Sleep Well Tonight — The New Maturity

Melissa Miller created a line of linens to help you get your best night’s rest.

I wish I could boast and say I got a full 8 hours of rest each night last week. I tried, but somehow the Sundays Scaries struck around 3:38 a.m. Monday thru Friday. Luckily, Melissa Miller came into my life. She is the creator of Evenfall, a luxe bedding collection made from hemp. Settle in and learn how you can get a great night’s rest with a few tweaks to your routine.

• Tell me about your background.

When I was young, I always had an unusual interest in home—I transformed my bedroom into a studio apartment at age 12, creative-directed our Christmas decorating each year (my poor parents), and religiously read Martha Stewart magazine in college. I left college with a degree in Biology and minors in fine arts and art history (with lots of architecture classes thrown in).

After beginning my career in traditional merchandising jobs in women’s apparel, I landed a role at an emerging home brand in Brooklyn. I remember feeling so at home (no pun intended) with the team – whose interests in art and architecture were much more aligned with mine. Unlike clothing, which you change every day, home purchases are considered, soulful, and tell a story about the owner. The team was also committed to pursuing more sustainable materials and practices and incorporating them into designs that were affordable for the customer.

This role allowed me to travel internationally and see the product development process firsthand. I connected with organizations that certified fair trade practices, elevated craft, and championed better work environments for the many women that work in these trades. This experience deepened my love for home textiles and shaped my understanding of sustainability and fairtrade practices.

Outside of work, simply living in NYC stoked this fire. I started my weekends sketching in a 3-hour figure drawing session and shopped countless home stores, from tiny owner-curated storefronts to the magical visual merchandising of ABC Carpet.

After 9 years in New York and working in corporate jobs, I moved to Los Angeles – as close to the beach as I could afford – and set out to start my first business, consulting for small retailers and digital native start-ups, almost all in the home goods space. My projects were rewarding, but I had a nagging sense that I should create something of my own – and I deeply missed product development. Years back, I concepted what is now Evenfall Home, a luxury brand centered on blankets, color and sustainability. It wasn’t until more recently that I realized I needed to bring this concept to life, in hemp.

• How did you get into the bedding business?

Before launching my own brand, I spent a collective ten years working in home textiles, specifically bedding. Bedding, blankets, and pillows are my favorite textile categories, the most personal, tactile textiles we use.

• Why did you launch your company, Evenfall?

A few years ago, I fell in love with a set of hemp sheets. After months of testing these sheets, I knew hemp was the super-soft sustainable fabric to couple with a concept I created back in 2015.

The concept for the brand originated back when most of the sustainable bedding options were organic cotton and muted colors. I was missing rich colors and functional sizes in blankets and throws. I wanted something larger than a throw, smaller than a queen-sized quilt, but still long enough to fall over the sides at the foot of your bed. The right size, gorgeous color - I needed to create the most sustainable collection possible, without sacrificing hand-feel or design.

• I don’t know much about hemp. What makes it a better choice than organic cotton?

There are two ways to evaluate the benefits of hemp – as a plant and as a textile. As a plant and crop, hemp uses 95% less water than cotton to produce the same amount of fiber. Hemp also yields about three times the amount per acre versus cotton.

Hemp is stronger and more durable than cotton and can feel just as soft. Unlike cotton, hemp is a hollow fiber and excellent insulator, keeping you warm in cooler months and cool in warmer temperatures. It's also naturally antimicrobial and resistant to mold.

There are far too many benefits to list and plenty of information online covering hemp as a carbon-negative plant, a food and CBD source, and an alternative to deforestation.

• Is there organic hemp and regular hemp?

Most hemp is organic – one of the advantages of growing hemp is that it doesn’t require pesticides to thrive. When I started sourcing for Evenfall, I couldn’t find certified “organic” hemp. I spoke with many vendors that were confused about my requests for certification since it is the norm for hemp to be grown without pesticides – versus a crop like cotton that is usually treated unless certified organic. As hemp becomes more widely used, I expect we will see certification soon, most likely coming from China.

• On your website, you mention that hemp detoxifies soil. How does the plant do this?

Here's your science lesson for the week - through a process called phytoremediation. Hemp roots grow up to 8 feet below the ground, absorbing substances from the soil and concentrating it in the plant above ground. The plant then breaks down the toxins and stabilizes them, acting as a filter.

• Since hemp is ‘carbon negative,’ it sounds like a wonder plant that could help heal the planet. Do you know other ways hemp is being used?

Many people are familiar with hemp seed and CBD, but it’s also used as a building material (hempcrete). One of the ways hemp heals the planet is by protecting forests, where trees store large amounts of carbon, keeping it out of our atmosphere. Hemp cultivation is fast, uses minimal water, and uses no pesticides. If we use hemp (instead of wood) for paper and building materials, we minimize clear-cutting and preserve carbon-sequestering forests.

• What’s been your biggest challenge so far?

In the beginning, I was enthusiastic about managing all the aspects of the business - from product development to finance. In reality, shifting from design to accounting to digital marketing on the same day is a challenge. I’m getting better about separating the week into right-brain and left-brain.

• What’s been the most rewarding thing about running your business?

Seeing the positive reaction and feedback from friends and customers after receiving their first order. Most people have little experience with hemp and are surprised by how buttery soft it is. I like to think I'm creating a lot of hemp converts - great news for Mother Earth.

• You left the corporate world to start Evenfall. What advice do you have for someone who is thinking about leaving their job to launch their own company?

It’s empowering to walk away from the corporate world, but that feeling wanes. Realistic goals and a clear purpose for your next chapter are crucial.

First, tap into your trusted support system - friends, family, therapist - before making a big life decision. It's smart to hash out your business plan, but you also need to ensure you are taking the leap for the right reason - not simply to escape burnout.

Second, make sure you're prepared for (and want) the lifestyle change. If you plan to take a significant pay cut, try living on your non-corporate budget for a couple of months before making that decision. You might not change course but may change how you prepare financially.

• What are some of the things we can do before bed to help us get a great night’s sleep?

Room temperature has an incredible impact on how you sleep. I like the temperature low enough that my nose is cold - if I’m too warm, I toss and turn. CBD is an excellent sleep aid; I use it when I need help staying asleep through the night.

• What are some of your wind-down evening rituals?

Working from home makes the distinct shift between work and evening extra important. I typically wind down by closing the door to my office and getting outside. That golden hour is the ideal time for a walk with my blue heeler, Frankie. I find it can be either calming or energizing, depending on what I need that night. When the weather is warmer, I hang out on the front porch. It’s always fun to enjoy this with friends or chat with passers-by from the neighborhood – magic hour is an unofficial social hour.

• What’s on the horizon for Evenfall this year?

Hand-stitched pillows and quilts, developed in India, are coming soon. All are crafted in hemp, of course. I'm playing around with natural dyes and considering some limited-edition pieces. I also hope to meet customers face to face at pop-up and market events later in the year.

Make This One Change To Sleep Well Tonight