Sometimes it really is just Black and White

It isn’t a newspaper like that timeless old riddle. It is something brand-new and a lot more exciting. It’s the new line of furniture designed by Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf.

Kreiss, the family-owned luxury home-furnishings and design company, unveiled its newest AGK collection of furniture at the recent summer show at World Market Center Las Vegas.

This second collection follows a year after Kreiss’ very successful debut collection with the international tennis stars.

“I felt we had a more comfortable, cohesive team,” Agassi said. “From the beginning, I felt we could do this and to add materials like wood and leather as well as linens and cashmere just seemed to make it all fit together.”

Graf was quick to add “the whole collection is so easy to add to whether it is the first piece or the 10th.”

“The Agassi Graf collection is a wonderful union of contrast, texture and comfort. Each piece incorporates exotic finishes, clean design and the distinctive combinations of materials to create a memorable, sophisticated statement. Taken as a whole, the Agassi Graf collection exhibits a freshness, youth and classic style that are synonymous with these two iconic stars,” said Mike Kreiss, president and chief executive officer of Kreiss, adding that “their strong sense of style and eye for detail comes through in every piece of the line.”

The collection is planned to be showcased in 16 different Kreiss galleries this year, including Canada, Mexico and Dubai this fall.

The applications chosen by the Agassi Graf team were unique to themselves and their surroundings, blending unusual combinations of natural elements such as leather and wood alongside linens and metal.

“We love the softness of the woven leather and the strength of the steel and synthetic rattan. The color palette is distinctly us — while the collection is chic and sophisticated, the strength and texture of the materials lend themselves to an indoor-outdoor lifestyle,” Agassi said.

When asked why the majority of the collection was black and white, Graf responded “These are my favorite color combinations. They are not only visually different but also of distinctly different materials.”

Agassi and Graf were truly excited about the way the furniture took on the personality of their home when they were testing it with their own family. Both parents were quick to point out that their children were involved in the design and implementation of some of the features built into the furniture such as safer rounded corners and the use of white ash, historically used to make tennis rackets, which they felt gave them more of a connection to the furniture.

Agassi pointed out that the coffee table “runner” was movable to accommodate homework, playing with the children or sharing a pizza while enjoying TV.

Agassi, Graf and the Kreiss family have a long-established relationship. The first piece of furniture Agassi bought after he won Wimbledon in 1992 was a Kreiss sofa. In the following years, he and his wife became big fans of the Kreiss look, furnishing their homes with new collections.

So when Agassi, Graf and the Kreiss family decided to create a furniture line together as partners, it felt like a natural extension of their long-standing relationship. The result is a unique collection that captures the couple’s indomitable energy and spirit while remaining true to the classic Kreiss style and California look of casual yet elegant designs.