Williamsburg keeps it fresh — even 200 years later

Elements from the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg have inspired a variety of licensed products.

Things are constantly changing for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and its extensive stable of licensees — no small feat given that the town itself is more than 200 years old and has been in the licensing game for 70 years. (For videos, behind the scenes, click here and here.)

"We're the oldest licensing organization in America," said Jim Easton, vice president, products division, noting the history back to 1937, when Wedgwood was commissioned to produce a line of china based on shards of dinnerware recovered from the Williamsburg property. "We still have licensees dating back from the '40s, '50s and '60s. It was all about, and is still about, visitors being able to bring a little piece of Williamsburg home with them."

FROM HERE TO THERE: This blanket chest ca. 1800, top, is in the Williamsburg Museum. The media cabinet, above, is Global Views' interpretation of the piece. The new cabinet will debut in October during the High Point Market.

"We're a little bit unusual in the licensed world in that the products we sell are co-branded," he said. "We bring a well-known brand, and the synergy and brand equity of our Williamsburg brand and the brands of our licensees are what make it work."

Those licensee brands include Global Views, Andrea by Sadek, Oriental Accent, Sedgefield by Adams, Capel and C&F Enterprises, among others in the home accents world, as well as a full lineup of furniture, gift and tabletop suppliers as well.

The licensees are divided between strict reproduction and interpretive collections. The products are created to be sold to the various licensees' national customers, as well as through the stores and catalog that the foundation operates.

All royalties from the sales benefit the nonprofit Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Williamsburg is careful about choosing its licensees, Easton said, because the message needs to work across both sides of the story.

C&F Enterprises' Jennifer Sheridan and Williamsburg Product Manager Lori Williams talk over a toile pattern inspired by a historic textile that C&F is using as the basis for a new top-of-bed collection. Click here to watch a video of some of the process.

They are also chosen because of their design capabilities. "We are not designers," Easton said. "We rely on our licensees to have either in-house or freelance design capabilities. We provide the inspiration but our licensees need to have the capability to finish it off and bring it to market."

But even with 40 active licensees and a broad scope of product categories, there is still room for expansion. According to Easton, the Williamsburg brand is well-represented in terms of products for living room, dining room and bedroom. The new emphasis is on "the back of the house" — the kitchen, porch patio and garden.