No American architect, living or dead, commands the kind of recognition given to Frank Lloyd Wright.

Now, the foundation tasked with preserving and protecting his legacy wants to build on that substantial brand equity with new product licensing initiatives, expanded educational campaigns, and other efforts to “create more of a lifestyle brand.”

That’s the vision Stuart Graff, the president and CEO of the nonprofit Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, laid out for Curbed. He said the foundation’s new plans represent a continuation of Wright’s own goals to “help inspire people to live a more beautiful and comfortable life.”

“I think in the past, the focus was on serving the museum shops and serving Frank Lloyd Wright sites by creating souvenirs and memorabilia,” Graff says. “What we’re looking at now is how relevant he is to contemporary living.”

Currently, many potential projects and collaborations—including new furniture pieces, home goods, and even agreements to sell at new retail outlets—are still under discussion, with plans to start rolling out items in the fall and throughout 2020. The foundation is looking in an expanded line of products, including home furnishings, floor coverings, rugs, wall coverings, and home goods, as well as products such as masonry veneers, hardwood flooring, and architectural millwork, all with the aim of getting more of Wright’s work into contemporary homes.

Graff pointed to some existing and previous partnerships as examples of what to expect, such as Shigeru Ban’s reinterpretation of a Taliesin lamp for the Japanese brand Yamagiwa.The foundation is bringing in young designers to “remix” some of Wright’s fabric and other designs, and look at Wright through a contemporary lens.

Graff also envision a more robust, multichannel strategy, with items appearing in retail outlets as well as online. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation already has an Amazon page, but Graff believes online sales can grow.

Stuart Graff, President and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, said any new products would need to meet a high quality standard. He pointed to this reproduction of an origami-like chair Frank Lloyd Wright designed for his home and studio at Taliesin West in Arizona by Cassina, an Italian furniture company, as an example of the types of products he envisions.    Courtesy Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

The proceeds of any new product sales will go to the foundation, primarily to fund preservation at places like Taliesin East and West, and to fund publications and educational initiatives around Wright’s career and work. For instance, when products based on specific designs at specific Wright properties sell, such as the Tree of Life window at the Darwin Martin house, the specific site and foundation split the proceeds. Graff views the licensing platform as a “rising tide that lifts all boats” situation.

Every new product would need to meet the organization’s specific style guide, and receive permission from the foundation, which must also sign off on all packaging and marketing material.

This series of initiatives comes at a time when multiple forces are converging: Wright’s work continues to require funding for preservation, such as work on Taliesin West in Arizona and the recently restored Unity Temple outside Chicago; Wright remains broadly popular, having been the subject of a worldwide celebration of his 150th birthday in 2017; and since Graff took the helm in 2016, a number of new foundation staff have background in consumer products, licensing, and consumer research.