designer's notebook - from founder Anki Spets

At AREA, we seem to meet two kinds of people: those who prefer sheets that are more cool and crisp, and those who prize supreme softness in their sheets above all else. Crispy sheets are cool, cotton percale, often associated with luxury hotel beds. The softest sheets are cotton sateen, which drapes more, hugging you, and is also a bit warmer. Both are 100% cotton, but...

"Can I see it in white?" Absolutely. White remains the most requested neutral by interior designers. It’s also a staple in so many of our customer households. The popularity of white in design isn't new, but what changes from decade to decade is where, how, and how much white is used in a space. Here are a few ways you...

  Gifts, however meaningful, often miss the mark. The best gifts are the ones that are useful and disappear, things we consume. We eat cookies, burn candles, wash with soap, or smear creams.   How about something that's really useful and most people are skimping on?  A new set of sheets may not be the first thing most people think of when it comes...

  In a recent article for Remodelista, AREA founder and designer Anki Spets gave her insights on the European practice of sleeping partners using separate duvet covers. Much like skipping the flat sheet, this practice is starting to spread. The benefit is better sleep, as well as the opportunity to style your own side of the bed. As we went over in a previous post on the...

Color and pattern are the fun part of my work.  With these two new designs, I wanted to create new color combinations in bolder patterns. First, I usually goof around a bit until I get a good feel for what I like to do.    EIGHT Using ink and brush is a very satisfying and calming process. You might have seen that...

  For our new fall blanket, I wanted to continue the large scale patterns we did with NATURE and SQUARES, but in a warmer, softer fabric for the colder months. I was inspired by the simple shapes of Constructivism but with a more versatile palette to play with our new PERLA colors, stone and plant. I had in mind something...

In this post, I share my process for designing a new product. For the current fall/winter season, I knew I wanted to create a new cotton jacquard pattern. I began my design process by establishing a few basic parameters. I wanted to: Riff on Art Deco or Wiener Werkstätte motifs (Maybe) name the pattern FRANK, if I could invent a...

By now it's no secret I'm from Sweden. While soon I'll have been a New Yorker longer than I lived back home, most of my inspiration —why I do what I do and even how I do what I do — is still rooted in Sweden. Just walking the streets of Stockholm, I find motivation in the architecture: in the...

Aside from just walking around and finding Stockholm’s quiet, tucked-away neighborhoods without shops — yes, there are still a few! — and always pausing to take in each block's hidden architectural moments, here’s my short list of places I like to visit — over and over again. #1 SVENSKT TENN. Josef Frank textiles at SVENSKT TENN in Stockholm. You can...

The main thing is to always remember not to take ourselves too seriously. We make great sheets that sure, are very useful. Importantly, it has to be fun!2006 was a big year for creativity and growth. We came out with Heather Grey and Heather Natural, undoubtably some of our best fabrics that still are so relevant and build the foundation...