The 8 Linens Every Home Should Have (And the Other 4 We Wish We Did)

    When was the last time you took inventory of your linens? If you're like most, it's probably been awhile. If you're like me, the answer would be never. Despite transitioning to adulthood a couple years back, my linen closet - which was nonexistent up until now - had failed to make the jump. I was still living on the college mentality of "If it's somewhat clean, it will work." But that's no way to run a home - no matter how young or old it is.
    A few weeks after accepting my tragic linen situation, I found myself in the middle of rural Vermont at the headquarters of luxury linen manufacturer Anichini. While my weak side wanted to spend the entire day admiring the gorgeous fabrics stacked in rows of shelving extending far beyond my tiptoe reach, I knew my mission was far too important to put aside. So I pulled myself together and prepared to meet Anichini's Creative Director, Alan Jesseman, to discover the secrets behind a well rounded and functional, I might add, linen closet.
    During our conversation, Jesseman taught me which linens every home should have, which linens are nice to have and most importantly, the fabrics of which they should be made. So if you've just decided to reevaluate your linen closet, plan on starting a new one or are creating a wedding registry, Jesseman's linen list and tips are just what you need.


Bedroom Linens


     When Jesseman stated that 2 sets of sheets per bed were best, I guessed it was so you had a spare set for when you wash the other. But it turns out, I was wrong. Having 2 sets of sheets per bed can extend the life of your sheets.
    "It's kind of the same principal as winter and summer tires," Jesseman said. "You'll get a lot more mileage out of them if you change them. So, that you're washing one set and then putting it in your linen closet and you have the other set on the bed and you rotate back and forth between those two. [Having 2 sets of sheets per bed] gives the fibers a chance to rest, and they retain more strength that way and last longer."
    Extending the life of your sheets could save you money, which could always be used to purchase nicer sheets or maybe even another set.
    "Some people would say to have a truly complete sheeting wardrobe you need linen for hot weather in the summer time, you need silk for winter and then you need cotton for your everyday kind of wardrobe," Jesseman said.
    Linen is a great option for warm climates because it breathes the best out of any fiber, wicks away moisture better than cotton and it forms a tent around your body, which will keep you cooler, according to Jesseman. In the winter, Jesseman suggests using silk because it insulates better than cotton or linen. The silk drapes around your body, which keeps the heat around you.
    But if getting silk or linen sheets are out of your budget range, don't worry. Cotton is still a great choice.
    "You can suit anybodies tastes within the range of cottons," Jesseman said.


Bathroom Linens


    I had no idea what a bath sheet was either, which is why I quickly asked Jesseman to explain.
    "A bath sheet is an extra large bath towel that you can really wrap around you after getting out of the shower," Jesseman said. "It's just really big and generous and wonderful."
    Having a bath sheet to wrap around you is a luxury, especially in the winter when getting out of a shower or bath seems like torture. But being big isn't all that makes a towel work well. The fabric used to make the towel also plays a very big role.
    Here in America, we're used to using terry towels, but that's not always the best option. Linen might be a better choice, depending on the climate in which you live.
    "We tend to think of [a linen towel] as a kitchen towel or a dish towel, but the reason a lot of dish towels and kitchen towels are used for washing dishes and wiping our hands - are so popular - they actually absorb more water and dry faster than Terry," Jesseman said. "[Terry towels] don't dry as quickly - can get almost kind of mildewy very quickly - if you don't wash them all the time; whereas, linen towels dry very fast and you can reuse them quickly."
    If you're in a warm, moist climate, you may want to consider switching to linen towels. According to Jessseman, many linen towels are made in Europe.
    Sometimes terry towels are the right option - especially in cold climates. If you want the best terry towels, Jesseman suggest looking at those made in Turkey.
    "The best terry toweling is Turkish, made in Turkey," Jesseman said. "They're famous for it."


Table Linens



    When selecting casual placemats, a good thing to consider is how easy they are to clean. If you're very busy, the last thing you need are placemats that need special care.
    When selecting a tablecloth and formal napkins, cleaning typically isn't as big of a consideration. Instead, most focus on how it looks. But it doesn't hurt if it's easy to clean. That's one less thing you need to stress over after throwing a big dinner party. Oh, and don't forget the hush cloth. It will also ease your stress during any formal occasion.
    "Hush cloths, which are flannel cloths, go underneath the formal cloth so that when crystal and silverware hit the table it softens the noise," Jesseman said.