Damn they are smart. National Geographic has taken their branding to the living room and we’re not talking about another coffee table book.
National Geographic Home Collection
“This year’s line pays homage to many world cultures in details that reflect with depth and whimsy the spirit of wildlife; tribal and cultural elements of Africa, India, and Asia; and the unique cultural history of the West Indies.”
And they are giving their proceeds to their World Cultures Fund, which supports “the work of archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, artists, and other professionals working in cultural areas.”
I found this while flipping through the “Your Time” section of TIME at the supermarket checkstand. At first I was annoyed that I hadn’t heard of it already. But then I reminded myself that TIME is printing the freshest topics as they are happening. Or at least stuff that’s fun to talk about. And I felt better in knowing that I’m not even close to being the last to know, even if I didn’t find this and pitch it myself.
Next I thought that looking at this furniture would caffeinate my desire for a new couch, but when I took a look at some of their “Rooms”. I drooled at beds and dressers, dug around for prices, and then let it go. When they say that their Home Collection is inspired by “a century’s worth of world travels by the Society’s own explorers and photographers, the treasures they have discovered and collected, and the cultures they have celebrated and documented,” I chalk it up to good marketing copy. Did the writers and photographers really have any say in it? Or shall we put our money on the notion that it was probably put together by a bunch of interior decorators.
I couldn’t find any prices on the dressers I liked, but Kate Novak did her research for the TIME piece and gives you some sticker shock in her blurb.