What is Thread Count?

Thread count is a measure of the coarseness or fineness of Hawaiian print fabric. It is measured by counting the number of threads contained in one square inch of fabric, including both the length (warp) and width (weft) threads. It is used especially in regard to cotton linens such as surfer bed sheets.

Thread count is a simple measure of fabric quality, so that "standard" cotton thread counts are around 150 while good-quality sheets start at 180 and a count of 200 or higher is considered percale. Extremely high thread counts (typically over 500) tend to be misleading as they usually use 'plied' yarns. i.e. one yarn that is made by twisting together multiple finer threads. For marketing purposes, a fabric with 250 yarns in both the vertical and horizontal direction could have the component threads counted to a 1000 thread count although "according to the National Textile Association, accepted industry practice is to count each thread as one, even threads spun as two- or three-ply yarn.

The Federal Trade Commission agrees and recently issued a warning that consumers 'could be deceived or misled' by inflated thread counts." Dean Miller's beach bedding has never miss-lead or tried to deceive any of its consumers, and has always clearly stated that our cotton percale surf sheets are a high quality 200 thread count.

Mike Ness of Social Distortion Autographed Surfboard

Mike Ness Autographed my Surfboard!

The Short Story: Dean Miller Surf Bedding sponsored a charity fundraiser event a while back for a fellow surfer in need, and Mike Ness of famed punk rock group Social Distortion played a solo show at the OC Tavern in San Clemente, California. This show was entirely sold out, and even though we were on the "VIP" guest list, we still couldn't get through the door. So what do loyal Social Distortion surfers do? We went next door to another bar, and threw a few back while grumbling about not being able to get in. It was pretty fun, but no Mike Ness in this bar.

So finally the sheriff and fire marshall cut the show short due to the small bar Mike Ness was playing in being SO overcrowded. The whole place emptied out with Social Distortion fans piling in their cars heading home after what must have been a great intimate night of music with punk rock legend Mike Ness. It was about 10:30pm on a Thursday night, and we didn't want to go home, so we decided to head into the OC Tavern now that we could get in, and say hi to some friends, and see how the charity raffle went.

So we belly up to the bar in the same room Ness had just played, and order a couple of beers not expecting much since the place was pretty much empty with only a few drunk stragglers left behind. And all of a sudden this guy riddled with tattoos walks up on the stage with an acoustic guitar, and starts strumming away. Mike Ness was back on stage with NOBODY in the room.

We grabbed our beers and walked over to where he was performing and watched him sing classic Social Distortion tunes, and Mike Ness originals for about another half hour before he retired. There were maybe 30 people in the entire room just chilling and listening to Mike Ness perform, it was epic. You could have reached out and grabbed him, the stage was maybe thigh high, with no barriers at all. Mike seemed happy to just relax and strum away on his guitar, taking a request or two, and chatting it up with the remaining audience.

Mike Ness autographed this surfboard for a charity raffle right on stage in front of me, and I ended up with this custom shaped Matt Biolos Surfboard originally made for pro surfer Chris "Psycho" Ward. The board is a 6'1" Mayhem

I originally said I wasn't going to surf this board since it may be the only surfboard that Mike Ness has ever autographed, but the board looked so much fun to ride I had to take it out for a test drive, and what a fun surfboard it is to ride, so now every time I paddle out I have Mike Ness's blessing! And the autographed was sprayed with a clear acyclic so it shouldn't ever wash off.

Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Duvet Cover

We get asked all the time what a duvet cover is, and why purchase one instead of a comforter. So I am going to clear up some confusion and give the advantages of why a duvet cover can be used instead of a comforter.

First of all a duvet cover is like a giant pillowcase or cover for your down comforter. Although any type of comforter can be used inside of a duvet cover. The word "Duvet" (doo-vay) means comforter in French. So a Duvet cover is a comforter cover. Duvet covers will generally have a button or zipper enclosure on the bottom or top of the cover to hold the comforter in place. Dean Miller uses an all wood logo etched button on the bottom of your Hawaiian duvet with a custom designed wrap around bottom to keep your comforter in place. Some manufacturers will put the buttons or zipper at the top of the bed, which I have never understood why since you will be sleeping with the buttons in your face all night. Sounds a little uncomfortable to me.

Another great way to keep your comforter securely fashioned in is to get some padded comforter clips that will bound the comforter corners to the duvet cover to prevent the comforter from sliding around at all.

