Joe Ruggiero
Joe Ruggiero's career has touched almost every aspect of the world
of home decorating. Come hear one of America's most trusted design
authorities, as he shows how to decorate your space with finesse,
creativity...and an eye for the practical.
When: May 23, 2008
Location: Home Interiors, Inc. Cedar Falls
Time: 9 am - 1:30 pm
Joe Ruggiero Bio
Creating stylish and sophisticated environments that are affordable
for consumers from all walks of life is the forte of Joe Ruggiero.
As one of America’s most trusted design authorities, Ruggiero
is well-known for his ability to identify what consumers are
looking for and showing them how to create it from both an aesthetic
and practical point-of-view. During his twenty-seven year career,
Ruggiero has been a leader in identifying trends and translating
them into design ideas that have been embraced by consumers worldwide.
Ruggiero has the unique and extensive experience of working directly
with consumers from both a retailing and communications context.
As Advertising Director for Westpoint Pepperell, one of the world’s
largest home textiles manufacturers, Ruggiero changed the way that
consumers thought about home textiles through innovative advertising
and sales promotion programs that won accolades throughout the
industry. He pioneered the sales promotion video concept that brought
bed and bath decorating ideas to the small-screen in ways that
consumers found inspiring. For example, he capitalized on the legendary
interest consumers have in celebrities by creating “A Visit
to Le Jonchet”, in the country home of French designer Hubert
De Givenchy. As a designer for Westpoint, Givenchy’s home
was the perfect backdrop for a video to showcase his bedding collections
while also providing a glimpse inside his historic chateau filled
with some of the world’s most important artwork.
Ruggiero spent 15 years at Ethan Allen as director of advertising
and creative director; and was a part of the team that created
and launched their national TV advertising program (instrumental
in their growth from $25 million to $250 million in sales) and
their national special events program in 230 Ethan Allen galleries.
As a national spokesperson for companies such as Glidden, Ethan
Allen and Kohler, Ruggiero created innovative marketing campaigns
that broke new ground. For example, during his five years as Kohler’s
national spokesperson, Ruggiero coordinated the Kohler “Coordinates” program;
a comprehensive marketing program created to aid consumers in kitchen
and bath remodeling projects. This was the first program of its’ kind
to show consumers how to coordinate home improvement products across
product categories; and created a new way for Kohler and its’ 11
participating manufacturers to drive sales and build market share.
He also produced/hosted the “Kohler Radio Series”;
utilizing the power of a non-traditional medium (radio) to promote
their product category in a way unique to their competitors. Kohler
is the #1 manufacturer in the world of bath and kitchen fixtures.
As Editor-in-Chief and Publishing Director of Hachette’s
Home Magazine, Ruggiero was given the challenge to re-energize
a national magazine that had suffered tremendous market share loss.
The result? He created a “new” magazine that is now
a major force in the home decorating/renovation publishing field.
Equally important, he tapped into the minds of consumers nationwide;
and interacted with them during retail special events--furthering
his study into what consumers are looking for.
Ruggiero then formed Ruggiero & Associates, an independent
multi-media company that specializes in home design. This step
created the opportunity for him to work in multi-media, retail
and manufacturing; and in sales marketing.
Now, as host and producer of multiple home design television series
and specials aired world-wide on The Home & Garden Television
Network (HGTV); Ruggiero’s work is welcomed into the homes
of 84 million households on a daily basis. He is also in development
on a new design series for PBS.
Ruggiero is also know for his nationwide "IdeaHouses." The "IdeaHouses" received
substantial press nationwide and have been lauded for their innovative
design direction. Hundreds of thousands of consumers have visited
the showhouses over the past seven years.
Ruggiero has been a multi-media design authority figure to consumers
for many years. He is most noted for bringing the subject of home
design to network television. For nine years, he was Chief Design
Consultant to the PBS award-winning series, “This Old House”,
where he designed and decorated nine houses for the program. He
also spent two years as Design Correspondent on ABC-TV’s “Good
Morning, America. Ruggiero has hosted and edited a variety of television
vehicles such as “The Living Magazine” sponsored by
Ethan Allen for the Lifetime Cable Network; and ABC-TV’s “Home
Show” where he produced, designed and hosted segments featuring
decorating and remodeling of three houses in a weekly mini-series
format.
He is author of the design and source book, “Found Objects”,
published by Clarkson N. Potter; and was the recipient of the International
Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) “Star of the Year” award
in 1995. His “Ruggiero Ideas” design website, is receiving
rave reviews.
Ruggiero’s multi-media work has created a familiarity with
millions of consumers who have, and continue to, welcome him into
their homes. He is a well-known credible source of design inspiration;
a familiar face that consumers trust to guide them through the
decorating stages of their lives. Ruggiero is a rare presence in
the world of design, combining outstanding design talent with a
high multi-media presence.
In the year 2000, Ruggiero launched his Home Collection with Norwalk
Furniture Corporation; since then he has designed wood furniture
for Caperton Furniture Works, outdoor furniture for Terra Furniture,
textiles for Sunbrella and lighting for Orbit.
Ruggiero’s home furnishings designs have received accoclades
from the design profession, including the American Society of Furniture
Designers Pinnacle Award, The American Furniture Award for outstanding
achievement in furniture design and Adex Platinum Award for textile
design. |