The quintessential guide to classic interior design, elegant entertaining & a genteel lifestyle.
(formerly Mummy's Monday Manners)
Monograms on sheets!
The linens shown on our bed at Fox Hall are from Schweitzer Linen in NYC, purveyor of fine linens for over 50 years, and a company I have done business with for my New England clientele for many years.
Who doesn’t adore beautiful bed linens?! Seeing and feeling crisply ironed sheets instantly brings back memories of various beloved venues, the way a scent or sound will trigger feelings from the past. I vividly remember flying to London with our eldest daughter, Alexandra, then age ten. We were invited to stay at a relative's elegant London townhouse, replete with a driver and a “Roller” (aka Rolls Royce). We were both exhausted from the overnight journey and climbed into our twin beds. The faint scent of lavender on the beautifully ironed and magnificently monogrammed sheets gently swaddled us… and instantly, we experienced “sweet dreams and a slice of heaven!” That experience made an impression on me and how important it is to pay attention to guest room sheets. Well, all bedrooms, for that matter!
Recently, my husband and I hosted a joyful black tie celebration for our son’s 40th birthday, and a few out-of-town guests stayed at Fox Hall and in our Little Fox carriage house. While not as crisply ironed as my London memory, the sheets are indeed monogrammed!
The initials on our bedroom monogram represent Holly and Stuart.
Traditionally, a monogram for a married couple’s sheets (and towels) in the master bedroom features the combined initials: the bride's first name is on the left (ladies first!), the surname of the couple is centered, and the groom's first initial is on the right, in that order.
This “Valentino” pattern from Schweitzer Linens features a sweet little heart embroidery pattern and a very pretty edging, so I decided not to monogram the pillowcases, as the design was enough.
For other bedrooms, the lady of the house has her initials used for a monogram, whether she is single or married, because she is the hostess of the house. She may use either her maiden name or middle name for the initial to the right of her surname.
An alternative to a monogram is to have just one initial, a house name, a family crest, or an image that relates to the house embroidered. This pink and green fox (go figure!) is embroidered on our carriage house sheets and towels.
For the shams that decorate the bed and go in front of the pillows (I refer to our euro shams as “party pillows” because they rarely get used… more for show), monograms are typically placed either in the center or above the center, near the top. I like to center it on shams.
Pillowcases and pillow shams can be left plain, embroidered with a monogram in the center, or you may have a monogram placed near the open end of the case, in which case the monogram then faces sideways, toward the opening. I choose this position so one’s face touches the smooth pillowcase fabric, instead of the bumpy embroidery monogram when it is centered.
What if a name has more than three initials? My father had five initials! They are written in a straight line with periods, instead of the last name being centered.
There is a myriad of embroidery styles and colors to create a bespoke monogram and a reputable linen shop will guide you. Sheets adorned with elegant embroidery quietly elevates the status of a bedroom, making it “fit for a queen,” and thus, serves to create those comforting memories for your guests… and for you!
In my book, The Pretty and Proper Living Room, I have a chapter about the correct nuances of monogramming and engraving.