All of this does sound like a lot of work compared to an already quilted comforter though. So here are the top 5 reasons to buy a duvet cover:

1. You can quickly and inexpensively change the whole look of your bedroom with a new duvet cover. Duvet covers are generally a little lowered priced than a comparable comforter since there is no batting or fill in a duvet cover. This will allow you to bring a whole new color scheme to re-decorate your bedroom at a modest price. You can also have a few different colored duvet covers to change your room with the seasons. Of course we suggest a bright, fun Hawaiian print during the Spring and Summer.

2. Duvet covers can also be used by themselves as a lightweight bedspread or bed cover. A heavy comforter can be to much to sleep under in the summer months. A duvet cover will allow you to store your comforter during the hot months, and you can simply bring it back out when it gets cold again. If you live in Hawaii, Florida, the Caribbean or a year round warm environment a duvet cover is a perfect option to keep a stylish bedroom, and beat the tropical heat.

3. Easy to Clean! Most duvet covers are machine washable, and can be thrown in with your regular laundry. A comforter is generally not recommended for a washer (too bulky), and are usually dry clean only. Which not only is expensive, but you will have to wait a few days to get your bedding back from the cleaners.

4. Protects your Down Comforter. Down comforters are getting more expensive every day, and you will want to protect your investment from stains, tears, and losing feathers. A duvet cover under normal use circumstances will keep your down comforter practically brand new. So go ahead and purchase that luxury goose down comforter, and know that a duvet cover will your most valuable bedroom asset in tip top shape.

5. Easy to Store and Switch. A duvet cover can be quickly folded and put away in the laundry pantry for later use, and not take up a lot of room. Unless you suck the air out of a comforter, which we don't recommend, a bulky comforter can take up your entire closet! As we mentioned above, you can also switch out a duvet cover promptly, and give your bedroom a brand new look.

We hope this clears up some questions you might have about duvet covers, and what they are used for, if you ever have any questions about duvets please let us know. Mahalo!

A Mile for Maddie Fundraiser Walk

Dean Miller is sponsoring a local charity that is hosting a fundraising walk. We invite everyone to come out and support a great cause! A Mile for Maddie is a 1.2 mile fundraising walk along the scenic coastline of South Orange County to benefit the Maddie James Foundation.

The walk will take place on Saturday, May 14, 2011 in Dana Point, California. Following the walk all registered particpants are invited to enjoy the Open House Festival at the Dana Point Ocean Institute which will feature refreshments, live music, crafts, and other fun family actvities.

For more information on the Maddie James Foundation please visit their website at: http://maddiejamesfoundation.org/ or to join the Mile for Maddie walk please visit: http://www.amileformaddie.com/

We hope to see you there!

New Hawaiian Bedding Fabric Added

Dean Miller Surf Bedding has added a new Hawaiian fabric design to it's already stellar line-up of Surf and Hawaiian themed home decor. This Polynesian themed design, DM416 - Hana House, is a classic Hawaiian design perfect to let the aloha in any home. The word Hana is a name of Hawaiian origin, and its meaning is "Flower, or Blossom."

Hana House by Dean Miller features a row of white Hibiscus flowers highlighted with a yellow tip, next to Hawaiian themed motifs. These motifs are symbols of Hawaiian and Polynesian culture.

For example the turtle (or "Honu" in Hawaiian) is a symbol of Long Life. And of course Hawaii is known for their pineapple farms, and have been a long source of income for the Hawaiian Islands because pineapples thrive in tropical climates. Giving someone a pineapple has been long considered a warm gift or symbol of hospitality.

This new Hawaiian bedding design is set atop a steel blueish ground, with dark tonal tribal drawings. The whole design is laid out to run from the bottom of your bed to the top. This gives the eye an easy and warm appeal to your bedroom. The paint colors are easy to match, and create a warm, and inviting Hawaiian getaway.

Hawaiian Bedding by Dean Miller Surf Bedding

Please let us know what you think of this new Hawaiian bedding design, we sure had fun creating it. Mahalo!

The Winner of our $1200.00 Surf Bedroom Make-Over Contest!

Dean Miller Surf Bedding wants to send congratulations to Melissa Moore from Belleville, Illinois for winning a complete Surf Bedroom make-over worth over $1200.00!

