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Could you advise on the best blankets, quilts and throws for cold nights?
I spent all of August in England this year. I gardened and napped in the veg patch at home in the Cotswolds; I hiked along cliff edges in Devon; went crabbing in Dorset and barbecued sausages on the beach in Cornwall. I love an English summer holiday in all its sturdy, practical glory, and besides, can anything really compare to fish and chips, half pints of lager shandy and strawberry ice-cream cones even when the rain is horizontal and we’re all in jumpers and anoraks?
Instagram, of course, was rife with pictures of shimmering Greek seas and teeming Italian piazzas. Did I mind? Well, I felt content (admittedly, I had been to Italy for a gentle mix of work and holiday in July, so I certainly wasn’t hard done by), but looking back I have to say I could have done with a little less drizzle and a bit more heat.
Now that we are entering autumn proper, however, I am fully embracing the cold weather. By early September my shorts were packed away and I was already eyeing up my favourite scarves and blankets. I’m nuts for blankets. I have old Welsh ones on our guest beds in the countryside, and in the summer I use similar ones for picnics. Lighter blankets get thrown across sofas for the dog to sprawl on, and in winter heavy ones make beds and armchairs extra cosy. From an aesthetic point of view, they’re a vehicle for me to elbow another layer of colour and pattern into a room.
So, where to look? Bloomsbury’s Pentreath & Hall has recently had in stock some very beautiful Suzani throws. Hand-embroidered with silk thread, their colours are wonderful: sludgy olives and deep reds, rich golds and browns. These earthy shades and embroidered textures would contrast wonderfully with crisp white sheets.
For bolder and brighter hues, see Milan’s textile emporium Lisa Corti. The brand’s range of bed covers is extensive. I like its Leopard Stripes and Corolla Frida reversible quilts, made from block printed muslin stuffed with cotton, in particular.
Now, I like an old quilt very much. Dealer Katharine Pole always has good bits and bobs in stock, from antique pelmets and fabric remnants to cushions and painted furniture. She does a particularly good line in antique French quilts, and currently has for sale a beautiful late 18th-century French block printed quilt of two designs, with a dense pattern of flowers and foliage in the centre and a floral stripe on the border. What I love about quilts such as this one is their battle wounds; this one comes with a few old darns and faded marks. They only add to its overall beauty. After all, what can be expected from something that has survived so long?
For peak country house comfort, you can’t beat an eiderdown. Eiderdowns were popular in Victorian Britain as a light substitute for heavy woollen blankets (an early form of duvet, we might say), although they did not replace blankets. Beds were made up with a top sheet, blankets and finally an eiderdown. Eiderdowns were decorative items, typically made up in satin or floral chintz, tightly quilted and filled with goose feathers.
In her workshop on Devon’s Dartmoor, Belinda Davies makes quilts using traditional materials and methods. Davies has a collection of quilts from the 1930s-50s, but these are too fragile to use and launder, so she makes and sells versions that can stand the rough and tumble of everyday use. Some of her eiderdowns are made and ready to go and can be bought online, but she also makes them to order in any size and fabric.
Last but not least, I must include a good old woollen blanket. I am enjoying those made by Colville, the fashion brand established in 2018 by Molly Molloy (previously design director of Marni) and Lucinda Chambers (former fashion director of British Vogue). The range includes giant polka dot designs in punchy, autumnal colourways like mint green or cobalt blue and chocolate brown.
Whichever route you go down, choose for both aesthetic appeal and warmth factor. It depends on where you live, of course, and how cold you get at night. I (apparently) radiate Vesuvius levels of heat as I sleep, so my cold night blankets get thrown off as soon as I’m tucked up. Still, they look nice.
If you have a question for Luke about design and stylish living, email him at lukeedward.hall@ft.com. Follow him on Instagram @lukeedwardhall
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Go with the throw: the best blankets and quilts to keep out the chills
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