Luxurious Linen For The Home

Linen holds a strong place in the heart of Inga Lukauskiene. It’s the material that weaves through three generations of her family and that inspired her own business.

Inga, who studied interior design at London’s KLC School of Design, fell in love with linen from the moment she started working with the fabric. Inga is the founder of LinenMe, a company that manufactures high-quality, hypoallergenic, authentic Lithuanian-made linen home furnishings.

LinenMe, which became available in the US four years ago, offers items from bed linens and bath towels to dining accessories and even clothing, some of which can be monogrammed. The linen line reflects Inga’s style, which she describes as contemporary Scandinavian with an Italian influence. TH tried the Beige Striped Bed Linen Set and it is absolutely exquisite—extremely soft and luxurious. The beauty of the cloth lies in its intricacies—you can see the handwoven work of the artisan who crafted it.

We talked to Inga to learn what's behind her love of linen.

TotalHousehold: What inspired you to start LinenMe?

Inga: I started LinenMe for three main reasons. The first was to continue a long family tradition in the linen business, the second was to bring affordable linen textiles to more people and the third was the inspiration I found while at the London KLC School of Design.

TotalHousehold: What made you decide to work with linen exclusively?

Inga: I may sound a bit crazy saying this, but I’m in love with linen fabric. I believe linen textiles have some magical influence to make you feel better and more at home—at least that is how I feel working with linen.

TotalHousehold: Where does the linen used in your home furnishings line come from?

Inga: I work with linen fabric made only from flax grown in Europe. Mainly it’s Lithuanian made fabric and a small portion from other European countries.

TotalHousehold: Do you have any commitments to environmental sustainability?

Inga: Yes. This is one of many reasons I love linen. Items made from linen fabric have great longevity and durability. They can be passed from generation to generation. I still have a tablecloth that my grandmother used to dress the Christmas table. This aspect of linen fabric gave birth to the LinenMe slogan, “Your story told in linen,” encouraging LinenMe customers to tell their unique stories in linen and be able to pass them on to their children.

Another quality of linen fabric I’m actively promoting is that you don’t have to iron it. Yes, linen fabric wrinkles a bit, but that just makes it more beautiful! Whether it’s linen clothes or home textiles, it always remains trendy.

TotalHousehold: Do you have a favorite LinenMe item?

Inga: It would have to be our linen bath towels. If you have never tried linen home furnishings and you have to pick one to start I would recommend linen bath towels. Once you try them you will never go back to cotton ones.

TotalHousehold: What makes LinenMe furnishings hypoallergenic?

Inga: Firstly, linen has unique antibacterial qualities. The fabric contains natural antiseptics that prevent bacterial growth. It helps kill microbes, thereby preventing fungal diseases, inflammation and damaged skin infections.

Some other beneficial qualities are that linen is highly absorbent—it can absorb water rapidly and quickly remove perspiration from the skin, is a good conductor of heat, which makes linen perfect for the winter months; and in the summer feels cool to the touch and feels fresh.

Linen is also easy to care for and is a durable fabric. It's resistant to dirt and stains, has no lint or pilling tendency and can be drycleaned, machine-washed or steamed. The fabric can withstand high temperatures without shrinking and, with every wash, linen gets softer and doesn’t fade.

To explore the LinenMe product line visit, www.linenme.com