Indulgence offers the finest in sheets.

The room most people spend a third of their life in should provide as much joy as the main spaces in a home.

Honoring the bedroom – “the place where you go to relax” – is why Andrea Howard and her daughter Angela heeded an inner voice and created Indulgence, a bed and bath boutique downtown.

The island “just needs this kind of a shop,” Andrea said. “It’s about being able to have some choices if you didn’t want to go into Silverdale or Bellevue.”

Cream walls and a black ceiling add an air of sophistication to the light-filled space in the Winslow building, and a smart layout makes it easy to peruse the nooks and crannies.

Drawing inspiration from a favorite shop, Golden Goose in Mendocino, Calif., Andrea has pulled together a mix of luxe towels, linens, throws and blankets. In looks ranging from regal to country manor, the textures cry out to be touched.

“I didn’t use to care (about bedclothes) until I slept on the good stuff,” Andrea said. “The bed is the centerpiece of the room. Why wouldn’t you want to make it look good?”

To this end, the boutique features display beds outfitted in finery from a handful of quality lines, one more irresistible than the next.

At the most indulgent level are raw silk bed ensembles from Olive Ridge in Northern California and Italian bedding. Home Treasures and Solutions represent the handful of mid-price linens, all of which are good percale quality, Andrea said.

Bamboo is today’s cutting-edge product and the boutique carries 100 percent bamboo fiber sheets that are eco-friendly, baby soft and “last forever.”

“We’re going to educate people about thread count. It’s bogus anyway,” Andrea said. “It’s the finish and the weave that matter.”

Interspersed are classic and contemporary accessories for boudoirs and living rooms, such as dramatic nickel candlesticks, tall artsy “spa bottles” and meltingly soft throws in muted hues.

Italian towels, K&K soaps and soy cotton robes are worthy of any luxury spa and, for even greater relaxation, Cloud 9 down pillows can be filled to individual specifications.

The Howards encourage clients to stroll the boutique and ask questions around the work table, where they can take all the time they want pouring over thick books of swatches from the various lines. In return, the staff promises no hard sell.

“People can feel and touch and we can order different colors and patterns,” Andrea said. “We’ll answer questions here or we’ll go to their house. The island’s small. That’s easy to do.”

The Howards spent nearly six months pulling the boutique together. Andrea has interior design and retail experience.

About six years ago she opened a furniture and accessories store in California for someone else. She later was a real estate agent, working with Angela, who has a background in business administration and marketing management. Working alongside them is artist Paige Baungartner.

The Howards have strong Bainbridge ties, with family in the area. They lived on the island in the 1990s before moving to California for 10 years. They returned last summer, as Angela always knew they would.

Angela and Andrea look forward to erasing any fears about owning fine linens and cottons.

With a little extra care – and specially formulated washes – these fabrics will last a long time, Andrea said. Covering a silk-filled comforter in a duvet provides all the protection it needs for daily use and to sleep under it, Andrea said, is “heaven on earth.”

“These are the things you don’t have to have, but indulge yourself,” she said.

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Sweet sheets

Indulgence is located at 400 Winslow Way in the Winslow. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Call 780-2218.