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Talking to Russell Wilson about football? Obvious. His charitable endeavors? Sure. But getting advice on tea kettles and Adirondack chairs?
I wasn’t expecting a lesson on home goods from the should-be 2020 NFL MVP (yes, I’m saying this as a former Washington state resident with extreme bias). But Wilson and his wife Ciara have experience in this department: the couple recently teamed up with Amazon on a charitable renovation endeavor in Seattle and launched a Ciara-curated online storefront that focuses on home decor and furniture.
Some quick backstory on the first part: earlier this year, Amazon Home teamed up with an array of celebrities, parents and the Wilson power couple to “give back” to Marc Sellier, a long-time registered nurse at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Collectively, this team managed a complete upgrade of Sellier’s home (note: you can shop similar items they used in the renovation from this Amazon Hometown Heroes page).
Below, you’ll find our conversation with Wilson — from a short week with a Thursday game, no less — about the project, where we also asked him to pick a few selections from both the Hometown Heroes and Curated by Ciara storefronts that could bring MVP-level quality to your house.
InsideHook: How did you get to know Marc Sellier, and what about his story connected with you?
Russell Wilson: Ciara and I are longtime supporters of Seattle Children’s Hospital and when it comes to Seattle, we’re always looking for ways to celebrate our city and the people who make it great. Amazon Home worked with our foundation, Why Not You, and Guild Association at Seattle Children’s Hospital to identify Marc as our Hometown Hero, so while I think he knew something was happening, he didn’t truly understand the full scope of the project until Ciara and I shared it with him over Zoom.
Marc was selected not only for his incredible 17-year career at the Children’s Hospital caring for young patients, but also for the extraordinary work he’s done amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In working with Amazon Home, we found out that Marc’s home incurred major water damage last winter, forcing him and his family to live elsewhere for six months, while he continued to put in long hours at the hospital during the pandemic.
IH: When your family and Amazon were helping to furnish Marc’s home, was there a particular aesthetic that you wanted?
RW: The design team had several discussions with Marc and Mona regarding their personal styles where we learned about their love of architecture and the ocean, so we made sure to add those accents in to help create their personalized dream home. From reflooring to painting and bringing in all new furniture and décor from Amazon Home, we were able to make their house a true sanctuary that reminds them of their happy place: the ocean.
IH: What are some particular items that you like from the storefront?
RW: Ciara and I have been cooking at home (as most people are) a lot and we love an organized fridge and pantry. There are some really great options we integrated into Marc’s space that I also happen to use and love including, the BPA Free Lock & Lock Containers and the OXO Pop Container Set.
IH: Your wife Ciara now has her own Amazon storefront: What do you like about her style when it comes to home decor?
I love how she combines traditional and more modern pieces. Our kids influence every part of our lives, so Ciara makes sure every space in our home is just as functional as it is stylish. We’ve really learned how to organize and keep things clean with multifunctional pieces built to make storage and decluttering easy since we have three young kids in the house.
IH: If you had to buy one item from Ciara’s storefront as a gift for someone, what would you get?
Ciara and I both love the Le Creuset Enamel Tea Kettle. It’s a great piece for the kitchen and also makes a great gift (especially since it comes in Seahawk blue!).
And finally, we had Russell pick out a few items from the storefront that he particularly liked:
Stone & Beam Modern Global Ikat Wool Area Rug
Christopher Knight Bar Stools
ProsourceFit Pilates Resistance Ring
AmazonBasics Extra Thick Exercise Yoga Mat
Weber Spirit II 3-Burner Grill
Highwood Classic Westport Adirondack Chair
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