Under the Covers with Donna Osif of Bedded Bliss

Talking everything from business to the ultimate breakfast in bed.

Photo by Jennifer Brian

SL: What prompted you to start Bedded Bliss?

DO: I opened my business in 1997 after seeing a small gift shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, where I worked for Goody’s Family Clothing as a retail buyer of Junior tops. We would eat lunch at a lovely Italian restaurant, and next door, a beautiful store named Bennet & Co. had opened, and I fell in love with that shop which made me realize I wanted to have my own business.

SL: Has Bedded Bliss always been in the same location? Has the concept evolved since it opened?

DO: The shop was always in Chenoweth Square, but over the years, it went from small to a little larger to really large and now back to my original size. I did have a different inventory 28 years ago, with very few linens, but the one item I did have was matelassé. I quickly learned that fine linens would be my niche, and Bedded Bliss was truly born!

SL: What have you enjoyed most about the business?

DO: My passion has always been for buying and merchandising. Working with the public is a tremendous step away from planning the business how I was used to, and it can still be quite challenging. After 28 years, I still wish I could plan my linen shop the way I planned my junior top department at Goody’s. I loved the numbers, selecting the items, negotiating prices, developing color stories, and determining the quantities to make sales projections. As I cannot do that, I have to say my joy in the business has been meeting all the amazing people that would never have been possible had I stayed at Goody’s and watched the demise of many large retailers.

SL: How have you navigated competition from online retailers?

DO: Online business is tremendously frustrating. I understand the significant amount of time it can save consumers, but I don’t understand buying linens, furniture, or mattresses online. Feeling luxurious linens is crucial; the colors must be viewed in your lighting. We at Bedded Bliss educate our clients. You cannot simply buy a set of sheets anymore. The mattress business has dominated what the fine linen business has to do regarding sizing. Now we have to deal with the beds that move up and down or those that don’t need box springs. Thread count remains a mystery to many consumers. It is endless.

Color is also a huge issue. Most of our clients are working around several fabrics in their bedrooms. Drapes, rugs, upholstery fabric, wallpaper, and artwork come into play. My belief is the bed needs to complement the surrounding furnishings. It is near impossible to do online. The colors are never what you think they are, and you have no idea how the fabric will feel and wear. I have a 28-year history of testing almost all the merchandise we sell in the store. I wash, dry, iron, and see how much it shrunk or didn’t. Can the internet do that?

SL: What is your current favorite in-store product?

DO: My true addiction is sheets. I love switching from Percale to Sateen, to Giza 45, depending on my mood for the week. While I have many sets of sheets, I love Percale in the summer as the weave gives it a cool crisp feeling. Winter would be more for the Sateen, which is soft and luxurious, and I must say, Giza 45 is hands down; sleep in them anytime! I admit to not always ironing my sheets, but when I do, that is one incredible night of sleep!

SL: How would you make your bed if money was no object?

DO: The NY Times and WSJ just published a review of heavenly sheets, and Sferra’s Giza 45, which I own, and sell, was the winner! Now we all know I love sheets, but I also love excellent Polish goosedown pillows and a down duvet. In the summertime, I switch it out for an Indian Dohar blanket, the softest, lightest weight “blanket” one could ever own.

SL: Other than home, where in the world have you had a memorable night’s rest?

DO: The Four Seasons.

SL: Someone is bringing you breakfast in bed. What would want it to be?

DO: George Clooney???? No???? I guess I have to say Pumpkin pancakes! With lots of butter and syrup. Let’s add a Caffe Roma and a few mimosas!