How To: Breathe Easy And Sleep Beautifully With London & Avalon

Introducing The Restoration Collection, a new collaborative bed linen range from London & Avalon, featuring colours by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. The Restoration Collection brings a more considered approach to the bedroom, where tone, texture, and material work together to shape a calmer way of living.

Sleep is where everything resets: body, mind, and mood. Yet the spaces we sleep in are often overlooked, shaped by convenience rather than care. We fall into bed at the end of long days without much thought for what we are sleeping on, or how our surroundings quietly affect the quality of our rest.

A restful bedroom is built on more than comfort. It relies on breathability in every sense: natural materials against the skin, fresh air in the room, and colours that create a sense of calm rather than stimulation. When chosen with intention, these elements work together to support deeper, more restorative sleep.

This collection from London & Avalon reflects that thinking. Ethically made and rooted in natural fibres, it pairs thoughtful design with a palette drawn from Edward Bulmer’s heritage-inspired colours, creating bedding that feels as good as it looks.

In a fast-moving world, the bedroom becomes a quiet form of self-care—and what we choose to bring into it matters more than ever.

In an era where home textiles are often treated as fast-moving consumer goods, the case for investing in higher-quality bed linen has become more and more appealing. London & Avalon positions itself firmly in that space, where their bed linen is not simply decorative, but foundational to comfort and sleep quality, as well as providing sustainable pieces that will last you a lifetime. The colours chosen to support this collaboration are three of our best-selling hues, Jonquil, Ethereal Blue and Fawn, which feature in the delicate Hemstitch detailing.

However, material alone does not explain the appeal of buying bed linen of this quality.

Equally important is how that cotton is transformed into finished bedding. London & Avalon works with established European mills, where textile production is treated as a specialised craft rather than a high-volume process, which is better for the mills and consumer.

This emphasis on controlled manufacturing results in more consistent weaving, better finishing, and a level of durability that is often absent from mass-market alternatives. The outcome is bedding that feels considered rather than incidental and won’t need to be replaced every few years

How did the brand come to life?

Although the brand was initially inspired by the fact that I could not find the ‘right’ kind of linen for my student flat … kept thinking about it through law school, then business school, it was only when I started to work as a lawyer for a Wall Street firm that I realised how desperately I needed a bed which offered the right set up for a perfect rest and recovery for the short hours I had each night (we now call it a bedscape). I began scouting linen shops wherever I travelled – and quickly realised that whether in London or New York,  what I was looking for – extraordinarily, did not exist.

Visiting a Savile Row tailor, Timothy Everest,  I was struck by the extraordinary detailing available for a suit, and how none of it existed for bedlinen. That gap inspired me to create bed linen made the way it once was, hundreds of years ago, taking cues from Louis XIV, who never travelled without a trunk of his linen sent ahead. It spoke to the importance of sleep, rest, and non-negotiable quality. We even tried to name the business ‘Trousseau’, after the essential bundle of linen and silverware once given to mark the start of married life.

What sets the brand apart?

Our very first mill used to supply the Pope John Paul II with his outfits-so this was the level of craftsmanship we want to keep to –  and every product made since shares the exact same DNA of exacting standards for the raw material used, a generous  cut ( like deeper fitted sheets, deeper pillow envelopes) as well as a meticulous  attention to detail and finishing (revealed in smaller stitches, neat corners, subtle detailing). No product is released until it meets all these criteria. It is really simple. We do not deviate from our DNA.

How do we know this is a brand we can trust?

We wanted to build a brand made to last, and therefore a brand inspiring trust and loyalty.

Dedication to excellence of the making was not enough for us, we wanted to embed sustainability from the start at the very core of the brand, so all products are made from natural fibres, processing is rigorously monitored (such as through OEKO Tex certification for linen) – and our mills use new technologies which  enable a reduction of water usage.  Water usage is our largest footprint on nature so this something we will keep working on.

In addition, our linen is tested by Independent Laundry Engineers who test it to the limit to ensure its longevity in mint condition for up to 200/250 washes.

This is our promise to our customers ( who buy better for longer)  but also how we reduce our impact on planetary resources, being mindful of the amount of water cotton plants need at the start of the production cycle. Hence the products have to last. We fight against the built-in obsolescence of so many brands.

