Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
A home-furnishings and kitchenware retailer that runs a family of well-known brands, including Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm, and Rejuvenation. It all began when founder Chuck Williams, inspired by French cookware on a 1953 trip to Paris, bought a hardware store in Sonoma, California, and turned it into the first Williams-Sonoma shop in 1956. The company name comes from that original town, and its stores now reach customers in dozens of countries.