Bedtonic’s bespoke collection of sustainable, luxurious bedding and loungewear made from nature’s harvest is the best excuse to hit the hay early. Owner Julie Ramsay draws us in to the pure indulgence of wearing and sleeping on linen.
In a nutshell, tell us a little of your background.
I’m New Zealand born (more on that later), and travelled rather extensively before marrying a farmer. We moved to Australia when my daughter was 1 and lived in the northwest before settling in Perth.
How did you discover your love of linen?
My mum was a seamstress and made couture clothing for local ladies in our town, so I knew linen from an early age. It wasn’t until 3 years ago when I slept in linen sheets in a bespoke hotel in Miami, Florida. Heaven!
How has your upbringing influenced your work?
I have always been a lover of natural fibres, and particularly impressed with linen for its sustainable, eco-friendly values. As I said, mum was a seamstress and dad was an entrepreneur of sorts. I grew up in a small town in the southern alps, Lake Wanaka, surrounded by crystal clear lakes and rivers, and snow capped mountains. I was always creative, and even at school I was only interested in art and home science! Nature plays a big part in my colour choices – I draw inspiration from it in landscape.
How would you describe the style of your pieces?
We don’t print our linen or follow the latest colours as this market tends to get oversaturated very quickly. Rather, we offer a collection of timeless pieces that will take you across all seasons for years to come.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Walking the dog first and getting our 9-year-old daughter out the door for school! No two days are the same, but I often do new product shots in the morning with my web developer, meet with my seamstress, and skype my email marketer or manufacturers mid-morning. Then there are phone calls regarding collaborations, or the organisation of linen for stylist shoots. I’ll then catch up on emails and customer requests/queries before packing linen for courier pick up the following day. I meet with my manufacturers offshore twice a year to ensure my supply chain is compliant with our standards.
Where do you draw inspiration?
As linen is such an ageless fabric dating back hundreds of years, I like to keep my colours based around nature as much as possible. From glaciers to foggy days to deep blue rivers and lakes, I see it all around me in landscapes and in food! With the style of my tunics I wanted to create a staple item of clothing that could effortlessly transition from bedroom to boardroom and everywhere in between, one that didn’t include buttons or zips or ties that would date.
What would be your dream project/collaboration?
I would love to work with a bespoke hotel here in Western Australia and deck the beds out in Bedtonic. I dream one day that Qantas or Air New Zealand will provide our Poets Tunics for first class passengers to lounge in while they are in the air!
Where can we find your products in WA?
I am an online retail store predominantly and also stocked at Darling & Domain Homewares – 122 Wellington Street, Mosman Park.
What’s next for Bedtonic?
2018 is an exciting year for Bedtonic. Our showroom space is being considered as we have outgrown our current space at home. We have some great collaborations coming up with lots of new pieces landing in store, including our hand-stitched blankets and hand-frayed table wear. Sizing now covers singles through to super kings, and we have 15 beautiful colours across all products. Cot sets will be in store by the middle of the year, and we have recently launched a new loungewear staple called “The Poet’s Sister”, named after our original essential, The Poet’s Tunic!
Visit: http://bedtonic.com