Author and reality TV personality Joanna Gaines is the latest public figure to jump into the bedding game with her new Target-exclusive collection.
The “Fixer Upper” star recently added a line of bedding to her Hearth & Hand with Magnolia collection, which features sheets, comforters, blankets and throw pillows crafted in her trademark “farmhouse-chic” style. While this is her first-ever bedding collection, Gaines has been showing HGTV-viewers how to assemble bedroom decor since her show premiered in 2013. After five seasons, the designer called it quits on the program to focus exclusively on Hearth & Hand.
The line is officially available online and in Target stores all over the country. To learn more about the inspiration behind this new collection, I reached out to Gaines’s publicity team. Although I wasn’t able to get an interview, Gaines did shed some light in a recent Target ad:
A well-thought-out bedroom begins with a room that looks and feels comfortable. My new bedding collection is all about layering soft linens and textiles, like patterned pillows. I like to start with soft cotton sheets, and then add in a bit of texture like the raw edge and simple stitch design of these pillows. Then, as a finishing detail, I’ll place a throw at the end of the bed.
Gaines goes on to offer some design tips to folks looking to boost bedroom decor, but bedding accessories aren’t the only new items to launch in her Magnolia collection. Planners, lamps, vases and other lifestyle products are also now available in the Hearth & Hand line at Target, with products ranging from $19.99-$99.99.
So… Are All These Celebrity Goods Any Good?
Joanna Gaines isn’t the only public figure attempting to carve out a space in the bedding industry. Vocalist Lionel Richie recently launched a line of bed and bath products through JCPenney, and actress Catherine Zeta-Jones will soon be unveiling a collection of bedding, rugs and bath towels inspired by her Welsh ancestry. As more celebrity-designed sleep accessories enter the scene, one can’t help but wonder: Is this bedding about quality, or name recognition?
So, to get an expert’s opinion as to whether these celebrity-made goods are actually any good, I spoke with NYC-based interior designer Nicole Agnello. She told me that while a Hollywood brand name is likely to attract consumer attention, it’s worth examining whether folks like Gaines, Richie and Zeta-Jones are producing bedding in a responsible way.
“The wonderful thing about design,” said Agnello, “is that everyone is affected by it, and everyone has unique experiences, so I think everyone can have a say. I just feel strongly that because there’s so much science and responsibility behind design, and behind bringing a product to market, that the designer should perform their due diligence and create a quality product in a sustainable manner, whether they are a celebrity or not.”
Agnello went on to tell me that the design and physical arrangement of your bedroom definitely contributes to the quality of your sleep, and she applauds celebrities like Joanna Gaines who recognize that they have a responsibility to do right by the consumer. “Ultimately,” she explained, “you have to be knowledgeable about the industry and not just manufacture unsustainable, poor quality products solely in an effort to make money.”
Agnello also reminded me that, unlike Richie and Zeta-Jones, Gaines did rise to fame because of her design prowess, offering a distinctive style admired by many. However, whether that lends itself to the manufacturing of quality bedding is a question that will be left for consumers to answer in the weeks and months ahead.
Images courtesy of @target and @lionelrichiehome on Instagram