It’s time, Heather Asker says, to spread a little love for Bella Notte blankets and pillows – all around the house.

And that’s what the new Sleep Bella, Live Bella collection is about. It’s a 14-piece collection of individually sized throw blankets plus throw pillows in two different shapes – 18-inch square, and 18-inch-in-diameter round.

They’re here to bridge the gap between the bedroom and anywhere else.

“We’re hoping people will think of Bella Notte for family rooms, formal living rooms, on-the-floor lounging, kids’ rooms and even picnics, since they’re all machine washable,” says Bella Notte’s marketing and merchandising manager. “The idea is to use them not just when you’re asleep.”

The material palette ranges from organic cotton to cotton velvet to charmeuse to silk velvet. “It almost covered the entire breadth of the fabrics we offer,” she says. “When you multiply that by 19 colors you get a broad range of textures – shiny and not-shiny, with some color play and harmonious at the same time.”

The way the fabrics absorbs the dyes in individual colors yields more than a rainbow. And they’re tinted with naturally derived dye pigments, a plus for the environment. “The effluent isn’t caustic or toxic to the wastewater stream,” she says.

Two styles in organic cotton are the most sustainable in the collection. “All are consciously sourced and in a raw, untreated state – our fabrics arrive undyed and are not chemically treated as some others are when transported,” she says. “They’re responsibly sourced from mills all the way to our production studios.”

So, who’s the target market? “Everyone who wants something that’s a little comfortable and cozy and machine-washable – and dyed specifically for you,” she says. “We hope it inspires collectors and shoppers to use the wherever they want to see elegance and comfort, and to use them when they’re asleep and awake as well.”

And then the $64,000-dollar, hard-nosed business-editor question: Why would my mother care?

“Because anytime someone visits her home, a mother wants to comfort her visitors and host her guests with beautiful pillows and warm blankets,” she says. “It shows a mother’s love.”

Touché.

For more, go here.