began in November 2007.

I closed the NW store at the end of the lease knowing that my store at Bridgeport Village store was going to be opening a few months later. (That's another story!)

From my perspective, it's another example of what The Oregonian considers journalism: time-pressured, lazy and hollow reporting; any hints of something that works for a story is latched onto and made part of the pedestrian coverage.

We're alive and well in the Pearl District. The current economic times are challenging, but we're working on all sorts of new projects and ideas.

With friends like The Oregonian, who needs enemies?

Not Gleeful

2009-04-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Competition is good, right?

It keeps you focused on your game. It challenges you. It keeps you on your toes. It forces creative thinking and problem solving.

And in the world of high-end quality products, competitors help justify the validity of such products in customers' minds.

Everybody wins.

After catching wind of my main competitor's store closing, I dialed the phone and had a long chat with the owner.

Holly Heidebrecht, owner of The Compleat Bed & Breakfast started the company with her mother, Judy, over 20 years ago. Their store on NW 23rd is closing next month.

Over the years we've had our differences and challenges, but I wanted to let Holly know that none of us at French Quarter is happy about the closing and we offer our sincere regret and best wishes to Holly and her mom.

Meanwhile, please drop by Holly's store at 615 NW 23rd Ave (Phone: 503-221-0193) and check out their final offerings.

Holly is moving forward in the business world with her own line of loungewear which you can preview and shop at www.becompleat.com

Holly and Judy: we wish you both well and we congratulate you on your 20+ years in the rewarding and challenging business of fine bedding!

Your email address, please!

2009-03-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

Having earned my retail stripes in the promotion-driven world of May Company (Meier & Frank, here in Portland, before the days of ubiquitous Macy's) I'm not a big fan of markdowns unless they are taken on slow sellers and discontinued items (which we do a lot of here!).

Times are tough all around, however, and we're trying to do our part here at French Quarter by offering some tantalizing markdowns on much of our best selling merchandise. In the following weeks we'll be taking temporary markdowns on sheets, cases, duvet covers, shams, down pillows & duvets, towels, rugs, robes and personal care items.

Because of pricing agreements we have with our vendors, we're not allowed to advertise these markdowns publicly or on our website, so we have to do it by email.

Soooooooo....... you have to give us your email address and you have to open the email we send you every Tuesday.

Also, the temporary markdown will only be available, well, temporarily, from Wednesday through Tuesday of each week.

Join Our Mailing List

For Email Marketing you can trust

The Old Guard, part 1

2009-02-23T15:29:00.001-08:00

Meet Umberto Bagni, proprietor of Bagni Volpi Noemi, located north of Florence in the small town of Casalguidi.

Umberto reports for work everyday at his factory, where he has for most of his life. His mother started the company and in Umberto's younger years he expanded it by buying other factories and producing some of Italy's finest lace bedding and table linens. As the popularity of lace has decreased and the cost of labor to produce it has increased, his small team of expert sewers now focus on creating highly detailed bedding of exceptional quality, the way bedding used to be made all over Italy.

Bagni Volpi Noemi produces bedding for French Quarter and for the American market with the design influence, and label, of N. C. Souther (a real person named Nancy!) based in Seattle. The focus is on superb fabrics, meticulous sewing and fine embroidery.

I've known Umberto and his family for many years, but this was the first time I got to see their home turf. I had the opportunity to spend part of the day with Umberto at the factory, have lunch with him and take videos of the talented ladies in the factory (see posting of videos below).

Back in the good old days of department stores (the 50's and 60's), many had textile buying offices in Florence and BVN used to produce many of the private label programs for these stores. Check out this archive of framed labels by clicking on it to enlarge and see if you can recognize any of the players; most are now closed:

Like many European businesses, the reins get slowly turned over to the next generation. Umberto and his wife Laura have a daughter, Christiana and she and her husband Nicola run most of the day to day operations.

Meet Christiana:

And meet Nicola:

The Old Guard, part 2

2009-02-22T15:51:00.000-08:00

I have always believed that the bedding that comes from BVN / N. C. Souther is the finest quality we sell at French Quarter. And now I know why!

My first impression when I arrived at the factory was that it was as clean and neat as a hospital. After looking around I understood why they need to be so well organized, as every order is put in to production as it is ordered from retailers like myself.

Here are some videos of the masters at work:

Start of Carnevale di Venezia

2009-02-14T05:13:00.000-08:00

It is a crisp and gorgeous Saturday in Venice.

