QE Home

Sleep, glorious sleep. To function at our best we should aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night, therefore it is important to create an inviting bed to look forward to climbing into at the end of the day.

Bedding retailer QE Home’s origins began in 1989. Friends and business partners Howard Haugom and Ji Su (Jixin) met while completing their PhDs. They realized their combined skill sets and talents were capable of building something great. They searched for the right product to market; when they came across a beautiful and exceptionally priced duvet in a simple bag they knew they had found a winner.

QE Home was established in 1992 and was originally known as Quilts Etc.; it now goes by the name QE Home. The first stores opened in Clearbrook and Nanaimo, B.C. where Howard and Jixin were teaching college economics to help fund their new business. The stores were put together with second hand fixtures and held little product, but the pair knew they were headed in the right direction.

QE Home operates 75 shops located across Canada from St. John’s Newfoundland to Victoria, B.C. The company has grown exponentially from the early days; however, the goal remains to provide Canadian consumers with beautiful bedding for any budget.

Ross Thompson is QE Home’s Senior Director of Creative Development and has been with the company for nine years.

He mentions, “Kerrisdale’s QE Home opened in August 2013 and has been a welcome addition to the community.” The Kerrisdale location is unique as most QE Home locations are situated within shopping malls.

Ross comments, “We like to call the Kerrisdale staff our bedding experts. They take a lot of pride in assisting customers to find bedding that’s perfectly suited for them. We know that everyone sleeps differently, hot and cold sleepers alike, and we feel the world would be a better place if everyone just got a great night’s sleep.”

“A lot of our loyal customers comment on the great service they receive as well as our different bedding lines available for all price points,” says Ross.

Ross says, “I love my job. It always challenges me.” He is responsible for forecasting QE Home’s designer linens. Ross looks at trends, primarily European, for inspiration. He also turns to American trade shows and women’s fashion for images and ideas.

Florals will always be in style, but their treatment, such as the size of the image, will change,” Ross notes. He adds, “Botanical leaves are another popular and gender-neutral theme.”

QE Home’s design department will scale an image such as a fashionable oversized tea rose for designer linens, sheets, duvet covers, quilts, coverlets, throws, and decorative pillows.

Ideas for QE Home’s new seasonal collections also come from turning to the year’s top paint colours from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams. Although grey is still very popular, Ross points out he is starting to see a shift as some customers are seeking warmer palettes.

Ross offers some tips for creating a decadent bedroom environment. “As the days get shorter, layering your bed is the key to coziness. We have great faux fur pillows and throws as well as triple brushed flannel check duvet covers, imagine red buffalo check,” he says.

“For the perfect guest bed, when the weather gets cooler start with flannel sheets then pile on a duvet and duvet cover, such as our Birchgrove design illustrating a forest of black and white tree trunks, with matching shams. Finish with a faux fur throw, a red teddy bear fleece throw or a luxurious velvet coverlet for an added layer of warmth. Euro pillows at the back of your bed are the perfect solution for indulgent, lazy weekend mornings. If you don’t want your guests to leave, then cover their pillows with Mulberry silk pillowcases, which also come in small gift-sized black boxes when they reluctantly head out the door.”

Ross describes QE Home’s spring 2020 bedding collection as “the tropics meet the Middle East” with saturated bright colours such as turquoise and coral balanced by soft earthy hues like terracotta, and all-time favourites like blush and seafoam.

Health and wellness also figure prominently as QE Home designers continue to develop and innovate their Modal, Tencel and Bamboo Charcoal lines.

From QE Home’s duvet cover fabrics to the content of their duvets; the company is committed to being eco-friendly, from sourcing fabrics made from environmentally sustainable, closed-loop processes to reducing plastics in packaging.

Whether you are looking to makeover a bed, add a burst of colour to a room or find a special gift to make someone’s holiday season merry and bright, pop into QE Home, Kerrisdale’s local source for beautiful bedding. The land of nod awaits you!

QE Home, 2142 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver BC V6M 1Z1, Telephone 604-263-1022 www.qehomelinens.com