Blanket Store

Germany's first specialty shop for blankets: grand opening

The world is full of wonderful things. This is one of Natalie Gray's maxims, and her inspiration to focus on one of the oldest and most elementary man-made products: the woolen blanket.

While traveling, Natalie (a German designer) noticed there is a wide variety of beautiful, practical and durable blankets all over the world, which however are difficult to purchase at home. Thus, the idea of opening a Blanket Store.

Blanket Store stocks an unprecedented variety: classical virgin wool blankets, baby blankets, picnic blankets, travel plaids, sleeping bags, and bedspreads. Their uses are virtually limitless. Everybody knows how children use blankets to build a cave, or to play ghost. But a comfortable blanket is great for a nap on the sofa, or to warm visiting children who have fallen asleep, or for spontaneous overnight guests... for long evenings watching a world cup game, for memorable summer evenings outdoors, or just to make a room  inviting  or give it more color . Or simply, as a gift that lasts for decades.

Blanket Store offers robust blankets as well as ones made of fine materials. Classical colors are presented  next to unusual hues and exceptional color combinations. Materials can be sheep's wool, Merino, Alpaca, Mohair, Cashmere, camel hair, cotton, as well as the ecological “Peace Silk” (where the silk worms stay alive in the manufacturing process).

Each kind of wool has its own characteristics. Mohair is one of the oldest woven fibers: it is particularly warm, lightweight and takes dye exceptionally well. Cashmere goats are nomads; only 150 grams of their fine lower fur can be combed from each animal per year. Alpaca wool is very soft and fine, and is hypoallergic because it contains no lanolin. Virgin wool is very warm, because it can store a large amount of moisture.

Blanket Store offers blankets from: Latvia, Lithuania, Australia, the Netherlands, Peru, England, South Africa, Germany, Nepal, Italy, Bangladesh, Canada, France, China, Norway, India, Wales and Morocco: 18 countries – with more to come.

Blanket Store's collection includes products from small weaving mills as well as famous companies such as the British designer brand SCP, or Roros Tweed from Norway, or by the Dutch team of designers Scholten & Baijings. Another exceptional brand is the historic trading company Hudson's Bay that has been selling the Hudson´s Bay Point Blanket since the year 1670.

Fresh air lovers will be glad to hear that the Natalie Gray has developed what she calls the “Café Blanket”: a simple yet pretty woolen blanket for restaurants and cafés. Due to restrictions on indoor smoking, outdoor dining and drinking is extremely popular in Germany but outdoor heating facilities have a large CO2 footprint. Thus, a blanket for guests of pubs and cafés for sitting outside solves a real problem. The “Café Blanket” is equipped with the logo of the café, or can be woven in a bespoke design.

Prices: Baby blankets from 30 Euros, Plaids from 40 to 1.200 Euro.

Blanket Store is located in central Frankfurt, vis-a-vis the “Kleinmarkthalle” market hall, a few steps from the MMK (museum of modern art): at Hasengasse 2.
Opening celebration on October 30, starting 5 PM.
Business hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11-19
Additional information and (soon) an online shop: at www.blanketstore.de