Our surf bedroom make over contest started on Feb. 2, 2011 and ran through March 15, 2011. Contestants were asked to submit a photo of any room in their house that they felt needed a make-over. The Dean Miller staff then picked the finalists, and asked the public to pick the ultimate winner. All entries were submitted through the official company Dean Miller Hawaiian Bedding Facebook page.

We had received over 200 entries, and boy did some of these folks need a make-over! The picture above is of the winning entry, as you can see the room is in shambles, and in desperate need of a little help from the Dean Miller crew. Time to get rid of the Spider Man bedding, and let the aloha in!

Melissa will receive a complete surf bedding set, new signs, new sheet set, plenty of throw pillows, a new rug, picture frames, wall borders, and we are even throwing in the paint to re-do the room! All this is topped with a our own Surf Room Designer Dean Miller providing a personal consulation to ensure the room looks like a Hawaiian getaway when we are done.

We will post more pictures of the re-done room on our blog here, so stay tuned to see the transformation!

Aloha and Mahalo!

Orange County Register did a Feature Article on your Favorite Surf Bedding company!

Surf-inspired bedding in O.C.

By CINDY MCNATT THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Published: March 18, 2011

You have to acknowledge that lots of creativity comes from the surf community. With clothes, shoes, equipment and special events, it's as if anyone who ever rode a wave strives to preserve their lifestyle by turning the hobby into a business. Orange County certainly has more than its share of action sports entrepreneurs, and Doug Smith of Dana Point is one of them. Dean Miller surf inspired bedding is a décor business launched by Smith immediately after he finished his MBA at Chapman University in 1999. He knew exactly what he wanted to do – make items that appealed to thousands of beach lovers like him. Bedspreads, sheets, throws, crib sets and duvets are not terms you're likely to discuss with gnarly surf dudes. But Smith is all about thread count and other considerations in the home furnishings field. The company is named after surf legend Dean Miller, whom Smith learned about on his Kauai honeymoon. "Legend says that Dean Miller lived in the rain forest, bathed in the waterfalls and slept on beds of flowers," Smith said. "Bed of flowers" was the a-ha moment for Smith. Taking inspiration from vintage Hawaiian shirts, Smith designed and manufactured his line of surf-inspired bedding for children when all that was available at the time was Laura Ashley and Star Wars. Now Dean Miller Prints has developed into a full line of décor items from curtains to surfboard rugs, quilts and baby gear. Prices range from $24.99 for an infant Burp's Up onesie to $175.00 for king size comforter sets.

To read the full article: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-292719--.html

Catching Waves While You Sleep

Re-decorating a bedroom with a beach theme takes a bit of creativity, and a little knowledge of where to begin. The centerpiece of your room is your bed, so you should always start by picking new beach bedding, and working in your paint color schemes and themes around the beach bedding. I like to keep it simple when choosing my beach bedding, by first and foremost using my favorite color. Since you spend the majority of your time sleeping in your bed, you may as well go with something you like! In my case, it is the color blue, just like the ocean. Since I love the beach and Hawaii and how it conquers up warm memories for me of warm tropical trade winds, and swaying palm trees. I decided on a classic Hawaiian tapa print designed by Dean Miller with a blue ground, and classic wooden surfboards with warm sandy hues. This beach bedding design features lots of island motifs, and has a few other colors that compliment the blue to work with for the rest of the room. For the top of the bed I decided on a comforter and sham set in the same design, then I added in a solid color printed sheet set with just a light texture on them to add some depth to my bedding. I also choose a fabric bed skirt in the same design as my sheets to highlight the Hawaiian print I chose. Using a coordinating bed skirt instead of the same design as the comforter aids with the flow of colors I will use for the rest of the room. To have a nice full looking bed presentation, I recommend having four to six pillows on the bed, plus two or more smaller decorative throw pillows. Two pillows will be used to cover the pillows shams, and two more pillows for the sheet set. As a decorative touch, I like to have two more standard size pillows with a third solid color that compliments your color wheel or that coordinates with your bed skirt. In my case you can either use a brown or blue color, depending on which color you like. The great thing about working with the color blue is how many different shades of blue are available, and the many contrasting shades. I stuck with a lot of blue for my tropical bedding set, and then worked in the color brown with some vintage sepia toned pictures, with brown bamboo frames. A wooden surfboard adds to the surfing theme and makes an inviting room for any beach lover. This will complete your beach bedding ensemble, and make your bedroom look like a North Shore model home!