Bespoke Linen Curation
Abode Living brings bespoke linen and soft furnishings to Conrad Residence in Melbourne, layering Italian craftsmanship, natural texture and refined softness within a sanctuary-like family home.
Designed by Paul Conrad for his own family, Conrad Residence is a 445-square-metre, four-bedroom new build in Melbourne, shaped by a timeless monochromatic palette and a refined sense of contrast. Conrad, director of the eponymous architecture firm, describes the home’s aesthetic as one of contradiction: minimal yet rich, restrained yet bold, poised yet relaxed. It’s a sensibility that called for soft furnishings of equal subtlety and precision. Abode Living created a range of handcrafted bed linen and homewares that beautifully complemented the residence’s sense of quiet luxury.
For the residence’s bedrooms, Abode Living responded with a suite of bespoke pieces crafted to sit seamlessly within the project’s curated material language. Working closely with Paul and Katrina Conrad, the luxury bed linen and home textiles brand created each element to the couple’s specifications, including custom linen for the European-sized bed in the main bedroom.
Each piece was made in Abode Living’s Camberwell workrooms from premium Italian fabrics before being styled and installed in the project. In the main bedroom, the selected palette follows the calm discipline of the home. Fresh white, soft neutrals and gently textured surfaces create a sanctuary-like retreat, a room in which tactility is felt rather than announced. The bed linen becomes an architectural layer in itself, tempering the residence’s strong contrasts with softness and ease.
At the centre of the composition is the Dublino linen quilt cover, handcrafted in Melbourne from 100 per cent Italian-woven Belgian linen. Naturally robust yet quietly refined, its 140-thread count brings the beauty of linen’s open, breathable weave to life, while a delicate hemstitch edge adds a measured note of detail. Paired with Citi linen sheeting in white vintage-washed Belgian linen woven in Italy, its relaxed finish brings a sense of clarity to the space.
Layered over this is the Franco blanket in Grey Mist, selected for its tonal subtlety and enveloping warmth. Expertly handcrafted in Italy from 100 per cent superfine merino lambswool, Franco offers a generous, reversible design and a substantial 230gsm weight that feels abundant without heaviness. Finished with tonally matched edging on all four sides, it introduces a composed softness suited to year-round use. The Arlo Cushion in Lunar completes the setting. Its densely woven 100 per cent linen fabric, produced in Italy exclusively for Abode, brings texture and relaxed sophistication. Made in the brand’s Melbourne workrooms with a feather-and-down insert and invisible zip, it is both finishing gesture and enduring object.
Since 1991, Abode Living has brought a distinctly Melbourne sensibility to European textile traditions. Family owned, the brand favours natural raw cotton, linen, pure goose down and feather fillings. From its Camberwell showroom and adjoining workrooms, the company designs, develops, makes, mends and customises, offering designers and homeowners rare flexibility in sizing, trims, finishes and fabrics. In the Conrad Residence, that bespoke capacity is expressed with assurance – linen, wool and feather drawn into harmony with the architecture.
