Spring has sprung in Vancouver and we've had a busy little winter here in Vancouver. We started 2010 with a trip to Toronto. First up was a visit to The Canadian Home Furnishings Market to see what the future has in store. 600,000 square feet to walk and far too many gorgeous highlights to list, instead David Chan of the Globe and Mail has a great write up here
Ontario's tourist tagline is 'your's to discover', so we did just that and drove our trusty mini van visiting stores that we think are perfect homes for our Silk Concept duvets. We had a lot of fun and met some wonderful store owners, and now are duvets are available in the following stores:
Hollace Cluny in Toronto, ON http://www.hollacecluny.ca
Roomy Interiors in Toronto, ON http://www.roomyinteriors.com
Ministry of the Interior in Toronto, ON http://www.ministryoftheinterior.net
LUCCA in Toronto, ON http://www.luccahome.com
Kings & Queens in Toronto, ON http://www.kingsandqueens.ca
White Oleander in Stratford, ON
Dwell in Kingston, ON http://www.dwellboutique.ca
Crawford Alexander in Ottawa, ON http://www.crawfordalexanderboutique.com
Mon Lit in Ottawa, ON
Elite Draperies & Home Decorating in Ottawa, ON
Being so close to Quebec, we couldn't resist a visit to Montreal, and so our duvets are also available here:
Tampas in Montreal, QC http://www.tampas.com
After a couple of days on the road we celebrated our success by attending Canada's largest design show, IDS 2010 in Toronto. So many highlights at this show, it's a must see for all design lovers. Best described by the Toronto Martini boys;
"A learning and networking extravaganza, domestic and international designers will flock to the show's floor. However, curios for the uninitiated and novice aesthetes will abound. Thus, if you have ever been indoors, there will be something for you."
*There was a lot more snow
December was a busy time for Silk Concept. With Christmas orders to fulfill and a new website to launch, we some how found the time to do travel to Alberta from Vancouver. We had a number of inquiries about our duvets and decided it would be great timing with the cold snap that was taking over the province. The morning we woke up to -36 in Banff made me re-think just how good an idea it was, but all in all, it was a great trip and we now have six gorgeous stores retailing Silk Concept duvets.
Dwell Modern in Edmonton, AB http://www.dwellmodern.ca
del Adora in Edmonton, AB http://www.deladora.ca
Cosa Fina in Edmonton, AB http://www.cosafina.biz
Valerianne of Calgary, AB. http://www.valeriannecalgary.com
Kit in Calgary, AB. http://www.kitinterior.com
Stonewaters Home Elements in Canmore, AB. http://www.stonewaters.com
Official road trip stats:
10 days, 3800 kms, 4 cities, 2 provinces, 6 stores - on board, 30 duvets - sold. Success! Now how can we top this I hear you say, well this week we leave for Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City..... thankfully a plane ride is included on this trip !
Sleeping under a silk filled duvet is an unforgettable experience.
Healthy and luxurious, our sustainable Mulberry silk filled duvets are
naturally non-allergenic and heat regulating. You spend a third of your
life in bed. Nothing compares to long strand Mulberry silk contouring
to your every curve. This holiday share the joys of quality sleep with
your loved ones;
“I’ve suffered from allergies for years and because I couldn’t use
down, I had to settle for synthetic duvets. Even the high end ones were
too thick and bulky and didn’t hold their shape over time. I love my
Silk Concept duvet – it’s beautiful, lightweight and keeps me the
perfect temperature. It is the softest thing I’ve ever come across – I
make everyone that comes over feel it! I’ll never go back to
synthetic. I am so happy with it that I’m buying them for my loved ones
this Christmas.“ Erin, Vancouver
A duvet for everyone
We’ve got you covered this Holiday:
The Superior Duvet – Prices start from $495
A premium choice for those who take their sleep seriously. Filled with
the finest Mulberry silk enabling a naturally non-allergenic and thermo
heat regulated sleep. Simply put, no more sneezing, over heating or
cold spots. To add extra luxury and breathability we have encased this
duvet in silk to ensure a truly luxurious sleep.
