National TV personality, author and columnist Katie Brown has developed two new product lines for the home to be launched exclusively at 191 Meijer stores this month. The launch of the Katie Brown line of products marks the first time that the Midwest retailer has partnered with a national figure to create a line of signature items.
From clean-cut, coastal-inspired creations to rustic and rough-hewn designs, Brown's designs will be represented initially in a number of design-driven kitchen textiles items, tabletop products, patio furniture, outdoor decor accents, and gardening tools.
In the fall, the retailer plans to introduce bed & bath products and home decor products, and in time for the holidays, holiday-themed kitchen ornaments, stockings, skirts, tabletop textiles, accent tableware and home decor.
"This is the most anticipated new product launch for us in recent memory," said Bryan O'Connell, group vice president of hardlines at Meijer. "This is an exclusive line of products that we and Katie have been working on for more than a year. And the results are nothing short of astonishing. It's unlike anything we've ever done before in terms of creating a high-quality, great-value product line with an outside partner of Katie's stature. We're confident that Meijer shoppers will connect strongly to these designs, products and prices."
The Orchard Collection, inspired by Katie's affinity for the rustic appeal of log cabins and mountain retreats, features all the vibrant colors of nature's palette with designs that evoke a simple, unaffected lifestyle. It will include such items as a wood patio set, rustic outdoor decor, hand-thrown ceramic dinnerware, wire mesh tabletop accessories, beeswax citronella candles, rough-hewn wood serving pieces and oversize firepits.
The Northern Shores Collection harkens back to Katie's days along Lake Michigan as a child. Marked by bold primary colors, crisp, clean minimal design and an All-American vibe that connotes equal parts preppy and nautical, the collection delivers a soothing familiarity, but not without a bit of an edge. It will feature such items as perfectly angled porcelain dinnerware, stainless steel serveware, heavy duty steel patio set in a striking gloss white, nautical outdoor accessories, board-and-batten planters and crisp clean table linens.
"I like to think of this line as having its roots in my preppy upbringing, while being updated by my experiences in New York," Brown said. "I used my memories and recollections of the past more than anything else in creating these products," said Brown. "Virtually everything here was initially inspired by my memories of summer days on the Great Lakes or the precious time I'm able to spend in my log cabin at the foothills of one of Mother Nature's greatest designs. Both collections are vastly different from one another, but both will immediately transport you to a definitive place that is as comforting as it is beautiful."
By year's end, Meijer will have introduced more than 700 signature products from Katie Brown. Next year, the retailer expects to begin selling bakeware, picture frames, a refreshed seasonal garden line, home decor, pantryware, fresh floral, room organizers and craft organization. In total, Meijer will offer more than 1,000 products under the exclusive Katie Brown label over the next five years.
Brown began a partnership with Meijer in late 2008, serving as the retailer's "Home Solutions Advisor." Over the past year she has worked to create a microsite on the Meijer website, and to develop practical and easy-to-follow solutions for Meijer shoppers in and around the home.
