A Q&A session with Napa's Rebecca Mattie

A Q&A session with Rebecca Mattie of Napa Home & Garden.
Get to know Napa's new VP, Design.

This January, Rebecca Mattie joined Napa Home & Garden as Vice President, Design, and immediately jumped head-first into leading the product development team. Her first months with the company have been a whirlwind of buying trips to South America, Italy, and India, developing a new line to launch in January 2023, as well as, putting her own touches on the company’s three showrooms. Even during this busy time, we found a few minutes to ask Rebecca the following questions:

You’ve recently returned from several extensive buying trips. What was your take-away from these travels?

The trips were fantastic. Napa has an incredible network of agents and factories all over the world, and all of whom are very dedicated to giving us the unique look that Napa is known for. I was able to develop a lot of new product, make new friends, and also get my hands dirty, literally—I had an amazing experience throwing pots with a few of our world-class ceramicists in Italy.

What do you think Napa means to its customers and what do you see as the biggest challenge for the company going forward?  

Napa is integrity, both in product design, and in its promise to its customers. It’s a wonderful company to work for and a really exciting opportunity for me to help grow and evolve the brand. The biggest challenge, as I see it, is to continue the rich tradition that KC [Napa founder and chairman KC Cunningham] has fostered, and to keep a keen eye on both the home and garden sides of the business.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I was born on the east coast, where I still have many close family ties, and raised in a small beach town on the Central California coast. I currently live with my husband and two daughters just north of San Francisco—not far from Napa Valley—in a cute 1950s bungalow that’s tucked below an old stage coach trail through the redwoods. My career is rooted in product development and design leadership in home décor, where for 25 years I’ve enjoyed a wide range of experiences. Before Napa, some of the key home and lifestyle brands that I have worked for include Restoration Hardware, Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn, and Pacific Market Intl., who develops products for brand giants like Starbucks.

How do you decorate your own personal home space? 

I like to create spaces that are welcoming, comfortable and functional. I lean modern, but I also enjoy incorporating hints of traditional pieces that give personality to a room. I love the brightness of white walls, and to decorate with neutral textures against warm wood. I dread clutter, so with children in the house, I’m constantly challenged with working “organized clutter” into the design mix—I’ve found that well-made baskets with clean lines are key to maintaining visual serenity in a hectic home. And my outdoor spaces, especially the backyard and garden, have always been an important part of making my place truly feel like home to me—I want those areas to merge effortlessly with the surrounding natural setting, so I’m excited to be designing for those kinds of spaces with Napa.

Do you like to develop product on instinct or by strategy?

I really believe they work hand-in-hand. Starting with a strategy is essential. It provides a framework and a road map for the creative process. For me, having that kind of structure in place actually allows me the freedom to apply my instincts within the creative part of the process—and I think instinct is essential to being creative.

What is the cardinal sin of product design?

I think there are a few. Losing sight of the product’s purpose during the design process, over-designing or changes for sake of changes, and neglecting to consider the end-user.

Do you lead a design team by strength or by calm?

The simple answer is both. For me, strength is having confidence in my point of view and my design team’s ability to execute. But calm is equally important, because it allows for concise articulation, clear creative direction, and compassion.

Aside from the current global logistics crisis, what is the biggest challenge facing home-decor retailers?

Keeping up with how shopping behaviors are changing. With multiple platforms, there are a variety of ways for customer engagement, which—when harnessed wisely—can lead to incredible opportunity both for small brick & mortars, and larger retailers. 

What’s next on your agenda for Napa?

We’re putting the final touches on our summer launch, which includes some last-minute photography and getting the showrooms ready for summer markets. I invite everyone to come to market and shop what's new, and I look forward to seeing everyone soon.

 

About Napa Home & Garden

Napa Home & Garden™ brings the casually elegant lifestyle of the Napa Valley to style-conscious retailers and consumers. Napa offers the very best in home, garden & floral, working with the world's most accomplished designers and makers. Napa offers its customers true one-stop shopping across multiple categories.

Napa Home & Garden is represented by Ivystone Group in the U.S. The Napa website is napahomeandgarden.com. You can follow Napa on Instagram at /napahomeandgarden.