tlanta, Georgia’s revital-ized Westside area has a

reputation for the artistic,upscale vibe of its local retailers andrestaurateurs. Situated in the middle ofone of the area’s best-known shoppingdistricts is Kolo Collection, a casual-lifestyle store that dares to be different.

Its husband–wife owners, GregMartin and Michelle Larrabee-Martin,wouldn’t have it any other way. “Ourapproach to retailing is to create a show-room that inspires our customers to create their ownunique space, and that can only be accomplished ifour space and products encourage individuality,”Martin explains.

In 2003, the couple opened Kolo Collection in aconverted old warehouse in the trendy Atlanta WhiteProvisions district after Larrabee-Martin (a designer)and Martin (whose grandparents owned a furniturestore) came up with the concept for their new venture.According to Martin, the store’s location is a major fac-

tor that has contributed to its success. “The district has a real urban vibe. It’s like Atlanta’s

version of SoHo (New York, New York), which com-plements the image of our store,” he explains. The foottraffic from the district’s upscale shops and restaurantsalways brings a steady stream of customers.

When shoppers venture into the 4,500–square-footshowroom for the first time, they don’t find what theyexpect to see in a traditional patio store. The unclut-tered, wide-open space has the look and feel of a

designer showroom. Its artistic lighting, high beamedceilings, raw concrete floors, and massive exposed-brick wall create the ideal backdrop for showcasingKolo Collection’s distinctive merchandise, which hasbecome its trademark.

From the beginning, the owners knew that theyweren’t going to carry all the same products that localpatio shops carried because they didn’t want theirbusiness to become a competition for customers or tobe about price. “We are passionate about selling linesthat we love—and that we know our customers willlove as well,” Martin says. Kolo Collection featuresindoor/outdoor furniture from fine manufacturers,including DEDON, Royal Botania, AmalfiLiving,Jensen Leisure Furniture, Brown Jordan, and interna-tionally acclaimed designer Richard Frinier.

The store also sells pieces from a number of smallervendors, such as EMU, an Italian company with inter-esting teak, wicker, and aluminum furniture; Fermob,a French manufacturer known for its colorful chairsand bistro sets; and Loll Designs, a manufacturer thatoffers modern all-weather furniture made of 100%recycled plastic. Customers also have the option ofcustomizing their furniture with an exclusive line of

Italian outdoor fabrics from Maria Flora. For shade, the store carries TUCCI, a manufacturer

known internationally for its innovative shade designsand technology. “All of the products we sell on ourshowroom floor have a unique element to them, yeteach piece can be mixed and matched,” Martinexplains.

Mixing furniture to create a distinctive outdoorspace is the concept that drives Kolo Collection.Almost none of the furniture on the showroom floor

36 Patio & Hearth Products Report May/June 2011

showroom SHOWCASE

Kolo Collection’s avant-garde way of selling casual furniturehas attracted manyloyal customers.

by SHARON SANDERS

photography by PAUL YUNCKER

a

doingthings

differently

is displayed by group or set, and each pieceis individually priced. “We often don’t evendisplay dining tables with their matchingchairs. We want people to take a beautifultable they like and a beautiful chair they likeand put them together,” Martin says.“Creating a room this way makes the furni-ture look like it was acquired over time,which adds character and makes it feel morelike an indoor room.”

The store also works with local artisansto create custom pieces (primarily tablesand consoles) made of concrete, alu-minum, and steel with terrazzo tops, help-ing customers further individualize an out-door room. The designers on staff at KoloCollection spend many hours with cus-tomers, helping them design their perfectoutdoor rooms—from space planning tofurniture, fabric, and accessory selection.At the end of the process, they know thattheir spaces will be unique, created espe-cially for them.

Over the years, Kolo Collection hasgained many faithful, satisfied customers.Larrabee-Martin and Martin are eager toshare photos of its installations from cus-tomers’ houses so that others can see howan outdoor space can be transformed, withthe right furniture and accessories. Thestore maintains a hardcover book withimages of its most interesting installations,in addition to running a continuous slideshow on a large flat-screen monitor located

on the showroom floor. “It’s nice to be able to pull

up images, on the spot, toshow designers and cus-tomers what the furniturelooks like in a real life set-ting,” Martin says. He alsoposts videos of installationson YouTube and adds photosto Outdoor Atlanta: TheKolo Collection Blog(www.outdooratl.com),which can be accessed fromthe store’s website(www.kolocollection.com).

The blog automaticallylinks to the store’s Facebookpage as well. “We feel thatit’s a statement that showspeople that if they deal withus, they will be able to createsomething just as beautiful attheir homes. We’ll workwithin their budgets andenvironments,” he says.

In early 2011, the ownerscompletely redesigned thelook of store. They increasedthe size of the showroom byopening up a back portion ofthe floor that was once used for storage,updated the color palette on the walls, andadded new lighting; they also replaced theart with original pieces from Sally King

Benedict (Charleston, South Carolina), andthey brought in a whole showroom floor fullof new merchandise. They kicked off thestore’s new look with an exclusive party for

Left: The showroom space at Kolo

Collection in Atlanta, Georgia, has an

urban vibe that is anything but ordinary.

Bottom: The Kolo Collection team

includes, from left, Greg Morgan,

Paul Yuncker, Greg Martin, and

Michelle Larrabee-Martin.

