“Its like walking into an enormous linen closet” Kate Earle of Todhunter -Earle says of the Monogrammed Linen Shop. It’s a treasure trove of everything to do with bed and bath. The 23 year old shop (about right!) owned by Anne Singer carries household linens in fabrics such as Egyptian cotton, satin cotton and cashmere. And if nothing in the collection is suitable they can customize- embroider or monogram – anything . “We can even embroider your tablecloth to match your china says general manager Jacqui Stebbings.
Earle (above left with assistant manager Beverley Fox, right) who has used their products in everything from private houses to boats appreciates the uniqueness of their approach and the reliability of their services.
“ Nothing is too much trouble and the quality is always fantastic” she says.
What I love about summer is that formal rules for entertaining go out the window. Inspiration can be as impromptu as bringing sweet peas, roses, and lily of the valley from the garden and pulling a Verdura frog from my living room table. Against that natural backdrop, embroidered linen and glass etched with wines become the focus – “actors in a sophisticated piece of theatre”, in the words of Anne Singer, founder of London’s Monogrammed Linen Shop, whose tablecloth here complements both hand-painted wallpaper evoking a trellis and the chairs’ floral fabric.
Queen of London monograms is Anne Singer, who opened The Monogrammed Linen Shop on Walton Street, SW3 (020 7589 4033) 20 years ago. Since then it has doubled in size. Her own embroiderer comes in to work on the premises. Mrs Singer says: “Where I grew up in France, monogramming was part of everyday life. Monogrammed sets of linens and towels were traditionally made for brides as part of their trousseau, always organised by the bride’s mother. Initials are still terribly popular and are usually associated with more traditional designs – however they can look so smart on bright modern linen”. Mrs Singer remembers how her French grandmother would buy new linens every year: “It was something that one just did”.
