Tim O’Hearn

Tim O’Hearn is the founder of Linen Society and a longtime American retailer specializing in luxury European bed, bath and table linens.

O’Hearn graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, in 1984, with a double major in Business Administration and Foreign Languages. His studies reflected two interests that would remain central throughout his career: business and an international perspective.

His career in retail began that same year at Meier & Frank, then a division of the May Company and later part of Macy’s, where he worked from 1984 to 1990. O’Hearn completed the company’s management training program and advanced through the organization, with his final position there as a buyer. That early experience in department-store retail gave him a foundation in merchandising, product selection and customer-focused retailing that would later shape his own businesses.

Having also spent part of his youth in France, O’Hearn developed an appreciation for European craftsmanship, textiles and the traditions surrounding the home — interests that would ultimately shape his career.

In 1996, he founded French Quarter Linens in Portland, Oregon, building the store around an edited collection of exceptional bed, bath and table linens sourced from many of the world’s leading mills and ateliers.

Over the following decades, O’Hearn expanded that business through the acquisition and development of several distinctive specialty brands.

In 2011, he acquired Samuel Scheuer, the historic San Francisco linen retailer.

In 2012, he acquired the embroidery company that became Henry Handwork, a collection of hand-embroidered linens and home accessories produced by skilled artisans in Vietnam.

In 2013, O’Hearn established Grande Maison in Southern California, extending his approach to luxury linens and highly personalized retail service to the Los Angeles market.

In 2015, he acquired Manor Fine Wares, a Portland home and design retailer.

That same year, the LINEN SOCIETY name was filed for federal trademark protection as the unifying identity for O’Hearn’s growing group of specialty linen businesses. The trademark was federally registered in 2016, establishing Linen Society as the umbrella identity connecting the businesses and their shared focus on exceptional bed, bath and table linens.

In 2019, O’Hearn founded LETTO, a bedding collection developed around Italian manufacturing, natural fibers and a quieter, more contemporary approach to luxury.

Today, Linen Society operates stores on the West Coast as well as an online business serving customers throughout the United States. O’Hearn remains actively involved in product development, merchandising, sourcing and the overall creative direction of the company.

His approach to retail has remained remarkably consistent: seek out exceptional materials and craftsmanship, understand the story behind how products are made, and give customers the knowledge and confidence to choose things they will live with for many years.

O’Hearn divides his time between Portland and the South of France and travels extensively in Europe and Asia in connection with the businesses and their suppliers.

A Career in Specialty Retail

1984 — Lewis & Clark College

O’Hearn graduated from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, with a double major in Business Administration and Foreign Languages.

1984–1990 — Meier & Frank / May Company

O’Hearn began his retail career at Meier & Frank, then a division of the May Company and later part of Macy’s. He completed the company’s management training program and ultimately worked as a buyer.

1996 — French Quarter Linens

Founded by O’Hearn in Portland, Oregon, French Quarter Linens became the business from which today’s Linen Society developed.

2011 — Samuel Scheuer

O’Hearn acquired the longstanding San Francisco fine-linen retailer, which subsequently became part of Linen Society.

2012 — Henry Handwork

Following the acquisition of an existing embroidery company, O’Hearn established Henry Handwork under its new identity, specializing in hand-embroidered linens and home accessories created by artisans in Vietnam.

2013 — Grande Maison

O’Hearn established Grande Maison in Southern California as a luxury linen retail concept serving the Los Angeles market.

2015 — Manor Fine Wares

O’Hearn acquired the Portland home and design retailer, which was later combined with the Linen Society Portland operation.

2015 — LINEN SOCIETY Trademark Filed

The LINEN SOCIETY name was filed for federal trademark protection as the unifying identity for O’Hearn’s specialty linen businesses.

2016 — LINEN SOCIETY Trademark Registered

The LINEN SOCIETY trademark received federal registration, establishing the name as the umbrella identity for the group.

2019 — LETTO

O’Hearn founded LETTO, a modern bedding collection emphasizing Italian production, natural materials and understated design.