What happens when three girlfriends (who happened to meet at their local coffee shop) see a gap in the Canadian marketplace when it comes to buying simple bedding online at accessible prices and feel inspired to fill that void? In the case of Anna Heyd, Oana Papuc and Vivian McCormick, Flax Sleep, offering fine and fabulous French linen, is born. Read our Q&A with this beauty-sleep-loving trio below (they also happen to be big fans of preserving the environment and giving back to women and kids in need), and be sure to enter to win a duvet set (in your choice of size and colour) of your very own! —Noa Nichol
Hi ladies! Tell us about Flax Sleep—why did you start this company and what niche does it fill?
We started Flax Sleep because we personally could not find quality linen bedding in Canada at an accessible price point. Buying from more traditional retailers locally was just too expensive, and ordering online from retailers abroad also didn’t make financial sense once we took into account foreign exchange, shipping and duties. We knew we couldn’t be the only Canadians experiencing this problem, so we started the solution. That’s how Flax Sleep was born.
It may be repetitive to ask this, but what makes Flax linen different?
Our commitment at Flax Sleep is to provide low-maintenance luxury in an accessible way. To us, that means an easy, enjoyable customer experience and friendly prices for products that feel luxurious but don’t have to be treated delicately. We love quality fabrics but are not fans of anything super fussy. We want to be able to put things in the dryer!
Why French linen? Why now?
Linen has long been a preferred fabric for bedding in Europe, but we see it having a significant emergence in North America now. Compared to other traditional bedding fabrics like cotton, linen is stronger, lasts longer and gets softer over time instead of worn out. It is also ideal for temperature control due to its breathability and its antibacterial nature. After using linen bedding, we can never go back to non-linen bedding! We know our customers won’t either after they’ve slept on linen.
Tell us about your charitable involvement with women and children in need.
We recognize how fortunate we, and our customers, are to be in a position to buy luxurious home goods and that not everyone is. As female entrepreneurs, we are committed to supporting women in all areas, just as we have been supported by the women around us. This especially includes women just trying to provide basic housing needs for themselves and their families. Donating all returned (but in good condition) bedding and a portion of our proceeds is our small way of reducing waste abnd contributing to women and children having #ASafePlacetoSleep.
Personal question: what’s your go-to sleeping position, and can you remember your best night’s sleep ever?!?
Vivian: I fall asleep fastest on my back, with one arm above my head, oddly enough. I think I got it from my dad, he sleeps exactly the same way! As for my best sleep ever, my husband and I took our dream trip to the Amalfi Coast a few years ago. We broke the bank to stay for one night at a stunning hotel that used to be a monastery, built into the cliffside in Amalfi. We had an unreal view of a full moon over the ocean and heard waves all night! Once in a lifetime experience, I will never forget it!
Oana: I sleep on my stomach (and often with my face right in a pillow). The nine months I was pregnant with my daughter and couldn’t sleep on my stomach were torture! I sleep well fairly consistently, though, notwithstanding the couple of years back when the kids were young and our nights were spent playing a tiring game of musical beds. That said, I definitely get less sleep than I would like. Every few months, my husband Mike and I escape for a weekend to our favourite bed-and-breakfast in Seattle. We have a late dinner, a bottle of wine and the longest sleep-in to make up for the months of five-hour-average nightly sleeps we get in-between our getaways.
Anna: On my back with four (yes!) pillows—one for my head, one for under my knees and two on each side ready to spoon when I roll onto one side or the other throughout the night. I’m not a high-maintenance sleeper at all! Best sleep ever: previously, any summer night I’ve spent in a hammock in Tofino falling asleep listening to the ocean (I only need two pillows when hammock camping) have always been the best. Currently, every night is pretty much the best because sleeping in our Flax Sleep linen has really made a huge difference for me!
Win! A Flax Sleep Duvet Set!
We have a winner! Congratulations Alexis C., Alliston, Ontario, who won a Flax Sleep duvet set in her choice of size/colour!
share:
Be the first to comment