SUGAR VALLEY, GA — Mohawk Home last week signed a licensing agreement with home design guru Chris Casson Madden, who hosts the weekly program "Interiors By Design" on cable TV's HGTV network and is the author of 15 cooking, home design and lifestyle books.

Mohawk Home will produce oversized throws made with soft cottons; decorative pillows that coordinate with throws and also stand alone; and wall tapestries to coordinate with Madden's existing line of furniture, which is distributed by licensee Bassett, based in Bassett, VA.

"I first became a fan of Chris as a viewer of her show on HGTV, which I started watching with my wife," said Pat Moyer, vp, marketing, Mohawk Home. "She has such a unique understanding of home decor. And it helps that she's already got a furniture license out because it's important to us that we can tie together our product and coordinate with her other lines. We are an extension of furniture — we're an accessory."

Madden believes that home textiles are essential accessories to the "bones," or furniture of a home.

"My feeling was that a home isn't just four walls, it's the heart and soul for your family and friends," said Madden, who has done interior decorating for stars like Oprah Winfrey and Katie Couric. "You need to surround yourself with things that make you feel good, and the right throws, pillows and candles -— all of which I'm adding to my line — make the biggest impact."

Mohawk's offerings will be based on three design collections by Madden: women's personal spaces, which embodies a casual and cozy getaway feel of soft palettes in florals, animal prints and Asian styles; Palm Beach, a tropical resort look; and Irish Country Hunt, an equestrian design.

The initial launch will be officially introduced in October at the New York Home Textiles Market, said Moyer.

Price points have not been set yet, Moyer added, but the line is targeting specialty, mid-tier and department stores.

For next year, Mohawk Home will add area rugs in January and then bath rugs in February and April to its Chris Madden collection of home textiles, according to Moyer.

A large portion of the product will be imported from China, Singapore and other parts of Asia, Moyer said. The rest will be produced domestically at Mohawk's factory here.