Hello.
My name is Leah Cooper. You and I may have met me before. I worked at the AREA Los Angeles store for 4 ½ years before taking a full-time position in marketing in January of this year. Now I’m working directly with Anki Spets and getting the opportunity to communicate with all of you.
Back in 2014, I was a painter who snagged a flexible part-time retail job. Why then, just a few years later, would I go ahead and take on a full-time post?
Well, the short answer is that working at AREA is what I describe as “more like working for an artist who designs bedding than for a bedding company”. If you’ve met me at the LA store, you have probably heard me say that exact phrase.
I’m going to be writing the blogs from now on, as will some of my other colleagues. Anki will weigh in from time to time on subjects she’s particularly passionate about.
Ok, let’s dive into the sheets… so to speak.
Right now we are gearing up for the 2019 AREA annual sale.
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The sale this year is March 21-28. Much like in fashion sample sales, only discontinued items will go on sale, but prices start at 50% off. In addition to the new sale items, we pull all those from our previous sales, some special items Anki designs exclusively, as well as actual samples from trials or developments.
It’s a lot of work, but also a fun change of pace.
Here's what is being discontinued (and discounted)
Take a sneak peek at the sale items here. Once they are gone, they won't be back, so make sure you stock up on your favorites.
PLEAT white
This was one of the first percale cotton sheets Anki designed in the 1990s when, as she describes it “creativity had to be strong”. This sheet was all about the simple design detail of a single thin pleat.
The latest iteration of PLEAT was an organic, snappy white cotton, smooth and cool to the touch.
SKYLER white
The ambition behind SKYLER was to create a basic striped sheet that was more expansive in its design, and what resulted was a unique fabric with no repeat. As with PLEAT, this was a one-to-one percale weave: smooth, crisp and cool.
SKYLER was always a strong favourite and a bit hard to let go, but the graduated stripe continues on other items such as RUBEN and OVAL.
PARALLEL grey + blue
The contrasting light and dark threads in PARALLEL grey and blue were deliberately chosen. The resulting plain weave was sophisticated sheeting, bordering on slick in texture, with subtle parallel lines throughout.
PARALLEL was designed to push the chambray weave as far as it would go.
HEATHER coal
AREA is always at the forefront of design in the world of bedding, and color is key when it comes to the big picture. As neutrals become more popular, the tendency toward warmer hues has left the cool, dark tone of coal behind.
Every year new colorways come and go, so it's goodbye to HEATHER coal (for now?).
EDITH linen
Another reason we discontinue items every year is to make room for a new version of an old favorite.
EDITH was the stock heavy gauge linen at AREA for over 8 years. Blankets, throws and euro squares in EDITH have ranged in color from natural and white, through grey, to orange and grape.
One of my personal favourites was the stunning EDITH teal (second from bottom) that still manages to go with just about anything I put on my bed.
The good news is that there is soon to be a new linen in town: ELIAS. It is slated to come into stock soon after the sale is over, so keep checking back.
FOLD pillows
Finally, we are saying goodbye to the FOLD linen decorative pillow. For this design, Anki took inspiration from origami, questioning what can be done structurally with a pillow cover. The result was simple but had an impact.
FOLD was always a favourite of designers in particular.
Leaving behind something you’ve not only enjoyed, but created, can be hard to do. Still, I think this process of clearing out the old is one reason we continue to be ahead of the curve when it comes to bedding. Just as an artist must move on to a new series, the same goes for bedding at AREA.
I’ll be working the sale in the LA store this year. It’s always a bit of an adventure, with customers wandering through the wall to wall rows of boxes. It’s definitely a departure from our usual uncluttered aesthetic.
If you’re on the east coast, visit our showroom in New York. After almost 30 years the event is a bit of New York sample sale destination, so make sure to get in early!
If you any questions or want to know if your favorite item will ever go on sale, email me at leah@areahome.com. In fact, email me any time, I have been missing my daily interactions with customers.
Warmly,
Leah
