About Our Bedding

Many of us find our bedrooms to be our own personal sanctuary. At Gigi Homewares, we know how busy life can be. Sometimes you simply need a space that is calming and special to escape the stresses of everyday life. We believe the bedroom is the perfect place to create our own private haven. We also believe everyone deserves a little luxury in life and that the bedroom is the ultimate room to create that luxury. Our Jacquard bedding collections are a great start to creating your own personal sanctuary. 

Why Gigi’s Bedding?

Gigi’s bedding collections are made to our strict high standards, using the finest craftsmanship to ensure our bedding is of the highest quality. Our fabric is 100% cotton -  made up of a sateen cotton/ cotton percale blend with a true high 600 thread count. 

The advantages of our Jacquard Sateen/Cotton Blend fabrics are many and include:

• Durable and stable: Our Jacquard fabrics are Machine washable. Any light spills can be eliminated with the dabbing of a damp cloth.
• Strong and resilient: Long lasting
• Wear and wrinkle resistant: No need to iron.
• Luxurious to touch: Feels silky soft while looking opulent.
• Luxury appearance: Harking back to nobility, Jacquard fabrics are today still seen as the height of sophistication and elegance.
• Makes and amazing drape: Due to the layered weave, our sateen/cotton blend drapes beautifully.
• Durable: Our Jacquard fabric neither fades nor stretches out.
• Unique and modern: Our collections are not available in stores and we constantly update our designs to follow modern trends.

What is Jacquard?

Jacquard is a thoroughly modern and fashion-forward stylish fabric with centuries-old roots. Dating back to the middle ages, Brocades were one of the few luxury fabrics worn by nobility, where they were originally woven of silk, embellished with real silver or gold thread. Brocades became wildly popular in Italy and Europe during the Renaissance

A jacquard weave is created through a loom process, which is programmed to raise each warp thread independently of the other threads. The design of the jacquard fabric is incorporated into the weave, instead of being printed or dyed onto the fabric. The loom attachment allows a much more versatile weaving process and a higher level of control. The term “Jacquard” itself is after the inventor of the loom attachment that creates this added control, Joseph Marie Jacquard.

This jacquard weave process is more time consuming and labor intensive than a basic weave. However, jacquard fabric is more stable than fabrics created through the basic weave technique. Jacquard weaves can also be combined with various colors and types of threads. This provides beautiful and soft gradations of color tones and bold outlined patterns that are very complex, such as landscapes, portraits, and unique designs.

What is Sateen Cotton?

Fabrics that are labeled as Sateen Cotton are likely to have a slight sheen to them. No matter what color or pattern they also feature, they will have a pleasant sheen. While they are not exactly shiny, they do reflect the light. This is because cotton sateen is densely woven out of a special kind of cotton. These fibers band together and create a solid piece of fabric which exhibits the density of the weaving through this sheen.

The special kind of cotton used for cotton sateen fabric is treated in lye and acid, before they are woven. This makes the fibers stronger, so that the fabric survives multiple washings and uses. The lye and acid also contribute to the sheen and ensure that the dye is evenly distributed in the fabric, after it is woven. Because of this treatment, it is much easier for manufacturers to create quality, well-dyed fabrics for just about any use.

Because of the acid and lye bath, sateen cotton is less likely to pill or tear, even with repeated use and washing.

Want to know more? See below.

Why Over-Sized bedding?

Over-sized bedding is the latest trend in bedroom decor and design. Creating the luscious draping you see in our photos and adding a touch of glamorous luxury to your bedroom.

Does the bedding fit a King size bed?

Whilst our Queen Over-Sized bedding will fit on a King bed, it won’t have the draping effect you see in our photos. However, you can rotate the bedding 90 degrees to re-create the look. (Please note, this will place the ‘heading’ along the length of the bed).

Is the bedding suitable for any bed?

No. Because our over-sized bedding is longer, it is only suitable for beds that do not have bed ends.