Not only is this the day of San Valentino, but it is the start of Carnevale. It has been a quiet week, but today there are throngs of mask- and costume-wearing people.

I spent the morning at the Doge's Palace on Piazza San Marco, and when I came out about 1 pm, I shot these several short videos.

Better than CNN, right?

Enjoy.

Words to live by.... 1

2009-02-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

While in Florence / Tuscany, I had the opportunity to share many restaurant meals with Francesco Cappelletti, owner of Signoria di Firenze (see posting below).

As a gourmand and frequent restaurant visitor, Francesco shared these words of wisdom regarding restaurants:

"The staff must either be professional or they must be warm, friendly and welcoming. If they are neither, the restaurant is no good."

Francesco, me, and Michael Pappas, US Director of Signoria

The remains of our delicious Tuscan lunch where the staff is warm, friendly and welcoming!

Not much to look at from the outside, this favorite of Francesco's is just a five-minute walk from the factory. It serves down-home Tuscan food and their specialty is ribollita a white Tuscan bean soup poured over sliced bread.

Renaissance Man

2009-02-10T16:05:00.000-08:00

How fitting that I should call Francesco Cappelletti, owner of Signoria di Firenze a Renaissance man. Florence (Signoria's home base is thirty minutes outside Florence), Italy is where the Renaissance started in about 1,400 before spreading to Rome, Venice and the rest of Europe, and changed the course of history.

My Mac dictionary defines Renaissance man as such: a person with many talents or interests, esp. in the humanities.

I will be forever grateful for the hospitality that Francesco, his wife Carmen, his family and his staff showed me during my five days in Florence. Nothing was too much trouble and every night was a new food and wine experience, highlighting the simple and traditional cuisine of Tuscany. Francesco is a host, par excellence. (I don't know how to say that in Italian!)

Francesco and the gang devoted an entire day to showing me the factory (and allowing the taking of the videos in the next blog entry) and touring the Tuscan countryside. These are memories I will cherish forever.

Back to the Renaissance man part of the story.... Francesco transformed his father's small table linen company into the studied, professional, fashionable and unique company that it is today. While rooted in the rich traditions of Tuscan hill towns, it is also a beacon of modernity. Much time and money go into the research that enables Signoria, in Francesco's words, to provide a raison d'être for the simple and ancient process of weaving threads into fabric.

Francesco's vast knowledge of European history, music and literature (and practically everything else related to his home region!) is not only interesting for a Tuscan first-timer like me, but is evident in the design and business philosophies of his company.

Please meet Francesco by having a quick look at the two following videos. I think they'll give you a sense of the man.

Here he is in the top-secret design laboratory:

Here he is in the showroom at headquarters:

And finally, have I emphasized how he enjoys hosting at the lunch and dinner tables? I've never eaten so well, so simply, and so much in my life!

Grazie per tutti, Francesco!

The Signoria Factory

2009-02-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

I spent yesterday in the Tuscan countryside yesterday, in the small town of San Casciano where Signoria has its headquarters.

Join Signoria owner, Francesco (he's the one with the Italian accent!) and me in a video tour of several different elements of factory production.

Il Duomo Ringing under the Moon

2009-02-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

Good timing, good spot, beautiful moon and no rain.

Sorry the video is on its side, but you get the idea!

Saturday Nght in Tuscany

2009-02-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

You know it has to revolve around food and wine. And it did!

Hosts: Francesco & Carmen, owners of Signoria Firenze

Place: a roadside trattoria in the Tuscan hills, 20 minutes from Florence.

Attendees: Three Americans, two poles, four Italians and one Cuban.

The food and wine lineup:

Prosecco, pitted olives, bread.

Prosecco, crostini (toasted over wood fire) in four versions: spinach, white beans, chicken livers, and a meat- bean- tomato sauce combo.

Local red wine. Pasta al dente, infused with tomatoes, pumpkin and carrots. Pecorino cheese.

Local Chianti Classicco. Grilled Florentine Steak (about three inches thick, dry aged and cooked rare over a wood fire), roasted free-range chicken, deep fried artichokes, cauliflower and fries, radicchio salad.

Aged and new Pecorino cheese served with local honey and mustard-pear preserves.

Vino Santo served with house made biscotti (slightly soft in the middle).

Panna Cotte with forest berries.

Espresso.

Limoncello.

Delizioso!

Basta!!

Vanity, Vizi e Vertu

2009-02-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Or, as we say in English, Vanity, Vice & Virtue.

This is the title of the part of the trade show in Florence, Italy that is for luxury intimate apparel and lingerie. While it isn't what we sell at French Quarter, it doesn't take a genius to know that where there is lingerie, there are lingerie models.

