Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1188752
a trousseau. I'd been looking for heirloom linens but I couldn't find them. We were getting married in Kentucky [where I grew up], and while there, I discovered the Eleanor Beard studio in Louisville, which was founded in 1921. I went, and they were making all these beautiful handcrafted linens. I ordered some for myself, then started selling them from our house in New Orleans in 1996. Leap of faith. One morning in 2001, I received a call from Beard's studio that the owners had decided to close its doors. It was on my farewell visit when a lady asked, literally as I had one foot out the door, "Would you buy us?" Without a blink, I took a giant leap of faith and purchased the company. When we bought it, we really did not understand just how historic and ground-breaking it was. In those first few days of ownership, we were exposed to the rich archives of catalogs, photography, and correspondence outlining Beard's genius approach to her linens business. I quickly realized I was a caretaker of something very historic. Safe haven. When Katrina hit, we evacuated, and the artisans at Eleanor Beard rescued us right back. They found places for us and our store employees to live. They are not people of wealth, so it was mostly in their modest homes. Favorite monogram. Etienne. It has a wonderful chinoiserie feel to it. It was one of our first monograms, and it's still my favorite. Modern times. Color and scale are paramount to giving linens a modern vibe. The letterform can be incredibly traditional, but all that seems to disappear when the monogram is a shade of chartreuse. Tips on caring for linens. • My number-one tip is to use your linens. They'll rot in a drawer but only get finer with use. • Linens are intimidating to a lot of people. So much so that we put together a care booklet that ships with every order. It's really not that scary, I promise! • All of our products are designed to be used and cared for at home. Nothing needs to be sent out. • Washing: Machine-wash warm, tumble-dry low. If you remove while still slightly damp, many pieces can be hand-pressed and folded or put right on the bed. • Ironing: Everything looks better ironed. But, really, it's your bed. Nobody else sees it, so don't iron your sheets if you don't want to. • Bleach: All kinds — chlorine or oxygen bleach — are corrosive and will break down the fibers in your linens over time. They also return your linens to their original greige state — most people don't know linens are dyed white. • Storing: Do not store in plastic or in direct sunlight. If you are storing for long periods of time, acid-free tissue is recommended to prevent yellowing. In the parlor, walls triple lacquered in custom chartreuse by Fine Paints of Europe. Jane Scott Hodges' 1869 Greek Revival house in New Orleans' Garden District. "I LOVE TO ENTERTAIN SO WE CREATED A DOUBLE PARLOR OUT OF TWO SMALLER ROOMS, AND NOW WE CAN HAVE 25 FOR DINNER." — Jane Scott Hodges