Does the over-sized duvet cover require over-sized duvet inserts?

Yes. But don't worry, we've got you covered with our Free Duvet Inserts. You can replace the Queen duvet inserts at any time with any King duvet, and the Full duvet with any Queen duvet.

Bedding Tips

What's the best way to dress and style a bed?

Here we share our top 6 tips on how to style a bed like a pro, and just general advice on how to make your bed look stunning.

How to get that perfect drape!

The simplest way to get that luscious drape that you see in our photos is to go up a size where possible. That's why Gigi Homewares are proud to introduce our over-size Queen and Full/Double Collection. 

Complementing Colors!

At Gigi Homewares, we like to complement our duvets with our sheet sets. For example, if we have an ivory colored duvet set, we will use a charcoal or grey sheet set. Add a black or silver throw and black or silver accented cushions to complete the look.

If we have a decorative duvet cover, we will only use a plain or striped sheet set.

Duvet cover two or more toned? Use the dominant color as your inspiration for your sheet and accessories. For example, if your duvet cover is burgundy and cream, use burgundy sheets and accessories.

How many cushions are too many cushions?

Cushions are still essential for a super stylish bed. But how many? There’s no right answer as it varies from person to person and depends on the size of your bed.

As a guide, three is a magic number in styling, or certainly an odd number, and maybe stick to under five in total in a Super King or King and three for a Queen. Mix cushions in different shapes, colors, designs and textures for a current look, and display in a non-uniform arrangement. Cushions are also a great way to juxtaposition design elements or colors. On-trend metallics are a hot look for 2018 – they will pretty much go with any style of bedding design.

It's in the details.

Dressing beds is all about attention to detail. Small details like a button, tassels, piped edge or metallic foiling can add that extra layer of sophistication to bed styling.

Is it still fashionable to have bedding and curtain fabric the same?

Not really. Unless you have a very large bedroom, having the same bedding fabric as your curtains can make your bedroom feel smaller. It's better to compliment your curtains with similar colors in your bedding to give your bedroom a cohesive elegant modern style. You could also contrast your bedding to make your bedroom pop!

A good rule of thumb is if you have highly decorative curtains, choose a simple pattern for your bedding and accessorize with decorative cushions and throws. If you have simple decorative curtains, then go to town with decorative bedding.

Quality is Key

You do get what you pay for when it comes to bedding – both in terms of duvet and pillow covers and the filled bedding. Go for the best bedding you can afford – it will not only ooze style but also withstand regular washing. Remember to give pillows and duvets a good shake before dressing the bed to even out the filling and return them to plumpness.

Origins of Jacquard Weave

The weave of jacquard finds its history in brocade. As far back as 4th century Byzantium, linens and wools were being woven into complex patterns to form beautiful fabrics. With the import of silk weaving around the 6th century, brocade became as luxurious to the touch as it was to the eyes. Byzantine craftsmen began to weave silk into brocades, damasks, and tapestry-like fabrics, suitable for a king.

By the middle ages, brocades were so expensive that they were only available to the upper nobility and the very rich. In fact, these luxury fabrics often had precious metals and precious and semi-precious gems woven into them. Brocade soon became a symbol of wealth and power and was favored by monarchs throughout the medieval world.

The nobility’s love affair with brocade continued into the Renaissance age, especially in Italy. Around the 15th century, the Italians began to make a name for themselves as makers of the finest fabrics in all of Europe, and this was in no small part due to the complexity and luxe quality of their silk brocades. While many of the designs remained Chinese or Indian in style, Italian brocade embraced Renaissance values, and was elegant and complex. The popularity of brocade then continued to grow throughout Europe, and it is still very popular today. 

Today, brocade is woven on a Jacquard loom, and is one of the most popular fabrics in China and Europe. Due to its comfort, simplicity, stylish patterns and hardiness, brocade is the perfect fabric for someone living a busy, modern day lifestyle.