NEW YORK – Karolina Maria Orr spoke with The National Herald about launching her linen bedding company, Earthy Home by KMO. The ultra-soft, premium, luxurious, hand washed linen bedding is made in Europe and is naturally anti-bacterial, pathogen-resistant, hypoallergenic, and adapts to temperature, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Linen bedsheets are also easy to care for, extra durable, sustainable and environmentally friendly since the entire flax plant can be woven into fiber and needs less water than cotton to grow.

TNH: What inspired you to launch your linen bedding company?

Karolina Maria Orr: There were several forces that guided and drove me to launch the idea. I grew up in the small Baltic country of Lithuania, which is renowned for textiles, linens and high-quality fabrics. Certainly, growing up, quality fabrics defined our homes, so incorporation of beautiful linens, high-quality curtains and other home textile decorations was always an important corner pieces in our family’s home.

My mother has been involved in the textile industry for more than 30 years. I grew up seeing her creating new designs, traveling across Europe to identify and source the best fabrics and working with customers to make their vision for their home come true. I believe that these warm memories and experiences helped me to really figure out what fabrics were the best in terms of touch, durability, sustainability, and health.

The identification of the market gap in linen bedsheets came a few years ago. I have always been focused on health conscious lifestyle choices, whether it was choosing freshly squeezed juices from juice bars vs. mass produced bottled juices or always shopping organic and cooking at home, I found it was extremely difficult to find high quality natural and organic bedding. Given that we spend one third to half of our lives in bed, it was a curiosity to me that it was so difficult to find high quality linens in the U.S. Everything was mass-produced plastic-cotton blends or higher quality fabrics were not as durable as you would expect. I had gone through three or four linen duvet covers that all ripped before I realized there was a problem.

All of these experiences really culminated into a Eureka moment when I was on vacation with my husband in Paros, Greece last August. Staying at a boutique beachside hotel in beautiful Naoussa, I still remember the warm winds of the Aegean Sea blowing and causing the beautiful linen curtains to dance around the room. Laying on the cool-to-the-touch, plush and effortlessly soft linen bedsheets, it dawned on me. There was a huge opportunity in the U.S. for high-quality European fabrics, and with my family experience working in the textile industry, love for healthy lifestyle and helping customers build a beautiful home, I decided to start Earthy Home.

TNH: How long did the process take from idea to realization?

KMO: I think I was truly lucky as it happened relatively quickly, thanks to my mom who has a lengthy textile network across Europe. On my trip to Greece in August, I got inspired to create a product that symbolizes a unique human-nature connection, benefits our wellbeing and is aesthetically pleasing. After the extensive process with several linen factories in Europe, we found the perfect one that produced organic, ultra-soft, premium linen fabric and at the beginning of February, I was able to launch the first limited edition bedding collection!

TNH: Where can we find your company’s linen bedding?

KMO: As my first collection is limited edition, I decided to launch it on the the Etsy platform – it is easy for a customer to access, order and shipment takes only 2-3 days. My shop is called EarthyHomeByKMO: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EarthyHomeByKMO.

TNH: Where do you see your company heading in the future?

KMO: My mission is to bring nature back into people’s home, from NYC to LA, through premium quality interior items. My long-term vision is to provide access to customers to shop carefully curated organic interior items that bring them closer to our roots, closer to nature and harmony in our homes that therefore leads to piece and harmony in our souls.

TNH: Are there plans to expand to other areas, markets, and/or types of products?

KMO: My primary goal today is to introduce Americans to a premium quality organic linen bedding and enable them to feel the difference between ultra-soft linen versus other bedding. I truly believe in this product as I am using linen bedding for several years on my own now and I can’t recommend it more. Our slogan is “once you go linen, you can’t go back” and it truly captures the experience I want to share with other like-minded people who prioritize quality, health, and the human-nature connection.