(Photo: Brad Paris)

What was your best holiday seller?
The Lucia limited-edition collection. It’s based on our nineteenth-century archive: black and cream, very modern, with an amazing jacquard center. Only 110 were made in the world. We still have a few in stock.

Is thread count overhyped?
There are misconceptions. Higher thread count gives you a silkier feel, but cotton quality is more important. If you use a cheaper cotton—say, anything less than Egyptian—you’ll have more imperfections in the fabric.

How do you care for your sheets?
Some of our customers send theirs to places like Blanc Plume, in North Kansas City. That scares me a little. I’d say, change sheets every five days and pillowcases after a couple of days. Machine wash with a mild detergent like Dreft. Don’t throw anything else in, especially not towels—they’ll get into the fabric and look like pilling. Use very, very low heat to dry, then take the sheets out, still slightly damp, and press them—it actually brings back the sheen.

How do I make my bed extra-snuggly?
A feather bed won’t help; it just feels more plush. A cashmere blanket is warmer.

What are hypertactile people very particular about?
The weirdest one was a gentleman who just didn’t like the hem on the top sheet, which is tiny, like a quarter of an inch. A lot of people don’t like to sleep on a pattern, because they say they feel it on their skin.

Related:

• Archive: “Ask Shop Clerk”
• Articles by Denise Penny
• Table of Contents: Jan 16, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!