We chat to Debbie Hall, owner of The Hall Collection, who recently opened her latest showroom in Kramerville, Johannesburg.
I love working with people. I also love quality and craftsmanship and surrounding myself with beauty – I have a special obsession for flowers, fragrance, delicious food – and of course good sleep. As a trained Cordon Bleu chef, I learned a long time ago that the finest quality ingredients are needed to create something special and good. Which is why when I decided to start The Hall Collection 11 years ago, I intentionally looked until I found companies that align with the same philosophy and choose only the finest materials to produce their custom-made mattresses, beds and linens. In our throw-away society and world of mass production, I believe that when we are able to, we should do our best to choose long term, sustainable and ethically sourced products that have a long life and therefore lighter impact on the planets resources.
We have worked with clients all over the world to improve their sleep through our mattresses and linens for the past 11 years. I am grateful to work with our manufacturers in Europe. Similar to our own philosophy and way of doing business, Elite Beds of Switzerland and Quagliotti Linens in Italy are businesses that are owner run and believe in developing long-term relationships. Their know-how and fine products have been refined and manufactured over generations. We learn so much from them.
The perfect bed simply begins with one that improves the quality of your sleep. We believe that “an extraordinary night’s sleep is followed by an extraordinary day”.
Most people are unaware that good sleep is critical for our mental, physical and emotional well-being. An average adult requires between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. But it is really the length of deep sleep (known as REM sleep cycle) that is most important. Many people are unaware of how many times they move during the night; mostly because of overheating of the body and lack of support from the mattress. This means that even after 8 hours of sleep, they wake up feeling tired. The right mattress is one the most important things to consider when wanting to improve the quality of your sleep.
A good night’s rest is so important because it is only during the REM sleep cycle that our bodies and cells rejuvenate.
Research shows that lack of quality sleep can lead to heart disease, depression, diabetes, certain cancers and many more… Good sleep not only improves our general health, we also feel more beautiful and are probably nicer to be around. When we sleep well, we have more energy and we make better choices.
Modern research is revealing the critical link between sleep and wellness, making us conscious about the importance of creating a healthy sleep environment. For too long, bedrooms of many homes have overlooked. When allocating budgets, most has been spend on the kitchen, lounge and bathrooms. We often come across beautifully designed homes with surprisingly little time or budget allocated to this important sanctuary. We believe that the bedroom is starting to receive the proper attention it deserves.
Most people are unaware of how much we are exposed to toxic chemicals. They damage our environment and affect our health. Many mattress manufactures use toxic materials and glues which enter our bloodstream when they are breathed in. All our mattresses and beds are European Eco-Label certified – a guarantee that there are no chemicals used in any part of the manufacturing process.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
