Preferred Brands Corp., parent to the Floor To Ceiling and World of Floors retail groups, has launched a new line of affordably priced custom cabinetry to be marketed nationwide under the Kathy Ireland HOME brand. The products will be sold exclusively through Floor To Ceiling and select Preferred Brands kitchen and bath dealers.
In making the announcement, Steve Sindlinger, president and CEO of Preferred Brands, noted, “It began when Kathy was kind enough to speak before our group at our annual convention in 2008. A few side conversations later and it became apparent that a joint venture could be loaded with potential.”
Kathy Ireland, CEO and chief designer for Kathy Ireland Worldwide (KIWW), said the agreement also marks the company’s entry into the kitchen and bath cabinetry market. “I am grateful to the wonderful team at Floor To Ceiling for bringing our vision of kitchen and bath cabinetry to life in such a beautiful and powerful way,” she said. “Steve Sindlinger and Erik Mason [Preferred Brands kitchen & bath product manager] are both leaders in the world of interior design-related retail. It is an incredible honor to partner with Floor To Ceiling and its parent company, Preferred Brands, in this new category.”
“This new offering would be a viable market entry at any time, but it is especially appropriate, considering today’s difficult market conditions,” Mason added. “For the average consumer to be able to find a custom cabinet line that appeals to both her aesthetic and convenience needs, at an attractive price, is the ideal solution to today’s remodeling challenge.”
The cabinetry line is offered in 276 door styles in solid Cherry, Maple, Oak, Quarter Sawn Oak, Hickory, Pine and Alder, with rustic variations of each. The collection also includes several thermofoil doors. Seventy-two finishes are available, including combinations of stains, glazes and paints, with the ability to also apply custom paints supplied by the customer. In addition, future marketing plans call for special Kathy Ireland, JduJ and ACafé designs and finish colors to be added to the collection.
“Regardless of whether the cabinet choice is engineered wood or plywood construction, the width, depth and height dimensions of all Kathy Ireland HOME cabinetry are customizable to within 1/16”. Until now, that flexibility was available only with considerably more expensive cabinetry – with much longer lead times. That means that with KI HOME cabinetry, designers won’t need to compromise the flow and balance of their cabinet run with unsightly fillers, or worry about having to hop over to a stepped-up version of a line (at a stepped-up price) to complete the project with custom features,” Mason noted.
“Finally,” Mason said, “all of our products carry a Limited Lifetime Warranty and our lead time remains a highly desirable 3 to 4 weeks. Reliable quality, at an affordable price is what we’ll build our business on. That’s particularly important in this new economy.”