The Deluxe Duvet – Prices start from $299
A dream come true for all slumber lovers. Ideal for year round sleeping
this duvet will keep your loved one cool in the summer and warm in the
winter. The finest Mulberry silk fill is encased in a cotton shell,
making it an affordable alternative to down, feather or synthetic
duvets.
Duvets are available in King, Queen, Double and Twin.
For guaranteed delivery in time for Christmas Day please place your order before;
Atlantic Canada December 16th, 2009
Ontario & Quebec December 17th, 2009
British Columbia & Alberta December 20th, 2009
A gift for our customers
Our gift to you – a 15% discount on all our 2009/2010 duvet prices.
To place your Christmas order please email kim@silkconcept.com
For the full price list, please visit www.silkconcept.com
Happy Holidays and best wishes for the coming year.
Kim & Laura Appleton
Talk some sleep, touch some silk - Saturday October 24th at Provide, 529 Beatty Street, Vancouver. Drop in between 11am and 2pm on Saturday the 24th October to talk about sleep and touch some silk. A portion of all duvets will be donated to Streetohome Foundation on behalf of Silk Concept and Provide. So please come down and ask all the questions you may have about the health benefits of sleeping silk and help us make a substantial donation to a very worthy cause. Start your Christmas shopping early and invest in your bedding, those chilly nights are fast approaching ! Hope to see you all there, Laura & Kim Provide is a destination that offers unique works from artists and designers working ceramics, glass, wood, metal and textiles. Our core focus is our customers and the desire to provide a product that will enhance their environments and lives.
The Streetohome Foundation is the first broad community - based initiative designed to address homelessness in Vancouver. The goal of Streetohome is to build bridges and leverage the time, resources, expertise and funds of our entire community to ensure that all people in Vancouver have access to safe, decent, affordable housing.
Have you slept with silk yet? Find out what you're missing. Sleeping with a Mulberry silk filled duvet ensures a naturally non-allergenic, heat regulated and luxurious slumber. Available in Twin, Double, Queen and King. Prices start from $299.
Brian Wong is busy guy, social media addict, Mac-aholic and the co-founder of Aer Marketing Inc. Having just launched Followformation, (a great tool for novice twitter users to get started with following the top people in their categories of interest). I had heard that Brian has been sleeping Polyphasic style for the last two years so that he can get all his work done. Naturally I wanted to learn more about this sleeping pattern:
1. How did you first hear/learn about polyphasic sleep?
I honestly do not remember where, but I believe I learned of the sleeping pattern through a very random blog post a few years ago. I then learned that the big thinkers of our time practiced it as a method of extending their productivity time and to optimize their sleep.
2. How do you incorporate it into working life - bed in the office?
I don't. My work is very flexible so I only go into the office so often, and if necessary I do take naps in the office. I am fortunately not a light sleeper, and can pretty much fall asleep in any position, so I don't usually require a perfect environment to grab my much needed sleep throughout the day.
3. Would you recommend it to fellow entrepreneurs?
I would. But it really depends on your body type, your eating patterns, your sleeping preferences, and your social habits. It's not for everyone, that's for certain. It's important to realize that regular sleep patterns can be as powerful if not healthier than polyphasic sleep.
4. What are the positives you gain from this sleeping choice?
The biggest benefits is that I've found a sleeping pattern that I can stick to that fits my working habits. I work at weird hours in the morning to accommodate eastern time zones and late in the evening when I'm the most alert and creative. The other most valuable positive has been the ability for me to structure my working schedules around when I know I can be the most creative. When creativity is on demand, it's difficult to come up with something right when you wake up in the morning. But when I've just woken up at 6pm, it's sometimes instant.
5. What are the negatives you suffer from this sleeping choice?
Most issues I deal with are my friends and family being uneasy with my sleeping patterns and simply concerned about my health. And of course, I don't follow regular social schedules either so there is a strain there. Nonetheless I think with flexibility and time it can be easy for anyone to incorporate polyphasic sleep into their schedules. It is incredibly important though to realize the ideal chunks of time that best fit your REM sleep cycles. It's slightly different for everyone. Thank you Brian!
If you want to learn more about Polyphasic sleeping, you can check out the Wiki How-to Manual How to Adopt a Polyphasic Sleep Schedule
