Sefte Sister: Urté Symulevice of Linen Tales
A tale of family. A tale of tradition. This is where Linen Tales begins, and that is what made us fall in love with Linen Tales Co-Owner Urté Symulevice and the business she and her family have built. They set out seeking to keep the Lithuanian linen traditions alive. By infusing them with color and softness, merging the traditional and the modern, Linen Tales quickly became a brand with clients all over the world.
We are so grateful that we met Urté in New York and are able to bring a small limited-edition collection of their beautifully designed and crafted linens to our Sefte family. We know you will enjoy our chat with her as much as we did.
Name: Urte Symulevice
Age: 32
Lives in: Vilnius, Lithuania
Tell us why you are drawn to Sefte Living?
I found out about Sefte Living thanks to Sarah and Jenn. I was lucky to meet them both at the NY NOW show over a year ago where both Sefte Living and Linen Tales had neighboring booths, and since then I follow and admire Sefte’s products and philosophy.
How did you get started doing what you do?
My husband, Boris, and one of my best friends, Vaida, created Linen Tales so I was close to it from the beginning – able to see every process, search, every little detail being born. When I was expecting my son and left my previous job, I needed something to release my energy so I started to get more and more involved – everything just came naturally.
What’s something special that sets your company apart?
Our clients say it is the color palette. It is natural, yet bright, live and vivid – not so typical for linen products.
For me, it’s the feel of the manufacture – although we’ve grown quite a lot recently, we still sew everything by hand and a personal touch remains involved in every process.
What keeps you going everyday, either in your craft or going about life?
All the basic things – my family, friends, goals and tasks to achieve - and a cup of good coffee.
Where do you seek sanctuary - to dream, meditate, be creative or just find me time?
My best "me time" is early morning, when everyone’s still asleep, or that precious thirty minutes before falling asleep at night when I can curl in my bed with a book. Reading is one of the biggest pleasures for me.
What have you done to make this sanctuary yours?
It came naturally – I just love to get up early and start my day slow. This slow and controlled start to my morning gives me confidence throughout the day when sometimes it is difficult to keep everything under control.
Where do you find inspiration for your work and for your life?
In my family and friends – I’m blessed with really inspiring, and all very different, friends.
In good books – both professional and fiction.
In everyday problems – my wish to get rid of them inspires me to search for solutions.
Do you have any special rituals for making time with family or friends?
Every Saturday me and my son bake waffles in our PJs, then all 3 of us eat them and drink English Breakfast tea with milk. This breakfast sometimes takes more than an hour and it is the best time of the whole week.
What’s your favorite Sefte product?
The Nudo Woven Organic Baby Alpaca Throw Blanket. The fabric is so soft and the tassels are simply adorable.