And even better, there is a twice daily runway lingerie show, complete with strutting Italian models and loud, hip music.

So........ I set my camera on video and let it roll. Here are the results!

First video is of the Calvin Klein collection and is the only clip that features a male model. (If the male part is what you're into, he debuts at 1:07 and gives his swan song at 2:17)

NOTE: This is Italy and firm, swaying breasts and unbridled bums are de rigeur.

Below are more clips representing other Tuscan producers of luxury lingerie, all featuring female models. Enjoy, and remember that the same caveats apply regarding breasts and tushes.

Made in Italy

2009-02-06T08:25:00.001-08:00

You haven't lived until you've sat through an hour-long press conference in Italian!

After arriving in Italy yesterday morning and sleeping most of the day and night, I was ready for excitement this morning. But no, there were obligations to fulfill for my complimentary trip to Florence--the press conference.

So, the reason I and 39 other international buyers are here is to be exposed to the artisanal textile production that comes from this part of Italy. And, because a lot of money was spent to get us all here, they wanted to show us off. And showing us off meant having us attend a press conference, with five speakers, that none of us understood. There were a hand full of translators, but not translating was done.

As I just read in one of my guide books, Italy is organized like a bowl of spaghetti noodles--there is order, it's just not obvious!

The recurring phrase that I understood (because it was said about 100 times in accented English amidst the Italian) was "Made in Italy" and that is the brand that they want the world to know about. With lower priced competition from emerging economies in the world, they are on a mission to enhance the values of this part of Italy's textile heritage, craftsmanship, fashion and quality.

And after spending a day looking at the finest textiles in the world, I have to agree with their point of view.

While photography at the show is strictly forbidden, I may be able to snap some pictures of those products made by people we already do business with. Stay tuned.

Headed to the Motherland of Luxury Linens

2009-01-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

I thought someone was playing a cruel joke on me.

Last week I received an email asking if I would like an all-expense paid trip to Florence, Italy to attend an industry trade show.

After months of gloom and doom, I shouted "yes" to myself, while at the same time preparing myself for something that sounded better than it actually would be.

But a fine offer it has turned out to be!

My friends at Signoria Firenze graciously submitted my name to the folks at Immagine Italia & Co who are sponsoring the trip and making all the arrangements. For those of you in the know, the trade show is Pitti Casa and for years I've heard how chic and glamorous it is.

My hotel for four nights is the Grand Hotel Baglioni and I even get picked up at the airport!

I'm extending my trip by nearly a week in order to visit the factory and showroom of Signoria which is south of Florence and then I'll trek north of Florence to visit the factory of Bagni Volpi Noemi which creates all the product for N.C. Souther Fine Linens, which is based in Seattle.

Then, because I've never been and it's a top-ranked on my to-do-before-I-die list, I'm heading to Venice for a few days. And hopefully I won't have to buy rubber boots!

I'll be eating and photographing my way through the Linen Motherland.

Stay tuned!

2009: New Year, New Start.

2009-01-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

January, 2009 is month of big changes for all of us. We're days away from an exciting transition of national leadership that is providing hope for many of us.

On a much, much smaller level, the company I founded in 1995, French Quarter Linens, is also going through an exciting transition that is making my staff and me hopeful!

For those of you who follow these things, I closed both our Eugene and Bridgeport Village stores (see blog posts below) within the past 10 days and all of our operations will be conducted out of our flagship Pearl District store, near downtown Portland.

The economy definitely played a role in the decision to consolidate. While there had been a general erosion of sales volume and profitability starting in late 2007 as folks began ratcheting in their spending, the real coup de grâce came toward the end of September shortly after Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy and the stock market began its downward spiral; many customers just stopped spending.

Our sales neither worsened nor improved through the holiday season, which is for us, like most other retailers, a key time for sales and profits. Additionally, there was a coup de grâce to the coup de grâce: exactly 11 days before Christmas, Portland was blanketed by record snowfall and frigid temperatures that lasted for two weeks and hampered all pre-Christmas festivities, chores and shopping. The plus side? We did have a white Christmas!

Rather than continuing to hope that the business climate will improve (which, inevitably, over the long term it will) I decided to make tough decisions about store closures rather than risk sinking the entire company.

Again, for those of you that follow these things, there are many retailers who waited too long, or were too hopeful, and they're now in the throes of liquidation. Many predict that the months ahead will see many other retailers, large and small, close their doors forever.

