Arcana
Minimalist Table Lamp
$420
from $35/mo
Material Guide
Linen Bedding, Curtains & Pillows
Linen is spun from flax and is the oldest textile still in daily use — Egyptian burial linen survives four millennia later. It is stronger wet than dry, breathes better than cotton, and it is the only bedding fibre that improves measurably with every wash.
Origins & Types of Linen
Weight is measured in GSM: 150 to 180 for curtains and shirting, 165 to 200 for bedding, 230 and above for upholstery. Stone-washed and garment-washed linen is pre-softened; loomstate linen starts crisp and softens over months. Belgian and French flax command a premium for long fibres and fewer slubs.
How to Style Linen
Linen creases by design; that relaxed drape is the whole aesthetic and fighting it with an iron is a losing argument. It pairs with everything — oak, marble, brass, wool — and its irregular texture keeps minimal rooms from reading clinical. For curtains, allow two to two and a half times the track width for fullness and let panels break an inch on the floor.
Linen Care & Maintenance
Wash warm at 40C with a mild detergent, no fabric softener, and tumble low or line dry. Remove bedding slightly damp and smooth it by hand for the best drape. Avoid bleach and high heat, which weaken the fibre, and store folded rather than compressed.
Shop Linen
Linen Questions
- Does linen get softer?
- Yes — the pectin binding the flax fibres breaks down with washing, so linen improves for years.
- What linen weight is best for bedding?
- 165 to 200 GSM: substantial enough to drape, light enough to breathe.
- Should linen be ironed?
- Not usually. Smoothing it by hand while slightly damp gives the intended relaxed finish.
- Is linen warm or cool?
- It regulates: highly breathable in heat, insulating when layered.
- How long should linen curtains be?
- To the floor with a half to one inch break, or an inch above the floor for a crisper line.