Harmony House

American

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Harmony House Furniture was a home decor brand launched by Sears in 1940, designed to help homeowners easily furnish and decorate their homes with coordinating colors and styles. The concept behind Harmony House was simple yet innovative: to provide a collection of furniture, carpets, appliances, and other home decor items that all worked together to create a cohesive look. This made decorating more accessible, especially for first-time homeowners on a budget, as they could rely on Sears to offer coordinated products in a variety of color schemes. Over time, Harmony House expanded its range, offering up to 18 different color schemes in response to customer demand.

Produced in partnership with various manufacturers like Magic Float, Bunting, and Logan, Harmony House pieces included everything from indoor furniture to outdoor metal chairs, which were especially popular during the 1940s and 1950s. While the brand's items were sold under the Harmony House name, the individual manufacturers' names were seldom mentioned, allowing customers to mix and match products across different makers. This unique branding strategy, along with the focus on affordability and style, made Harmony House a go-to choice for homeowners looking to furnish their homes with ease.

Sears, the parent company behind Harmony House, was founded in 1886 by Richard Sears as a mail-order watch company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By the 1920s, Sears had expanded into a major retailer, offering a variety of products like furniture, appliances, and clothing through both mail-order catalogs and physical stores. The company revolutionized shopping by providing a one-stop shop for everyday needs, making it easier for families to purchase everything from lawn tools to furniture. In fact, Sears was known for its wide selection of home furnishings, including other furniture lines like "Pacesetter," and its bold moves, such as commissioning the "Vincent Price Collection of Fine Art" in the 1960s.

During its peak, Sears was a cultural institution, offering customers everything from garden hoses to original artwork in one place. The Harmony House brand played a key role in this legacy, offering affordable yet stylish home furnishings that helped define mid-20th century American homes. Though Harmony House was phased out by the late 1950s, it remains a nostalgic symbol of a bygone era when Sears was the cornerstone of American retail.