Osmonds’ line shares comforts of home

He sang his way into our hearts, but now Donny Osmond is making his way into our homes in a very different way. The ’70s teen heartthrob and current Las Vegas headliner recently launched the Donny Osmond Home collection by Donny Osmond and Debbie Osmond; and he acknowledges that although he does most of the interviews, his wife is the one who has really taken the wheel with this new venture.

“I really can’t take the credit for this. It’s really Debbie,” Osmond said in a recent phone interview before he and Debbie’s Jan. 28 meet-and-greet during this week’s 2014 Winter Las Vegas Market.

Donny Osmond Home was also recently showcased at Atlanta’s AmericasMart home show. The brand brings a transitional style anchored in neutral colors, allowing for color accents that “give a pop” to any room, Osmond said. The style stems from Debbie Osmond’s approach to design in the couple’s home, one that blends modern, traditional and, above all, seeks comfort.

“My wife has always been able to establish such a peaceful atmosphere at home. When I go home, it really is a great place to recharge from the world of show business,” Osmond said.

Right now, the Donny Osmond Home collection offers about 1,000 items: accents, tables, area rugs, vases, clocks, benches, cabinets, door hardware, mantels and plenty of other pieces. Furniture and bath lines are in the works. You’ll see plenty of simple grays and cream colors with some furniture that weaves in metals, such as bronze, as well.

But above all, the pieces allow for an owner to add an accent item that’s purple, red or other trending bright color. It’s a line with plenty of traditional touches, a modern flair, but one that works with other elements in a room without overtaking them by being too harsh or edgy.

“The style allows the collection to be flexible with emerging color trends and shift with changing color trends,” Osmond added. “You can’t just come out and say ‘this is our design’ and hope that everybody will like it. … You want to make something that is available to everyone.”

The collection also brings a family theme, with a tagline of “Making Home and Family #1.” Some of the items contain messaging that promotes family. There are also inspirational wooden wall signs, made from reclaimed wood. Some of the messages on them include “Love Makes Everything Better” and “Love Knows No Limits,” and an Osmond collection wouldn’t be complete without a “Soldier of Love” sign.

The line has licenses with Lamp Works, Pearl Mantels, Ellison First Asia, Copper Creek, The Willowbrook Company, Kas Oriental Rugs and others.

“It appears they have designed a fantastic casually comfortable home collection,” said Jill Abelman, owner of a local design studio, Inside Style Las Vegas, who gave the items a quick study online before the meet-and-greet. “My favorite pieces are the candleholders and vases, although I may fall for the lidded vases.”

Longtime friend and now Donny Osmond Home brand manager, Deb Wallace approached the Osmonds about creating the line four years ago. Donny and Debbie liked the idea. But they took their time finding the right design team and manufacturing partners.

How the company runs might be a page from Donny’s book. Osmond is a known technology lover. And technology plays a huge part in how new pieces for the collection come about.

Osmond tells the story of how he and Debbie were in London recently when certain ideas came to her. She sent photos and notes to her team through a Dropbox account. The pair also uses a Houzz website account that allows homeowners to store design ideas when the inspiration comes. The Osmond’s design team members have access to the accounts and are ready to start sketching out potential concepts when their owners kick off a virtual brainstorming session.

“By the time we got home, we had like 10 ideas waiting for us,” Osmond said.

At 56, Osmond is still staying busy on the entertainment side of things. He said he has three main focuses this year: maintaining his residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas, recording an album and slowly rolling out the furniture collection.

“We don’t want to grow too fast. History is replete with failures because everyone has a great idea that grew too fast,” he added.