Pillow Talk
Joanna Goodman, owner of tony bedding shop Au Lit and its new sister store, Liv, on how to get a good night’s sleep By Carley Fortune
Image credit: Sylvain Dumais
Why are people willing to spend up to $1,000 for sheets?
People don’t think twice about spending $250 on jeans. You’ll
have good sheets for 20 years. You spend a third of your life in bed; it’s worth the investment.
What’s the most outrageous request you’ve ever received?
I once sold an Italian duvet and duvet cover that was a couple of hundred dollars, and it was for a dog. That was a long time ago, when
I was new to Toronto, and I thought, Whoa, this is going to be great.
Are there any sheets that are totally out of style now?
Polyester has really fallen by the wayside; even inexpensive sheets are now pure Egyptian cotton.
What’s your best-selling item?
Our 220- or 410-thread-count percale, in basic white. And anything grey. In fashion, grey is big. Linens and clothing always go hand-
in-hand—that’s why we’re opening Liv.
What kind of sheets do you have on your own bed?
I go with all white, 200 to 600 thread count. New styles come
in to the store every day, so I just don’t go there. I leave it white.
How many of your customers buy for king-sized beds?
For master bedrooms, the majority.
Other than good sheets, what’s the best sleeping aid?
It’s the whole bed: the mattress, the pillow, the duvet, the sheets.
You can have fabulous sheets and put them with a flat foam pillow and have a terrible sleep. Also, destressing—some kind of meditation
or yoga, anything you can do to clear your head before going to bed.
Liv, Au Lit’s new lifestyle store, selling clothing, furniture and linens, opens this spring at 418 Eglinton Ave. W., www.livbyaulit.com; Au Lit Fine Linens, 2049 Yonge St., 416-489-7010.
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