IKEA tried to sell Americans its own beds, before discovering that they were the wrong size for their bedlinen; sales of its four-legged desks to Germans also flopped five legs are preferred.One way of getting an inside track on local tastes is to join a local partner, something that in many developing countries is required by law.
Never a formal, "dress" lace, Valenciennes was nevertheless costly; it was used by the rich and by those at court for bedlinen, lingerie, fichus (triangular scarf draped over the shoulders), and the like.
Their own thing involves offering three immaculate guest rooms equipped with luxury bedlinen, iPod docks, free Wi-Fi and Nespresso coffee machines.
These days you can also buy co-ordinating fabrics and paint as well as bedlinen and tableware, and in 2007-08 the company's revenues increased by 25 per cent, which against the background of the housing crash is astonishing.
More blatant are those like Lulu Guinness, Kylie Minogue and Julien Macdonald who put their name to bedlinen.
Elegantly designed, the rooms are sophisticated, with luxury bedlinen and smart bathrooms.
Bell tent and tipi interiors are "decked out with bunting, shabby chic throws and bedlinen, and the communal safari tent looks like a Bedouin palace – with fur throws and Moroccan lamps".
Luxury tented accommodation is run on solar power and every detail is considered: toiletries are chemical-free; the bedlinen is organic cotton, and there's a tightly controlled water system.
The comfortable beds are made up with Egyptian cotton bedlinen, Portuguese wool blankets and Gant cushions, with toiletries by Clarins.
The decor is stylishly simple, with modern furniture, neutral colour schemes, padded headboards and Portuguese cotton bedlinen.
High thread-count bedlinen and chocolates at turn down are no longer benchmarks of luxury in the hospitality industry; hotels have had to innovate, from card and keyless doors (Starwood) to creating social hubs that reach beyond the bar and restaurant (Ace Hotels).