Meanwhile, it's back to work at French Quarter. Our 4,500 square foot Pearl District store is stuffed to the rafters with desirable merchandise and our seasoned staff is working like crazy to get it all merchandised properly. The phone numbers from both our Eugene and Bridgeport stores now ring to the Pearl, so it's a busy and chaotic place these days!

Our website is also beginning to see some consistent activity and we're finding that many web customers like the ability to ring through directly to the store to get expert advice and profound linen wisdom.

We've gotten smaller quickly, in order to get stronger.

We're still standing and we're here to stay.

Farewell, Bridgeport Village

2009-01-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

Regretfully, I've got more news on the store closure front.

Our Bridgeport Village store closed today and we wish it didn't have to happen after nearly four years in that location.

A victim of a hemorrhaging economy, it simply didn't make sense to continue operations.

We're happy to report, however, that our Pearl District store is bucking the dismal retail trends and we are consolidating all our operations under one successful roof.

We hope that our dedicated customers will be willing to spend a few more minutes on the freeway and agree to circle the block looking for parking in order to visit us in our flagship Pearl District store.

For those that haven't been to our Pearl store, we're certain you'll be impressed with our 14 display beds and 4,500 square feet of nooks, crannies and dedication to the finest night's sleep.

We hope to see you soon.

To Our Eugene Customers & Fans

2009-01-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to announce that our Eugene store closed today.

We've been at Fifth St. Public Market so long that it feels feels like we've left family.

2008 was a rough year for the economy and it was a challenging time for retailers like us.

Additionally, my mother Susan, who has run the store for twelve years, is on the brink of a significant birthday that is above the traditional age of retirement. She wants to spend a little less time folding towels and making beds, and more time with her three grandsons who are all under the age of 10 and live in Portland.

We're happy to report that our flagship store in Portland's vivacious Pearl District will now serve as the French Quarter mother ship for all our business, including our newly launched, full-service website.

If you haven't seen our Pearl store, we believe it's worth the effort. With nearly 5,000 square feet of showroom space, we're able to how amazing bedding options and collections on our 14 display beds.

We hope to see you soon. Or, 24/7 you can find us on our website.

We're open..... sort of!

2008-12-23T09:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, our stores are open. Hearty thanks go out to our staff who have braved unseasonable and unpredictable winter weather.

Somewhere, somehow the Portland Deity of Retail has been perturbed.

If the breakdown in our national (and world!) economy hasn't been enough bad news to dampen consumers' enthusiasm, the past ten days of frigid temperatures, snow and ice in Portland have kept them home and all but dealt a death knell to most small retailers.

You've heard how important November and December are to retailers; how Black Friday signifies the first day of the year that retailers operate in the black rather than the red; how inventory has to be purchased months in advance for the holiday season. Well, it's all true, even for small retailers.

And the last ten days before Christmas are the gravy and the cream that fuel staff bonuses and allow a retailer to store a little cash for the lean months ahead. No gravy and cream this year; the city of Portland, home to our two largest stores, has been virtually shut down since December 7. Portlanders love a good snowstorm because it's an unusual event. We simply aren't prepared, however, for this kind of onslaught. Hundreds of miles of roads remain unplowed and inaccessible and a third of all city buses are out of commission.

While we won't see any more snow today on top of the 12-14 inches we already have on the ground, another storm is rolling in and will deliver a few more inches on Christmas eve day. We're definitely going to have a white Christmas.

Our hearts go out to those less fortunate than us; to those who are stranded in airports, bus stations and in cities they don't know; to those who are still without power; to those who are hungry; to those kids who won't be getting much, if anything, for Christmas; to those in the world who don't know freedom like we do.

It has been a difficult year for all of us and tough times are ahead.

Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence. ~Lin Yutang

The New Frugality

2008-11-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

It's in the news and it's on our minds.

We're consuming less.

While this new mindset is definitely affecting us at French Quarter Linens, it's a way of life that we've always tried to encourage.

This may sound incongruous for a retailer that sells the finest of the fine for your bedroom and bathroom, but I founded the company on one simple principal based on my year as an exchange student in France: consuming more isn't the answer to a fulfilling life; consuming less but of the highest quality you can afford is the sanest strategy over time.

I'm certain this philosophy of frugality in Europe is borne of two world wars being fought on their soil as well as the sharing that happens in much closer inter-generational relationships than we Americans typically experience.

I experienced this careful consuming in many different ways in France involving utilities, food, vacations, restaurant meals and consumer goods.

