Wisteria Hysteria
After Andrew and Shannon Newsom were included in the cover story (“The Ones To Watch”) of the May 2006 issue of Multichannel Merchant, apparently others have been watching their home decor catalog business prosper as well.
Jay Johnson, president of interior design firm Jed Johnson Associates, wrote eloquently about Wisteria in an article for New York Design Examiner. Here is a taste of Johnson’s glowing tribute to Wisteria:
“There is nothing quite as grand as stumbling onto a mail order catalog that you actually want to keep,” Johnson wrote. “Rarer still are those catalogs that we enjoy getting in the mail time after time. That is my definition of what constitutes a “best bet” for home design catalogs, and few rise to the occasion. Wisteria is one of the very few that I can heartily recommend.”
Johnson adds: “I lust after most every item in the Wisteria catalog, and I have great online search sessions, hunting for unusual and stunning items. Most items are well priced, like the $35 we paid for a set of three colorful old-fashioned fly swatters that featured handwork embroidery on the fly screens or the just-over-$100 we paid for a beautiful sky blue Chinese garden stool, just the right touch for a corner of our front porch.”
After a recent visit to the Wisteria site, Johnson offered his “finds” and “favorites”. From top to bottom, he wrote: “The Petit Sunburst Mirror (it’s very difficult finding a small decorative mirror that’s reasonably priced for your wall groupings!), the great use-me-anywhere-indoors French Industrial Locker Room Bench, the Linen Crown Chair Cover (which is a great way to dress up your dining chairs for a party), the amazing Floral Hand-Stenciled Chest (admire it for both its decorative value and its utility), the gloriously fun En Point Chair inspired by decorating icon Madeleine Castaing, the fabulously fake Red Goat Head (with real horns, however), and the Shanxi Cabinet, an ancient Chinese provincial reproduction that would make a great bench or coffee table (and you have to love all the great storage!).”
The Newsoms started the catalog in 2001. Andrew’s lifelong love of flea markets helped as well. What distinguishes Wisteria from a myriad other home furnishing catalogs is its merchandise mix of bona fide antiques (Chinese butcher’s tables for $1,299, French wine jugs for $229), antique-inspired furnishings (wrought-iron plant stands for $189, the Mango Wood Table/Sculpture/Stool for $149), and quirky accessories sourced from around the world.
