Dive Brief:

• Food52 on Monday announced it has acquired housewares brand Dansk from Lenox Corporation for an undisclosed amount.

• The website said it plans to revitalize Dansk, which is known for its Scandinavian design elements, while preserving its well-known identity, according to a company press release. The brand's official relaunch will happen early next year.

• To lead the relaunch, Food52 brought on branding strategist Christine Muhlke, who has expertise in food, culture and design from her experience at Bureau X food consultancy, Bon Appétit and The New York Times Magazine.

Dive Insight:

Food52's acquisition of Dansk comes as the home category has been experiencing exponential growth.

As consumers were confined largely to their houses for nearly a year, they began investing more in their personal spaces. Sales of home office-related supplies and kitchenware saw upticks as more people shifted to remote work and started cooking at home in lieu of going to restaurants.

The move also indicates Food52's growing interest in commerce. The website, which started out as a place for cooks to exchange recipes, in 2013 launched its online shop. The brand curates a selection of products from makers and artisans, including cookware, home goods and crafts.

"It's a dream to be acquiring this legendary brand," Food52 founder and CEO Amanda Hesser said in a statement about the Dansk acquisition. "Like many design lovers, I've collected Dansk for decades, and it will be an honor — not to mention great fun! — for us to re-imagine this line. We hope to carry on Dansk's tradition of highlighting the work of exceptional designers and creating products that are passed down from generation to generation."

Food52 began selling Dansk products on its website in 2017, which Hesser said was "an instant hit."

In addition to the existing Dansk items Food52 already sells on its site, the website will revitalize core heritage products, relaunch items from the houseware brand's archives and develop new designs.