Behind the Quote: The Art and Precision of Custom/Couture Linen Projects

When clients or designers receive a quote from Kearsley, it may look simple: a few lines of pricing with a description, a delivery estimate, and perhaps a set of design notes. What they rarely see is the immense creative and technical work that happens before a single invoice is paid. Behind every quote lies hours of design, calculation, and coordination across continents. It is a process that demands as much artistry as it does precision.

At Kearsley, preparing a quote is not a clerical task; it is an act of design. It requires the same focus, technical discipline, and collaboration as creating the final product itself.

Every project begins with a deep understanding of the space for which the linens are being made. Each bed must be documented in full: length, width, and depth; desired drop for sheets and coverlets; and the exact duvet and pillow sizes for each bed. We also note whether children or pets share the bed, how the room is used, and the atmosphere the client wishes to create. Just as importantly, we consider the client’s preferences for fabric feel, the local climate, and how the linens must perform in their lifestyle and laundry environment, including water quality and available care options. This allows our team to match each client with the ideal fabric that meets aesthetic, tactile, and performance needs for long-lasting comfort and beauty.

Our technical drawings are not produced by CAD technicians alone but begin with our principal designers. These drawings are an essential part of the creative process, the point where design, engineering, and production converge. We are designing as we draw, thinking through how the product will be made, how it will live in its environment, and how it complements the interior designer’s overall vision. Once a project is approved for production, CAD technicians may refine these drawings into final technical files. Even then, every drawing is reviewed and approved by oneor more senior designers before it is released to our Italian workrooms. For certain couture-level or highly specialized items, a senior designer will oversee every stage of drawing personally from concept through production.

Once these preliminary drawings are complete, they are sent to our Italian production team. There, our master artisans and technicians calculate fabric usage, cutting layouts, and production logistics, including weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and finishing schedules. They determine where fabric must be stored, how it must move between our Lombardy and Tuscany workrooms, and how every piece will be executed to perfection.

For a moderate three-bedroom, four-bath home (bed linens, towels, and duvets and pillows) the quoting process alone often requires sixty to eighty hours of design, coordination, and review before the first invoices are paid. Each project involves sampling, initial consultations, and multiple rounds of technical refinement. We offer complimentary consultations via Zoom for designers and private clients, and in-person meetings locally whenever possible. Larger or highly complex projects may require extended consultations or site visits, which are quoted in advance.

Because of the expertise and time required, we charge for our design and quoting services. This applies equally to designers and private clients. Unlike some luxury or bespoke furnishing houses that build very high margins to offset their pre-production time, Kearsley maintains fair and consistent pricing across all client types. Our approach values craftsmanship and service, ensuring clients receive exceptional quality without hidden markups.

At this level of craftsmanship, precision has financial consequences. Our fabrics, from Giza 87 Egyptian cotton to pure Mongolian cashmere, are among the finest in the world, and each meter carries significant value. Changing a cashmere blanket or throw by a single inch can alter the cost, not because of inefficiency, but because the material itself is literally priced by the inch at this level of quality.

For every project, we prepare two complete sets of technical drawings: one for our Italian team in centimeters and labeled in Italian production terms, and another for our clients in inches and English terminology. Any revision, even a change in towel quantities or a slight size adjustment, requires recalculating fabric yields, redrawing layouts, and updating documents for both teams.

Once a client approves estimates and invoices and we move into production, an entirely new phase of work begins. Detailed production drawings are created, showing precise dimensions and refined embroidery layouts to the millimeter. Work orders are drawn up for each item, specifying every material, process, and finish before being sent to our Italian team for execution. This phase demands absolute accuracy and seamless coordination between our design and production teams in both the United States and Italy.

Beyond the drawings, there is a staggering amount of administrative coordination that supports each project, even before an order is placed. A single quote can require four to six active spreadsheets: one for the client, one for internal tracking, and others for each workroom and weaving partner. These documents manage quantities, fabric allocation, embroidery tracking, and shipping logistics while also accounting for tariffs, customs, and international freight. Once a project moves into production, the same spreadsheets continue to serve as active working tools, ensuring flawless coordination from quotation through delivery. Every edit or revision must be updated across these records, adding another layer of precision and care.

There are also the administrative realities few clients ever see: the creation of multiple invoices per project, coordination of international payments, bookkeeping across currencies, and the ongoing cost of maintaining our inventory of fine fabrics. Each step ensures that what finally arrives is not only exquisite but also flawlessly executed and delivered to the highest professional and ethical standard.

This is why quoting at Kearsley is a design process in its own right. It requires deep knowledge of materials, production logistics, and the nuances of custom and couture fabrication. It is the quiet, unseen work that guarantees every finished piece is beautiful, functional, and perfectly tailored to its space.

At Kearsley, our goal is to make the process as effortless and graceful as possible for our clients while maintaining the level of precision required to deliver heirloom-quality work. Our design and quoting fees are scaled to the scope and complexity of each project, reflecting the time, expertise, and coordination required to bring every detail to life. What clients receive in return is more than a quote; it is the blueprint of excellence that defines everything we create.

This is just Part One of the story: the intricate work that happens before a single invoice is paid. Part Two will follow the journey from approval through production, where every drawing, stitch, and finish brings a vision to life.

If you would like to experience how this level of precision and collaboration can serve your next project, our Atelier team would be delighted to assist you. Whether for a private residence, a rental property, a hotel suite, or a yacht interior, we welcome inquiries from both private clients and the trade. Interior designers may register or log in to our Trade Portal for access to exclusive resources and quoting tools, or email TradeAtelier@KearsleyHome.com for assistance. Private clients may contact us directly at Kearsley@KearsleyHome.com or by phone at +1 707-935-7273. Our team will be pleased to assist you and will return your call at the earliest opportunity.

We look forward to working with you to bring exceptional linens, beautifully made and perfectly tailored, into the spaces you design and live in with distinction.