East Coast home and design destination, The Kellogg Collection, is celebrating 40 years of success as an independently owned purveyor of furniture, upholstery, rugs, accessories, wall art, lighting, fabric, serve ware, permanent botanicals, soft goods and professional design services.
Concurrent with its commemoration of this milestone (marked with new branding and a special anniversary sale), The Kellogg Collection is garnering attention from a new and growing audience of design-savvy millennials (many of whom grew up in Kellogg-decorated homes and remember visiting the store with a parent); increasing its influence as a source for supply-challenged interior designers; and basking in the glow of a bit of national recognition in the form of a key award nomination.
Operating from four upscale brick-and-mortar locations in Washington, Maryland and Virginia, Kellogg Collection staffers and designers have perfected the art of customer service and product curation. Each and every item — from family-size sectional sofas to beeswax dinner candles — is hand-selected for its quality, workmanship, and adherence to an aesthetic that seamlessly blends elements of traditional English, French country and Swedish design with the comfort and convenience of modern function, form and innovation.
The result is a sophisticated-yet-casual, elegant-yet-livable presentation so familiar to its multi-generational customer base that it’s become known as "The Kellogg Look." Whether it’s a rug, sofa, pair of buffet lamps or line of furniture, it’s in The Kellogg Collection because it’s consistent with a timeless aesthetic that exudes confidence, reflects an informed sense of style, and is versatile enough to follow its owner from apartment to urban loft, to townhouse, to mini-manse, to maxi-manse, to Embassy Row.
For new administration arrivals and out-of-town set designers, The Kellogg Collection has become the go-to source for the DC powerbroker-at-home look, dressing the interiors on shows like “Veep” and “House of Cards.” More recently, Kellogg products decked the halls of (fictional) Senator and Mrs. Dave Wallace’s home in the new novel “The Cave Dwellers” (released in March 2022 by Simon & Schuster), a gossipy satire of scandal, power and privilege set among Washington’s old guard “cave dwellers” and politically-powered newcomer families.
When it comes to furnishing their homes, they turn to The Kellogg Collection because, as author and native Washingtonian Christina McDowell shared with a Kellogg representative, the brand is uniquely “Washington” — a place where Mrs. Senator Wallace desperately wants to fit in. “I remember going to the flagship store on Wisconsin Avenue as a young girl with my mom; it always felt like a big occasion,” McDowell added. "The brand defines many of the upper crust family homes in the District: classic, traditional, warm, elegant … a collection that, if hosting politicians, foreign dignitaries or royalty, one would feel proud to have in their home.”
Whether the customer is fictional or real, long-time resident or temporary transplant, in search of a single item or whole home makeover, Kellogg makes it easy. Almost everything is presented in vignettes, and if it’s on the floor it can go home today or be delivered immediately. Want it in a different fabric or color? It’s probably in stock — in one of the other shop locations or the company’s 10,000-square-foot warehouse.
After 40 years of practice, the artistry and beauty of Kellogg’s presentation is unrivaled — so much so that it’s not uncommon for customers to purchase entire vignettes off the floor.
Each grouping (typically consisting of a sofa or sectional, chairs, accent tables, sideboard, lamps, chandelier, mirror, art and decorative objects) is matched to a selection from the company’s exceptional curation of hand-knotted and hand-woven rugs. Where the store architecture allows, the rug is hung on the wall as a space-defining backdrop which allows for the overall design, natural dyes, individual motifs and silky wool sheen of these heirloom-worthy pieces to be viewed in their entirety.
Rugs, incidentally, are how The Kellogg Collection got its start. Back in 1982, shortly after dhurries began gracing the pages of shelter magazines as newcomers to the “classic yet comfortable” scene, owner/founder Pamela K. Green opened the doors of The Kellogg Collection’s flagship store on Wisconsin Avenue in Northwest Washington and stocked it with the area’s first dhurrie rugs. Furniture and accessories soon rounded out the offerings, followed by additional locations.
Forty years, three recessions, and one pandemic later, The Kellogg Collection is positioned for continued success, holding its own in light of the industry-wide challenges brought on by e-commerce competitors (The Kellogg Collection sells in-store only), staffing shortages (some of Kellogg’s employees have been with the company for decades), and supply chain stalemates (the company sources many of its products domestically from furniture craftsmen and upholsterers, and maintains a strong stock position thanks to its warehouse capacity).
The Kellogg Collection recently received national recognition in the form of an ARTS Award nomination, the home furnishings industry’s equivalent of an academy award. The ARTS Awards program, now in its 33rd year, is overseen by an industry trade group in conjunction with the Dallas Market Center. This year’s winners will be announced at a gala event in January. Additionally, earlier this year The company received the honor of being named to trade publication Home Accents Today's 18th annual national list for retail excellence.
Green credits her company's ongoing success to several factors, not the least of which is its experienced, long-tenured staff and its enduring customer relationships.
Stephanie Horan, Kellogg's buyer, also noted the company’s ability to remain stocked: “Merchandise is distributed from our warehouse. Anyone that comes into any of the stores can buy off the floor. They don’t have to special-order and wait, so they can get instant gratification. We typically can get things delivered in one or two days.” It also translates to frequent product tweaks and turns so that customers almost always find new products and vignettes to shop.
In addition to its Washington store, The Kellogg Collection operates stores in Baltimore, Md. (6245 Falls Rd.), McLean, Va. (1353 Chain Bridge Rd.) and Richmond, Va. (6227 River Rd.).
Along with a full range of home furnishings, the company offers professional interior design services and customization options in furniture and upholstery. Kellogg engages with customers primarily via email and showcases new product daily on social media. Contact information, hours of operation, look books, social media links, press, a sampling of product, and email sign-up are available at www.kelloggcollection.com.