Finally, we have obtained the prestigious Butterfly Mark from Positive Luxury – and they have put us through our paces!

Their bar is higher than B Corp but as we feel that B Corp is so well recognised – we are also planning a B Corp accreditation.

I wish we could share the name of our most dedicated clients who tend to be well known VIPs from business, sports and acting, but we can’t! They all need to be at the top of their game, everyday and this is why they choose  London & Avalon.

We also work with some of the world’s most demanding hoteliers, like the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

How does the choice of sustainable materials in bed linen directly impact the quality of our sleep?

Bedlinen is very important as it is the closest thing to all of your body during the night -and we spend on average 6-8 hours in bed each day – amounting to a huge amount of time per year!

If you think of your skin as your largest organ, it gets exposed to whatever sheds from your linen all night as you toss and turn – hence polyester mix or other man made fibres are probably some of the most uncomfortable but also unhealthy things you can do to yourself – they lacks breathability and sheds microplastics. I see this as slow poisoning – when you are at your most relaxed, open and vulnerable.

A comfortable and healthy bedding is a critical choice if you care about  wellness. Sleep is really the foundation of your wellness and your overall quality of life. If you observe most top athletes, it is a recurrent theme in their priorities…

Tell us about London and Avalon, where did it come from and why did you start the business?

It had been on my mind for a very long time (since I was in my teens, setting up my first student flat in Paris) as I wanted to emulate the gorgeous beds my grandmother had in her house in France.  They were so extravagantly fluffy, cosy and inviting. I kept thinking about it through law school, then business school, but it was only when I started my working life  as a lawyer  that I realised how desperately I needed a bed designed  for the ultimate rest and recovery  – as my nights were so desperately short, sometimes only 2- 3 hours for weeks at end!

I began scouting linen shops wherever I travelled in the world,  and realised that what I was looking for – extraordinarily, did not exist .

All the brands were focused on looks (stripes or flowers, etc) while I was obsessed with the feel, and the quality of finishing.

I was surprised to find out that people who would spend vast amounts of money on well cut suits in Savile Row (I was working in a very male environment!) or on flashy kitchens had frankly pathetic bedrooms – the sort of bedrooms you would not really want to spend time in.

The bedroom felt like the unloved room in the house. It didn’t make any sense to me:  the bedroom is where you re-charge for the next day,  it is your private and special place. Hence, the bedroom  felt in dire need of attention to me from a segment perspective.

I could not believe that there was really nothing available on the market that was beautifully made, with great attention to detail, material quality, finishing but without girly frills. It was either all white, average and boring  – or overly frilly and busy.

10 years or so later, visiting a Savile Row tailor,  I was struck by the extraordinary detailing available for a suit, and how none of this attention to detail  existed for bedlinen (after all, when not dressed, we tend to be in bed!) – I could not fathom why linen was such an unloved and sleepy category.

Being French, I rather boldly took cues from Louis XIV, who never travelled without a trunk of his own linen, and that ‘gap in the market’  inspired me to create bed linen made the way it once was, hundreds of years ago.

Our approach from the start was all about  the importance of sleep, rest, and non-negotiable quality.

After all, since the Middle Ages, linen was considered of such importance that it was the core of the ’Trousseau’ newlyweds were given, along with silverware, to start and to keep for life. It is only in the last 50 years that linen has become a cheap basic staple, made to be discarded.

We want to change this.

Think if James Bond had the ‘dream pad’, this is the only bedlinen he would have: as sharp as his suits, as perfectly made as his martinis.

Some of our clients are very particular about their bedding, down to the last detail, so we think this is a good comparison!

I was nervous about leaving the city to start the business so I waited until I was on maternity leave to investigate the possibility of designing and launching a range of classic, understated but ultra luxurious linen – using flax and cotton, focusing on natural fibre, a British look and the best of European craftsmanship.

‘London’ in our name alludes to the Savile Row inspiration (understated elegance, extreme attention to detail, fabric and cut ) while ‘Avalon’ reflects the link to the more nurturing side of the brand, the mythical island of rest and repair where King Arthur used to retreat after battle – because everyone -even James Bond, needs a little bit of nurturing sometimes.