May/June 2011 Patio & Hearth Products Report 37

38 Patio & Hearth Products Report May/June 2011

local interior designers—featuring food, drinks,and a chance to see the new merchandise.

Interior designers have always been a largepart of Kolo Collection’s customer base. Thisyear, Larrabee-Martin and Martin plan to reachout to interior designers outside Atlanta, whichwill give them more trade area without havingto open another door.

Larrabee-Martin says, “Many of our mainvendors have given us territory beyondAtlanta, and we’ve decided the time is right totake advantage of that opportunity. We aregoing to spend the time meeting with design-ers, introducing them to our lines, and gettingcatalogs into their libraries, so they know weare available as a resource for them.”

The entire Kolo Collection team is looking

forward to a solid 2011. It is excitedabout what the year will hold, and it hasa renewed energy as it shows off thestore’s new look and products to cus-tomers. Martin says that he is especiallyoptimistic about the store’s growing baseof repeat customers; he will make surethat there are plenty of fresh, interestingproducts on the floor to keep themcoming back, year after year.

“The last thing we want is for ourcustomers to get bored. We want themto walk into Kolo Collection’s show-room and have a new experience everytime,” he explains. “It always makesyou feel good when customers keepcoming back for more.”

Creekvine Designs Opens With Fanfare by SHARON SANDERS

Industry newcomer Creekvine Designs

knows that a company needs to do

more than just build beautiful leisure

products to succeed in today’s marketplace.

In order to rise to the top, a business needs

to know how to partner with retailers, as well

as how to create products that consumers

will love.

Tim McTighe, owner of Creekvine Designs

(Gibsonia, Pennsylvania) and a 19-year veter-

an of the outdoor-furniture industry, launched

the wholesale division in February 2011 and

used a clear vision to build his philosophy. “I

spent many years on the retail side, and I

know that there are certain things a retailer

needs to be successful,” McTighe says. “I use

that to focus my business on the needs of our

retail partners and their customers.”

McTighe explains that his central goal is

to help retailers become more profitable. To

do this, Creekvine Designs creates high-qual-

ity, U.S.-made garden and leisure products

(with extensive customization, shipping, and

warehousing options) to provide first-rate

service to retailers.

Creekvine Designs’ 2011 offerings include

comfortable deep seating, dining collections,

swings, gliders, and patio/poolside storage

units, in addition to bridges and arbors that

beautifully accent any outdoor space. Very

popular this year are the company’s outdoor-

dining sets, which use tables that are 42

inches wide to make plenty of room for fami-

ly-style dining.

Most uniquely styled furniture and struc-

tures from Creekvine Designs are made pri-

marily of western red cedar; this wood rivals

teak in terms of durability and beauty, yet is

more affordable for the average consumer.

“Red cedar is a material that’s readily avail-

able in the United States,” McTighe says.

Using domestic woods falls in line with the

company’s dedication to creating the majority

of its products in the United States. The recent

economic climate has inspired many cus-

tomers to spend their money on U.S.-made

goods that keep jobs in the United States, and

Creekvine Designs is happy to be a part of

that movement. “People will actually look at

the label on an item to see where it’s made,”

McTighe says. To satisfy customers—and to

do its own part for the economy—Creekvine

Designs has the majority of its products hand-

crafted in Pennsylvania.

“We can also build private-label designs

that will give retailers something unique that

none of their competitors will have,” McTighe

says. Being able to create custom-designed

furniture and structures while keeping the

needed volume commitment relatively low is

among many benefits that set Creekvine

Designs apart.

“We have a talented team of designers

who can create almost anything to specifica-

tions,” McTighe explains. Customization can

range from crafting an existing piece from a

different wood to styling a brand new prod-

uct. “It’s all about flexibility,”

McTighe says. Creekvine

Designs holds the same cus-

tomer-centered philosophy for

customizations that it does for

its policies on product availabil-

ity, ordering, and shipping.

The company offers cus-

tomers the ability to buy in high

or low volumes, based on their

needs. Retailers can preorder

merchandise or have it shipped

in season. Of course, customers can also

order products by the truckload or container,

if they are interested in discounted pricing.

Creekvine Designs drop ships anywhere in

the United States. “This aspect of our busi-

ness is important to me because I worked on

the retail side for so many years. I know that

cash flow is one of the biggest concerns for

many retailers,” McTighe says.

The company has also made business

easier for its customers by putting its cata-

log, full price lists, product specifications,

assembly instructions, and ship-

ping logistics right on its website,

www.creekvinedesigns.com.

“We’ve had encouraging feedback

so far,” McTighe says, “Retailers just

keep telling us how easy and hassle

free we make the process.” Having

started the wholesale division with

the goal of providing first-rate service

to retailers, McTighe is pleased with

the beginning of its inaugural season.

Creekvine Designs has already

begun to generate big interest

among specialty retailers. McTighe

and his team are focused on lis-

tening to feedback and making

refinements that will position

Creekvine Designs as a company

with which retailers want to do

business. “We’re a personal com-

pany that cares about serving

retailers well by creating unique

and high-quality pieces that are

made in the United States,”

McTighe concludes. “Selling

leisure products should make

things fun for the designer, the

retailer, and the consumer.”

Top: Chickadee dining

Middle: Highland Lake hutch

Bottom: Twin Ponds collection

showroom SHOWCASEKolo Collection showcases

images from its home

installations so customers

can see how an outdoor

space, with the addition of

the right furniture, can be

transformed.