Choosing is one decision you won’t have to ‘sleep on’ when selecting quality bedding. We learn more about their ‘best-in-class’ craftsmanship and custom-made approach that all takes place out of Melbourne’s Camberwell.
Spanning five generations in the industry, the Adair family’s passion for textiles is undeniable. Launching the ‘Adairs’ brand in the early 1900s is undoubtedly a proud legacy; however, their love for traditional ‘handcrafting’ remained. A yearning to return to fabricating custom-made bed linen and bedding is why the family eventually parted ways with ‘Adairs’, and was born.
is entrenched in effortless luxury — a dedication to detail, world-class quality, and customisation. Producing products in Melbourne using the finest quality European fabrics, the brand’s ability to manufacture entirely bespoke orders to a client’s requirements (and also replenish or revive them down the line) is simply unheard of. To understand more about Abode’s bespoke service, we sit down with the company’s creative director Amelia Marasco Adair, as well as a designer (and Abode client) Design’s director Swee Lim.
Produced in partnership with
All Abode products are crafted with the highest quality European fabrics. Designed to be passed down through the generations as heirlooms.
The is woven in Italy, and made by Abode with great pride in Melbourne.
Amelia Marasco Adair | Abode creative director
Congratulations on such a remarkable brand and family legacy. Could you elaborate on why your bed linen is so sumptuous to the touch?
Amelia Adair: Thank you! We are so proud of what we do. The old adage ‘the proof is in the pudding’ best sums it up. Our fabrics are milled from fine quality yarns in Italy, so they feel noticeably superior. However, they are also made to last. Crafted in high grade, natural hues and fibres, they are robust and easy to care for, hence the ‘effortless luxury’.
You mention ‘made to last’. What specifically makes the fabrics so enduring?
Amelia Adair: The quality of our Italian fabrics is superior due to the milling techniques and high-quality yarns used, resulting in a finished ‘handle’ that is superior. Steeped in generations of experience, our mills apply traditional and cutting-edge processes that offer unrivalled quality. Finished in Milan, then hand-sewn in our Melbourne factory, our products are crafted to endure. Comparable to heirloom pieces from your grandparents. Just like those I have from my Italian nonna!
We offer several cotton and linen ranges for different preferences and budgets, each with its own unique and enduring qualities. We intend to offer products that last and transcend seasonal fashions.
What was the driving force behind the decision to offer a bespoke tailoring service for designers and consumers?
Amelia Adair: With our ability and facility to craft home textiles, it made perfect sense to combine our resources with the ingenuity of designers to create bespoke pieces. We could see there was a real need within the market (with manufacturing almost non-existent in Australia) to offer bespoke services. With European and larger sized beds more commonplace now, we can custom make any size from an extensive range of fabrics.
Our trade (designer) order service was born organically from designer’s requests throughout the years. As our company has expanded manufacturing capabilities, so too have our trade order services. Our new collection of Italian, sateen fabrics, for example, provides over 70 colours, for designers to create one-off pieces for their clients.
Understanding travel is extremely important to you to source the highest quality raw fabrics, where do you usually locate them?
Amelia Adair: We source our fabrics from whomever we feel is the most superior supplier. We source most of our cotton and linens from Milan, Italy, jacquard and matelassé pieces from Portugal, and our premium down and fillings from a number of European countries. Prior to travel ceasing, we would regularly frequent the trade fairs in Paris, Milan and Frankfurt. But it is our visits to our long term suppliers’ factories are that we value the most. We cannot wait to resume these face to face visits.
Crisp, luxurious fabrics are tailored to suit any sized bed in the textile workroom behind their three-storey Camberwell head office.
A skilled Abode needleworker delicately packages a custom-made order, ready for shipping.
Can designers source their own fabrics for bespoke orders?
Amelia Adair: We work with designers to find fabrics that are suitable for their projects and will order fabrics from our European contacts for their particular projects. We prefer to work with our own fabrics to ensure quality, but we can craft from any fabric.
What is the make-up of your customised orders versus your off-the-shelf product?
