Nick Poulos Content Discussion.

Transcript

15 November 2024, 08:39pm

The follow transcript was done with Manchester Warehouse Co-Founder and Co-Owner Nick Poulos about all things bedding and linen. This content will be used as the source of a number of upcoming blogs in the future. The blogs will reference this content. 

Transcription by James Cole.

James Cole
So it’s not about search engines, it’s not about anything else, it’s just about you, Nicholas, the director of a very well-established online business providing information to your customers. You’re just talking, like you’re... you know.

Nick Poulos
Yeah. OK.

James Cole
There was this thing at McDonald’s where, now that they’ve got the kiosk system, a lot of people buy two burgers with their meal because they’re too shy to ask for two burgers at the counter.

Nick Poulos
Yeah, well, that’s amazing. That’s amazing. Yeah.

James Cole
So, in the same way, we’re doing the same with you. People might not want to ask, 'What’s the deal with sizes in Australia?' They might feel too silly to ask. But you’re here because you’re the expert. You’re telling them anyway. It’s like they’re in a safe zone.

Nick Poulos
Oh, I’m just answering. I’m just answering today. So, you know, unless you tell me not to, I’ll answer as if you’re a customer in our showroom or in our old store. If the question isn’t relevant or impossible to answer, I’ll talk to you like I would a customer, right? Because you just want the truth, don’t you? You want truth. Yeah.

James Cole
Yes. Yep. Yeah. And I don’t want you to think too much. I just want you to talk to me like you.

Nick Poulos
No, I’m really comfortable. I’m really comfortable. I might become something else later, but I’m just comfortable. And to be honest, I’m in the showroom on my own with my headphones on, walking around like I’m talking to someone. So I can probably talk all day. You might need to wrap me up as I’m talking, James, because I’m not conscious of what we’re doing. It’s better. Yeah.

James Cole
OK. Yep. OK. Yeah, that’s OK. Alright, let’s get into it. So, I was just wondering, Nick, I’m looking online trying to work out where to buy my sheets and I want to make sure they fit my bed. What’s the deal with buying sheets online or knowing the standard sizes of sheets in Australia?

Nick Poulos
Yep, sure. Well, the first thing you need to be wary of is if you’re buying sheets in this country online, you need to be buying from an Australian website. Because if you’re buying sheets online from an overseas website—even, for instance, a website from New Zealand, where we’re considered close partners—the sizes are not the same. They’re completely different...

James Cole
What about, I’ve got this mattress with a pillow top, and sometimes I buy sheets that are too small. Like, they’re the right size, but they pop off a lot, or they’re a bit short.

Nick Poulos
Oh, fantastic. Fantastic. Yep. Yep. Fantastic. So, pillow-top mattresses are dominating the market and are generally traditional-style spring mattresses. In comparison to latex and memory foam mattresses, which I can talk about in a moment, pillow-top mattresses have deep sides...

Even though the width and length of the bed still meet Australian standards, the depth is not standardised. A pillow-top mattress can go from 22–25 centimetres to almost 35–40 centimetres deep, with some mattresses even deeper. That’s an extra 10–15 centimetres in depth...

When buying sheets, you need to check their depth as well as their width and length. At Manchester Warehouse, our standard fitted sheet depth is 40 cm, which is already generous. But for deeper pillow-top mattresses, you’ll need our 'Mega Size' fitted sheets, which go up to 50 cm. This ensures you’ll have 3–4 inches of sheet securely tucked under the mattress. Does that make sense?

James Cole
Oh, that’s fantastic. And at a high level, what’s the difference between double, queen, and king sizes?

Nick Poulos
That’s fine, no problem. The difference sounds minimal, but it’s actually significant when you look at the mattress itself. For example:

- Double bed: 137 cm wide x 193 cm long
- Queen bed: 152 cm wide x 203 cm long
- King bed: 182 cm wide x 203 cm long

Essentially, queen and king mattresses are the same length, but king-size beds are much wider. In the old imperial measurements, king beds are 6 feet wide, queen beds are 5 feet wide, and double beds are 4 feet 6 inches wide.

James Cole
Do two king singles make a king bed?

Nick Poulos
No, they don’t. Two king singles actually make a California king, which is an American size. It’s a bit of a tricky size because it’s not standard here in Australia, so it’s hard to find bedding for it. If you want to make a proper king-size bed, you need two long single beds. Long singles are 91 cm wide but 203 cm long—so they’re as long as a king or queen mattress. When you put two of those together, they form what we call a 'split king,' which is a perfectly sized king mattress but in two parts.

James Cole
OK, great. Moving on to the next question. I’m trying to choose the right doona size for my bed, and I was wondering how to do that.

Nick Poulos
That’s a no-brainer. These days, when you look at online imagery, beds always have oversized doonas on them to give a generous fall. For example:

- On a double bed, use a queen doona.
- On a queen bed, use a king doona.
- On a king bed, use a super king doona.

This gives you that gracious, luxurious look with enough coverage.

James Cole
OK, fantastic. I’m into fashion and looking to see what the top colour trends are for 2024. What do you see as popular colours?

Nick Poulos
The market has definitely shifted. There’s a core palette of timeless neutrals that always stays in fashion—white, natural, charcoal, and silver. These roll through every season. Then, as we come into summer, you’ll see pastels emerging, like soft greens, sky blues, and light pinks. For winter, the same colours deepen. You’ll see forest greens, clay, cinnamon, and deeper chocolate tones.

James Cole
Those are great. I want a relaxing environment in my bedroom. Are those colours good for that kind of look?

Nick Poulos
Actually, the most relaxing colours are the neutrals—like white, natural, charcoal, and silver. That’s why they dominate the market. If you’re going for a calming space, we suggest a neutral base for your quilt cover or bedspread and then bring in pops of colour through accessories like cushions and throws.

James Cole
Fantastic. So, how do you match your bedding with your bedroom walls for a coordinated look?

Nick Poulos
It’s not always easy. Trends and decorating are subjective. Our suggestion is to stick to tones rather than contrast. For example, if you have grey walls, don’t put a bright red quilt cover on the bed. Instead, stick to similar tones—like charcoals, greys, and silvers—and play with variations of those shades for a timeless, cohesive look.

James Cole
I’m seeing a lot of sage green trending. What colours pair well with sage green?

Nick Poulos
Sage green is super hot right now. It pairs beautifully with earth tones, like clay, natural, and deeper greens. You’re sticking to that earthy palette.