Turkey Hill inspires new Stewart line
By Carole Sloan -- Furniture Today, May 26, 2003
New York — Turkey Hill, her home in Connecticut, will be the inspiration for the next Martha Stewart Signature furniture collection.
Stewart said during an appearance at a Huffman Koos store here last week that the new lifestyle, to be previewed by furniture licensee Bernhardt in August, will be "an eclectic offering" — filling in what is missing from Skylands and Lily Pond, the first two groups that now are on retail floors.
Storage pieces will play a key role in Turkey Hill, Stewart said. "Desks, pieces with drawers, and serviceable cupboards (will be) among the collection. There also will be more unique upholstery pieces — they'll be sensible but will reflect finessing and refining of the first two lifestyles."
The 100-piece collection, with about the same number of SKUs as each of the first two lifestyles, will be partly made in Asia, she said. "We've had some challenges in this area," she added, but did not elaborate.
In approaching furniture design, Stewart said she wants to make "tomorrow's heirlooms." She also said she doesn't shop for furniture in stores like the ones selling her new product.
"I always look for vintage," she said.
Stewart said her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and Bernhardt are working well together on the Signature collection.
"The furniture is really very well made, and all the partners finally realize there is a decorating system (which includes the 416 colors in the Stewart paint program). It's been difficult but everyone's done a great job," she said.
Updates also are coming in other Martha Stewart Signature home products, she said.
"We want more and more unique offerings in the Shaw rug collection. Today there are basics and some special pieces and colors," she said.
Fabrics for the first two collections were in part from licensee P/Kaufmann and other suppliers who created exclusive designs. "Hopefully in the future they will all be Martha Stewart Signature fabrics," she said.
And Stewart hopes to add a Signature licensee for top-of-bed textiles "within a year." This program will be separate from the Martha Stewart Everyday bed, bath, housewares and outdoor furniture collections that are exclusive at Kmart.
