Why I’m So Obsessed With the Perfect Sleeping Experience
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When people ask why I started a bedding and home goods company, the simple answer is this: I couldn’t find the sheets I wanted. I was looking for something very specific - soft white sheets with delicate, minimal floral motifs. Nothing loud, nothing overly ornate. Just simple, elegant, and quietly beautiful. When I couldn’t find them, I decided to make them.
But like most things in life, the real reason runs much deeper.
A Childhood Measured in Mismatched Sheets
When I think about my childhood, I don’t just remember rooms - I remember beds. And not in a cozy, nostalgic way either. I remember mismatched sheet sets, an outcome of my mother buying whatever happened to be on sale or her taste du jour. Different fabrics, different prints, bold geometric patterns mixed with bright florals. Nothing coordinated. Nothing calm. Just visual noise.
The fitted sheet never stayed on. Our mattresses were made with this very slippery fabric, and every morning like clockwork I’d wake up on a bare mattress, the sheet tangled somewhere at my feet. We’d pull it back on, smooth it out, and repeat the same ritual the next night.
Then there were the blankets - the kind many immigrant kids instantly recognize. Heavy, synthetic, often bought from discount shops in Jackson Heights, Queens. Tigers, tropical birds, dramatic sunsets. Loud, shiny, itchy, and somehow both too hot and not cozy at all. OK, maybe they were a bit cozy when you got used to them.
And the pillow. Just one. Always flat. The kind that had long since lost any structure or softness. Over time, it stopped feeling like a pillow and more like a folded piece of fabric.
All together, the bed felt chaotic and uncomfortable. It wasn’t a place to retreat and relax, it was just somewhere you slept because you had to.
Rewriting my Bed, One Detail at a Time
When I moved out on my own in 2011, one of the first things I did was reimagine my sleeping space. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was slowly undoing years of discomfort.
I only bought 100% cotton sheets. I didn’t know anything about thread count yet, but I knew they felt better. Everything was white or off-white. No loud prints. No bold colors. Just calm.
My mattress wasn’t extravagant, but I always added a down topper. It was my insurance policy - I never wanted to wake up on a raw mattress ever again. The extra softness felt indulgent in the best way.
And the pillows. I always had at least four on the bed, plus a few decorative cushions. To this day, I sleep with two pillows. It’s non-negotiable. It’s comfort, structure, and maybe a little bit of reassurance all in one.
Without realizing it, I was designing the opposite of my childhood bed.
The Heart Behind Pinafore Home
Fifteen years later, not much has changed. I still gravitate toward simple white sheets. I still prefer subtle, minimal prints. I still care deeply about softness, comfort, and calm.
Because the truth is, my life - and my aesthetic - has been shaped by contrast. I knew from a young age what didn’t feel or look good. And the moment I had control, I began building what did. The habits I developed, the textures I prefer, the calm I crave - all of it stems from that early experience.
Pinafore Home was born from that desire: to create bedding that feels soft, calm, and quietly beautiful. Sheets that aren’t loud, but aren’t boring either. Something just whimsical enough. Just cottage-core enough. Just luxurious enough. Because the perfect sleeping experience isn’t really about thread count or aesthetics - though those matter. It’s about how you feel when you climb into bed at night after your skin routine. It’s about comfort and a sense of being taken care of.
In many ways, Pinafore Home is simply the bed I always wished I had - finally made real.