Amelia Adair: Presently, around twenty per cent of our business is bespoke and ever-increasing. Word of mouth is a powerful tool, especially when guests experience our linens in a friend’s home or while on a getaway. To experience them is a powerful thing!
Looking ahead, what are the future plans for Abode?
Amelia Adair: We have so many exciting new products in development and the expansion of our quilt and pillow making division. With life returning to a semblance of normality, we are thrilled to resume industry and launch nights to showcase Abode’s products.
Do you have any plans to open Abode showrooms in other cities?
Amelia Adair: In Melbourne, we are incredibly fortunate to have our showroom, manufacturing and head office facilities all housed within the same heritage building in Camberwell. We are most certainly open to the possibility of more showrooms in our Australian cities. Who knows!
What are your most popular products in the collection?
Amelia Adair: Our Italian sheeting staples like are always a customer favourite, as is the range. Our interior designers love our and custom .
Crafted and inspired by nature, the
The and are a firm designer favourite.
“Nowadays with so many different mattress heights and requests for European sheet sizing, Abode’s service really covers all bases!”
– Swee Lim, Director,
The is a classic matelassé piece
Abode’s luxurious custom-made .
Swee Lim | director
How does Abode differ from other bed linen brands you have worked with in the past?
Swee Lim: As a designer, I love to provide a point of difference for my clients in terms of the furniture I select and how this is styled and layered. I often design custom bed heads or select European designed beds. So the ability to provide bespoke service for bedrooms is a unique point of difference that Abode offers. They can customise sheets sets, pillowcases, quilt covers as well as pillows and quilts. Nowadays with so many different mattress heights and requests for European sheet sizing, Abode’s service covers all bases. Being able to provide custom bed heads and a sleepwear range is just another string to their bow.
What are your impressions of the Abode factory?
Swee Lim: Abode has the most amazing three-storey factory in the heart of Camberwell. I was lucky enough to be taken on a tour and could see all production elements from start to finish, including how the pillows and quilts are produced with down, feather and different fillings.
The sewing room housing patterns for their bed linen, sleepwear and loungewear range are also impressive. It’s truly its own world. They also have a space to photograph their collection, enormous storage facilities, and a beautiful retail store downstairs.
It’s wonderful to see such an extensive range of bedding, designed in Australia and manufactured here as well. Sadly so much of our production has gone overseas, so it is refreshing to see a family company dedicated to local design and manufacturing.
How do you find Abode’s bespoke/made-to-order service?
Swee Lim: The pandemic has resulted in extensive lead times for production. With Abode manufacturing locally, I can receive a custom order with an in-stock fabric in approximately five to ten days. An extraordinarily quick turnaround!
Would you take advantage of the option to source your own fabric from Abode’s Italian suppliers to create a custom order? How would this help your work?
Swee Lim: Absolutely. Clients are very particular about their beds in terms of quality and comfort. Like their furniture, they want something unique that is specifically tailored to their tastes. Also, Abode doesn’t have restrictions with their off-the-shelf products, which are usually very limited in colour options.
What is your favourite product within the Abode collection?
Swee Lim: An absolute favourite is their range. My bedroom is my haven for relaxation, and I use this range myself. It is the ultimate in luxury and softness – made from the finest Italian fabric with a 375 thread count. What I love are the 70 colour options I can choose from. If I style a bed for example, in the soft greys and blues from the charcoal range, I have eight different colours to choose from, delivering the exact outcome I’m seeking. In addition, I can layer bedlinen in different tones to get a rich, layered look while using contrasting colours as accents. This really opens up options to create a sophisticated and refined look.
What impresses you most about Abode?
Swee Lim: I would have to say their commitment to Australian design and production. They are a family business with long term, dedicated staff. Their use of the finest quality fabrics from Italy and the level of detail (right down to the hemstitch detail) mean they’re a company I will enjoy working with for many years to come.
The products are a favourite of designer
Director Swee Lim and Creative Director Amelia Marasco Adair | Photography:
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