Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Gledhill.
Tim, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My design career began in 2005. After a brief career in politics in the UK, I moved to Los Angeles to open and manage The Rug Company’s second US store. I was subsequently promoted to Development Director and charged with overseeing and building sales in all of their 16 showrooms around the world which gave me a unique experience of design and the business side of retail across the globe.
With this knowledge and experience under my belt I took the plunge and started my own design company, Huddleson, in 2011.
The opportunity I saw was that there was not a contemporary linens brand that embraced home linens as a medium for innovative, contemporary design. At the same time, I was introduced to a digital textile printer which allowed us to use the whole piece – tablecloth, duvet cover, napkin etc. – as a piece of art without the need for repeated designs and with small minimums orders. Voila! I grabbed the bull by the horns and designed an initial collection of nine digitally-printed tablecloth designs.
Luckily, the collection was well-received and we have since expanded our product range to over 650 SKUs from cocktail napkins to luxurious duvet covers plus infinite options for custom table and bed linens. Everything is made in Los Angeles using linen and cotton fabric woven and printed in Italy.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the hardest aspects of starting and running your own business is managing the money. I started Huddleson with a small inheritance when my father passed away, and we haven’t taken on any outside investment. The result is that the company remains true to my vision and I don’t have to answer to investors. But the pay-off is that growth can, at times, feel glacially slow. To fund expansion we have to sell more product, which, frankly, is very good discipline. Big ideas have to be agonizingly boiled down to what can be afforded and what return we can expect on those scarce dollars spent. But it also creates a laser focus on selling, selling, selling, which should be at the core of every business.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Huddleson – what should we know?
Huddleson manufactures and sells contemporary, fine bed and table linens. We are known for our unique prints, using the finest Italian fabrics and making custom linens for our customers in our Los Angeles workroom.
What sets us apart is a very personal level of customer service; the superb quality of our bed and table linens; and a singular aesthetic that comes from my British heritage, the Italian fabrics and the influence of living in California for 13 years.
I’m most proud of creating a company that allows me to express myself creatively and also use my business skills; that is profitable, and that makes products that our customers really love.
Pricing:
- 100% Italian Linen Four Piece Sheet Set From $360
- Linen Napkins From $16
- Linen Tablecloths From $120
Contact Info:
- Website: www.huddlesonlinens.com
- Phone: 213 748 3038
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/huddleson
- Facebook: facebook.com/huddlesonlinens
- Twitter: twitter.com/huddlesonlinens
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