Why did you want to work with Edward Bulmer specifically on this new range of linens?

Edward Bulmer Natural Paint embody everything I value in a brand ethos: integrity, transparency, quality, elegance, subtlety but also the courage to stand by their beliefs in a noisy world.

I felt there such a strong connection between our brands when we first met. I also really sensed that Edward’s journey was also a personal quest – and it is so aligned with mine: helping people make better choices for both for their wellness and for the planet, without any sacrifice to their experience.

This is really what luxury was always meant to be. Beautiful, aspirational and ultimately sustainable.

Somehow, this has been lost in the mad race for ‘growth for the sake for growth’ without consideration for the actual consumer’s experience.

From your perspective, why is sleep such a critical foundation for overall wellbeing, and how can our sleep environment support that?

I found out the hard way. `As a young lawyer going through periods of extreme sleep deprivation, everything broke down, constant exhaustion was robbing  my spirit – It was dragging myself through life. I learnt to sleep everywhere, at any time, to grab 5 minutes here and there.

One night, I simply decided I would do something about it and that I should pull together all the best elements of the perfect bed / bedscape together: pillows, duvets, bed linen … to ensure that when I was ready (and allowed!)  to put my head down, it was going to be pure, unmitigated bliss.

So, my focus now is on how to build the optimal ’sleep pod’:  paying attention to the density and feel of the pillow, weight and tog of the duvet, mattress topper and obviously the feel of the linen: warm and silky in winter, cool and crisp in summer. The experience has to be beautifully layered.

What podcasts do you listen to unwind?

Rewinding the World by Ben Goldsmith is my all-time favourite, so full of energy, optimism and incredible stories of nature recovery. It is a real tonic.

Others include The Sustainable Food Trust, brilliantly narrated by Patrick Holden and Irecently discovered the wonderful ‘Six Inches of Soil’  narrated by Claire Mackenzie – I think it is particularly brilliant at engaging everyone in this critical conversation of how we can live an optimal life in the current world. It is the one I would start with for anyone anxious about sustainability and the world we live in.  I know  you can see a theme there!! Soil is my obsession.

Other great podcasts include  Social Currency by Sammy Cohen on business stories and business models, The Rest is Politics and The Rest is History (I highly recommend the episodes on the Rolling Stones – such a giggle and a great antidote to the current mood and world news – the world seemed a simpler place then when the Stones were invited to play at children’s school teas – seriously – and of course all degenerated into actual bun fights.)

In what ways does soil health influence the quality and sustainability of the materials used in bedding?

Quality soil has a direct influence on the quality of crops  – I also see an inverse relationship: high quality cotton or flax will last longer and reduce our impact on soil (since we will need a lot less raw material ) we are talking about a 10 – 20 year lifespan for the products – in mint condition – vs. linen that starts to degrade, fray or pill within a year of two.

Can you explain the journey from healthy soil to finished textile, and why that process matters for both people and the planet?

You cannot really have a healthy textile without a healthy soil and a clean process- hence all our products are OEKO Tex Certified.

Our goal is to get all our linen at some point from regenerative cotton and this is something I am currently working on.

The OEKO Tex certification guarantees that products are tested for over 1000 harmful chemicals to ensure that the finished product is free from chemicals harmful to human health.  If we can minimise the number of chemical processes we use for all our products, including bed linen, we will in the process begin to repair the planet and reduce the risk of breaching planetary boundaries. This will in turn protect human lives on earth. It is really that simple…

How can creating a healthier home environment improve not just sleep, but our daily energy and mental clarity?

If you consider that sleep is the foundation of your wellness, daily energy and mental clarity, your bedroom is where you need to start. It should be your first investment in the quest of a healthy home, for the entire household. Everyone shows up so much better after a great night’s sleep, from children to grown ups!

How important is it to understand where and how raw materials are grown when thinking about creating a healthy home?

People need to know what they bring into their homes. Is it something that will promote wellness and give the family joy and pleasure or is it something that is potentially harmful?  We all have agency and it is getting easier to find products with integrity. Labels like B Corp and the Butterfly Mark indicate companies aware of their footprint on nature and their impact on human well being. Supporting them is a step inn the right direction.

Favourite thing to cook and eat before a good night’s sleep?