The best example was my host mother Françoise and the purchase of her spring wardrobe. She had a plan, she had a budget and she had an appointment when she visited the small boutique in our town, Tourcoing. She returned home with four skirts and four blouses, all of which fit her perfectly, all of which were finest quality she could afford, and all of which coordinated with the other pieces. And those were the eight pieces she wore or several months! There were no impulse purchases, no unplanned expenditures; it was all very thought out and practical. Very European!

Which brings us back to French Quarter. No one needs to have dozens of sets of sheets, duvet covers and pillow shams. But we do think that rather than buying new sheets every year, it makes more sense to buy the best sheets you can afford, and do it only every few years. And while it might be tempting to buy an attractive new duvet cover and shams on impulse while you're shopping at the mall, we suggest that a more classic, higher quality bedding ensemble will serve you better over the years and ultimately cost you less money because you won't tire of its looks and it won't wear out as quickly.

To get you started in your quest of less is more, have a look at our Top Ten Lists.

Top 10 Essentials - These are the items that stand the test of time at French Quarter and that our customers keep coming back to.

Top 10 Ensembles - These are the duvet covers and shams that have color, design and quality longevity.

Top 10 Sheets - You can't go wrong with any of these tried and true sheets. Sometimes a new set of sheets is all you need for a satisfying bedroom makeover.

And don't forget to pay a visit to our friend (ok, it's me) The Frugal Hedonist. While this area of the website is still in the construction phase, you'll see that we have many ideas for you to consider.

Super Super Pile Towels

2008-11-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update on the last posting involving my new Super Pile Towel.

As I mentioned, I hadn't purchased new towels in five years and the ones I used during that time were from one of my favorite vendors, Leitner. A blend of cotton and linen, they were beautiful and utilitarian.

But now that I'm back to using Super Pile Towel, I'm back for good! These towels are amazing. They are a perfect blend of soft and lightweight. Even though they're considered a heavy towel at a 700 gram weight, their long and fluffy loops make them seem as light at a feather.

So here goes: just as I put my personal guarantee on Legna sheets being the softest sheet you've ever experienced, I will put my personal guarantee on Super Pile Towel. I'm almost certain that this towel will be the best you've ever used!

Funny customer story related to this: Last week we sent several swatches of different colors of Super Pile towels to a customer in Southern Oregon. She returned the swatches and said she didn't think the towel was fluffy enough. We, of course, were stunned as we have NEVER had a single complaint about this towel. I think it also confirms that towels have to be washed and dried several times before the reach their peak.

Newest towel tip I've heard and tried: The first washing of new towels should be in hot water to allow the fibers to tighten and to get rid of any chemical sizing. It seems to have worked with my new towels.

It's about time!

2008-11-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

After five years, I thought it was time for new towels and rugs!

People think I have all the latest, finest and best bedding and towels at my house, but it's something like the cobbler's kids having no shoes. Since I'm surrounded with all of our beautiful product on a daily basis, I can never decide what to order, so, I never order!

So, here's how my latest purchase has shaped up. To the right, you see my bathroom. Fluffy new Super Pile Towels in Peppermint complement my my wallpaper and stand out against a custom sized Reversible Rug in Ivory -- look how nicely the rug fits into the space in front of my sinks!

Once my son saw the vibrant color Hawaii from the swatches I brought home, he was hooked. Here's his bathroom with the Super Pile Towel in Hawaii, a standard sized Reversible Rug in Ivory and, over the tub, the Double Mat in Ivory

And just to show that our rugs just aren't for bathrooms, check out this custom sized Reversible Rug in Lion that I had made for my kitchen. Durable, washable, reversible and in a dirt-hiding color.

Shop Abyss - Habidecor on the web, or visit one of our stores.

Bedding Stimulus Package

2008-10-31T11:29:00.000-07:00

Feel like staying in bed these days with the covers pulled up over your head? Yeah, me too.

Seems like bailouts and stimulus packages are everywhere these days, so we've decided to do our own stimulus package as a way to ease the financial burden of creating the perfect cocoon in your bedroom.

Here's how it works: through November 15, we're offering a 20% discount on any single component of your bed that is of the same fabric.

It could be 20% off a set of sheets & cases of the same color and fabric; or a duvet cover & shams of the same color and fabric; or a set of shams & a bedskirt of the same color and fabric.

Make sense?

If you shop in our stores just mention the "Bedding Stimulus Package" for your discount and if you shop online, simply write the word stimulus in the comment box at checkout and we'll apply the 20% discount to the most expensive component of your purchase.

And, please, one discount per customer. Thanks!