From rugs to furniture

Just as a foundation provides the basic start for constructing a house, Abbyson is building its own home-furnishings business literally from the floor up.

After starting the company in 1989 manufacturing Tibetan wool rugs, furniture was added to its repertoire in 2006.

"We find a lot of crossover -- people looking for both (rugs and furniture)," said Yavar Rafieha, vice president of marketing and sales.

The furniture line's successful debut prompted Abbyson to expand it this year, as well as make plans for additional home-furnishing items. Rafieha said the Los Angeles-based company will eventually offer complete home furnishings, including bedding and kitchen wares.

The growth in product lines will mirror the company's growth at both the wholesale and retail levels. Abbyson was the first company to sign a contract for a showroom in the third building at the World Market Center. It will occupy 15,000 square feet at the entrance, Rafieha said.

"We'll have five times the space (of the current showroom) and be able to show all of our products."

Additionally, Abbyson opened its first retail store, The Power of Home, earlier this year in California.

Growth, along with change, remains at the heart of the company's business. Rafieha said its logo, a maple leaf, represents change and growth.

"At Abbyson, we realize that without change there would not be growth, and by embracing this philosophy we continue to reach new levels of success," states the company's mission on its Web site.

Central to both change and growth for Abbyson is providing the best costumer service it possibly can.

For example, because the company didn't want to force people to travel from place to place to outfit their homes or retail showrooms, Rafieha said it was an easy decision to expand the product lines.

Additionally, showroom visitors are invited to sit on the furniture and experience its comfort first hand. They are invited to touch the rugs and feel the sculpted patterns, density of the hand-knotted rugs and softness of the silk accents.

"It's what makes us different," Rafieha said.

Alexandra DeCicco, marketing and sales manager, said staff members also remain attuned to what their customers are looking for and constantly seek feedback about colors and features they would like to see. Last year, buyers were seeking rugs in shades of green and this year there were many requests for blue, as well as neutral tone-on-tone patterns, said DeCicco. Those will find their way into new collections, she added.

In both its rugs and furnishings, Abbyson offers a range of styles including traditional, transitional and contemporary.

The new Barclay and Columbus series, part of the expanded Park Avenue furniture collection, were showcased at the home-furnishings trade show at the World Market Center earlier this year.

Barclay features furnishings for the living room and includes a leather sofa, love seat and armchair, coffee table and end table.

Created for the dining room, Columbus offers a rectangular dining table and chairs with leather seats and backs.

Pieces within the series are constructed out of solid wood and walnut veneer with a satin wood finish. Tabletops and accents are done in marble, and matching upholstery is done in leather, both of which are imported from Italy.

The series have clean lines and a modern style, with hand-carved accents. They were designed to complement each other and can easily be mixed and matched with each other, as well as with pieces from other series within the Park Avenue collection, DeCicco said.

In leather upholstery, German-engineering inspired the Cologne series, which includes a piece that can serve as a table, ottoman or sofa with seats and backs that can be adjusted to lay flat or rest at 90-degree angles.

As for the rugs, each collection has its own story, which, according to Abbyson, gives them some personality and helps consumers get excited about a product, as well as relate to the designs and colors used. This also makes it easier for buyers to appreciate the rugs' value and higher costs.

At the winter market, Abbyson debuted its new Venetian collection, which is handcrafted out of 100 percent Himalayan sheep wool and silk. Inspired by the elegance and allure of the canaled city, the collection incorporates traditional designs and is available in standard sizes.

Despite drawing upon traditional elements for its rugs and furnishings, Rafieha said its designs also are innovative, a trait the company is known for and evident in the geometric patterns on its wooden veneer tabletops that give the pieces a more interesting and modern appearance than just plain wood.