I am a total foodie – so this is a difficult to one  but poached eggs on buttered sourdough toast are my top comfort foods.

I switched to Riverford food delivery for my vegetable deliveries as they come straight from farms and also have some cracking soup recipes – which make perfect wind down, evening meals.

But my growing teenagers (and husband) still request ‘hot choc’ before bed … so that is our family thing.

Talk to us about the link between reconnecting with natural systems (like soil and farming) and improving our sleep quality and wellbeing?

It is a really simple rule for me. The closer to nature, the better. I find comfort in knowing that the products I use are good, or at least less harmful, for the planet and for all of us. It brings me peace of mind.

Beyond this, the clear link is that our bodies are designed to primarily follow a circadian rhythm (get up with sunlight, slow down with sundown)  but also to process natural products rather than artificial, highly processed, or chemical products. Therefore, healthy food choices (organic where possible, as little processed and as fresh as possible) will always promote better health, and therefore better sleep.

In turn, better sleep promotes better health both physically and mentally and promote better decisions. It is well known that a good night’s sleep feels like you have been ‘repaired’ -you feel bright and clear minded.

Do you have any sleep rituals that help you switch off after a busy day?

I am very fussy about my sleep routine, and due to years of under sleeping as a young professional,  I have become very good at falling asleep almost instantly. This is an ability that I guard  jealousy.

To ensure a reliable ‘flightpath to sleep’, I do a few things:

Firstly, I ensure that my cognitive field gets sharply reduced after 6-7 pm (by avoid complex situations or highly charged conversations – which I always report to the next morning ), I dim the lights around the house, light up  candles  or Santo Palo sticks, I also play a  more relaxing music.

Think of it as switching gears: it is easier to stop a car when you have been slowing down a little beforehand than with a hand break U turn.

Sleep is the same. You need to send signals to your body that it is slowing down time to get to a perfectly relaxed state by the time to head to bed.

Next step, just before bed,  is a quick warm shower.

It helps me leave the day behind and prepare for the night ahead by relaxing body and mind. I then wrap myself in one of our fluffy towels while I clean my face, apply a nourishing oil again with a quick, light massage to further relax and really get into the downtime mood-

Scents and textures are key at this time: they need to be delicately scented only  to allow you to gently relax into the night.

Explain to those who don’t know the long-term benefits for both personal health and environmental impact that high quality, sustainable bedding has?

High-quality, sustainable bedding is life-changing.

It is simply good for you in every sense: good to your skin, good for your sleep and ultimately good for your wallet as it ages better than all other linen.

Your bedding is the homeware you will always be most intimate with – it covers and touches all of your body, every night for 5-8 hours. It is one of these ‘long exposures’ – Clean of aggressive chemicals, it is gentler on your skin but also on your internal organs which have the heavy task of processing and clearing chemicals out of your system.

Many of our clients say that you should always invest in your linen and on your shoes, as if you are not in one, you are in the other!

What Edward Bulmer Natural Paint colour are your bedrooms painted in?

We currently have Ethereal blue, Quaker – a sensationally elegant pale yellow with a hint of verbena green – and Jonquil – which I fell in love with at first sight. Next will be the Chatsworth collection… I think that Ed has the best eye for colour of any designer I have met. He sees and therefore create shades others could not see. The fact that all the paints are home compostable was the final clincher for me, I repainted all our bedrooms as soon as I met Ed and heard  his story.  The colours bring me joy every time I walk into one of our bedrooms – probably also because I know the ethos and the work that has gone into their creation. I think it is wonderful to invest in products you can fall in love with instantly – and stay in love with every day.  It really brings joy to your life.

What is the silliest sleep ‘myth’ you have ever come across?

That sleeping 4 hours per night is enough. Beyond silly, it is reckless!

How does our connection (or disconnection) from nature show up in the way we sleep?

We should be craving nature and nature connection in all we do. We need to remember we are not really separate from nature, we are part of it. So sleeping in unnatural fibres, not paying attention to our circadian rhythm when it comes to the cycle of light and the need for dimmer, softer lighting at night, not paying attention for our deep need to allow sleep to process and repair our brains and bodies at night  – it’s all madness to me!

Shop the NEW London & Avalon collection HERE.