Home & Harmony grows bedding

ATLANTA — Home & Harmony hit a few firsts this past New York Home Textiles Market with its new Mirabello bedding line, a full line of sheeting, and matelasse shower curtains, bedspreads, coverlets and box spring covers.

"Our approach prior to this market had been more focused on towels, so this is the first big push with full sheeting and bedding lines," said Craig Benepe, Home & Harmony president.

In sheeting, the company is offering a 310-count Simplicity sheet in nine colors, which is 60 percent cotton and 40 percent microdenier. Also new is the 300-count Egyptian cotton sheet with ornamental embroidery in white or linen on white.

A Micro Cotton sheet is new in 16 colors (plus white and ivory soon) to match the line of existing towels, bath mats, rugs, blankets and robes. The Micro Cotton sheet features dual performance features as it traps heat in winter and pulls away body moisture in summer, said the company. Home & Harmony will also be showing 100 percent bamboo sheets by this summer.

In bedding, Home & Harmony has added four colors (white, aqua, lavender and mint) to its spring/summer pique collection of duvet covers, shams and bedskirts. Its fall/winter gabardine bedding collection now comes in tan, chocolate, claret and charcoal.

This past market was also the first time the company introduced Italian Mirabello prints from Mascioni in the showroom for duvet covers, shams and euros. Two patterns were shown on beds: Lilla, a tossed lilac floral reversing to a dot on 300-count Egyptian cotton sateen; and Pamir Paisley, a red/green paisley with double hem Louisiana sheet on 200-count combed Egyptian cotton.

The company also introduced a line of matelasse bedspreads, coverlets, box spring covers and shower curtains from Portugal. The collection is offered in four woven varieties: ottoman, diamond, basketweave and circles. Also new are two-toned sueded microdenier down throws, featuring eight ounces of loosely filled gray goose down.

"We see an opportunity to expand into the bedspread category as people are looking for an easier way to make up beds, particularly the baby boomers," added Benepe. "Every day, we strive to develop unique, innovative and differentiated product by looking at how we can make life a little simpler for the end user."

In bath, the company introduced five new towels: a plied cotton chenille towel, a reversible towel of low-twist yarn in four color combinations, a Revive towel with a different construction on each side, a zero-twist yarn-dyed stripe, and a 70/30 bamboo/cotton towel for decreased shrinkage.

Home & Harmony will also be introducing nylon-tufted bath mats in two sizes that will be available in all 16 Micro Cotton colors.

In addition, parent company Home Source International has just forged a partnership with Karsten America that allows it to go direct to retailers with supply-chain management.

"We now have warehouse and distribution to service the needs of these retailers, and can help them purchase goods from overseas," said Keith Sorgeloos, Home Source International president. "Our business model has shifted from going after U.S. manufacturers to U.S. retailers because of the way the industry is going."