“I always recommend the LBD of table linens: an ivory stitch hem dinner napkin with a gold monogram,” said Jane Scott Hodges, describing the single item she thinks every Bay Area home should contain while signing her new book on Wednesday, April 23 inside the Presidio Heights boutique Hudson Grace. The shop partnered with House Beautiful to celebrate the debut of Hodges’ Linens for Every Room and Occasion (Rizzoli), a 240-page tome full of expert advice and designer tips on monograms, textiles, embroidery, and quilting, all delivered with the New Orleans-based designer’s signature Southern charm. After all, Hodges’ first foray into textiles was inspired by the discovery of her great grandmother’s bridal trousseau in the cellar of her parents’ 1780s Kentucky farmhouse. Soon she set out to design her own line of custom, hand-created, luxury linens. Launched in 1996, Hodges and her husband built Leontine Linens on a foundation of Southern hospitality, visiting clients at their homes to design the unique bed, bath, and table linens that would complement their spaces. “People we met were initially so intimidated with how to dress such personal items in their home,” says Hodges “It was so much fun showing them how something as simple as a pique duvet cover could instantly create such timeless elegance.”

By Jennifer McCullum

Pictured: Jane Scott Hodges
Photo by Sandra Garcia For Drew Altizer Photography