Lowes And Alexander Julian Team Up to Provide Cross Category Home Decorating Program

Furniture World Magazine

Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW), the world's second largest home improvement retailer, and Alexander Julian, award-winning fashion and home furnishings designer, announced that the two companies are teaming up to introduce a consumer- friendly home decorating and improvement program covering a wide range of products to be available throughout Lowe's 576 stores nationwide. A preview of the program, "Alexander Julian At Home" at Lowe's, will be held at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, North Carolina, this April. Products will begin to appear in stores early this summer. The "solution-based" cross-category program will include wallcoverings, paint, window treatments, flooring, rugs, carpeting and kitchen cabinets and countertops. Lowe's is the first to have the full "Alexander Julian At Home" program, and it is the only place where all of these home improvement products will be available under one roof. A lifestyle program defined by casual comfort and relaxed elegance, "Alexander Julian At Home" is designed to simplify and demystify the decorating process. Core to the program are color groupings that cross- coordinate expertly, facilitating color selection for the customer. The "Alexander Julian At Home" home improvement products at Lowe's have been developed to work in concert with existing, nationally-distributed products, including furniture, bedding and other soft goods. Julian is a home fashions designer who understands that both men and women are interested in creating comfortable spaces to live in, places where they feel at ease and at home. "Lowe's and Alexander Julian are working together to ensure that home decorating is easy and enjoyable for our customers," said Robert L. Tillman, Lowe's chairman and CEO. "We recognize the importance of reaching both men and women who build and decorate their homes, which makes the `Alexander Julian At Home' collection a great fit with our company." "The addition of Alexander Julian's line of home improvement products is a broad and unique presentation that is rare in our industry," added Tillman. "This is just another way we are improving home improvement, by offering everything from the lumber and nails to the carpeting and paint choices that make a house a home." Julian, an acclaimed colorist and textile and furniture designer, knows the complexities and subtleties of choosing colors, patterns textures and shapes that work well together. His program shares his expertise with the consumer. The concept is to provide guidance on how to coordinate color and product for any room in the home through a well-designed, well-presented and well- organized program in one environment: Lowe's. The versatile range of colors and patterns within each color grouping provide the customer with the flexibility to confidently create unique and fully coordinated rooms. Customers are encouraged to make their own personal design choices, and they can feel secure in their selections. "I've developed this program to anticipate the problems and diffuse the anxiety the consumer encounters in the design process, especially with color choices," said Julian. "I want to empower consumers to take their color preferences and my casual lifestyle and express themselves in a way that makes them feel comfortable. This program supplies the tools to accomplish just that. Both men and women appreciate products and programs that simplify their lives and make decorating exciting and fun." "Alexander Julian At Home" is a comprehensive home furnishings and home improvement program. An internationally recognized fashion and home furnishings designer, Alex Julian has developed his home improvement program to complement his successful home furnishings and soft home collections. Alexander Julian, Inc. is located at 63 Copps Hill Road, Ridgefield, CT. Lowe's Companies, Inc. is the second largest home improvement retailer in the world, serving more than four million do-it-yourself retail and commercial business customers weekly through more than 575 stores in 37 states. Headquartered in Wilkesboro, N.C., Lowe's is the 18th largest retailer in the U.S. as well as the 40th largest retailer worldwide. The 54-year-old company employs more than 80,000 people. Additional information is available at lowes.com . SOURCE Lowe's Companies, Inc. Web Site: http://www.lowes.com.