Rubelli Acquires Donghia Furniture

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 8/15/2005 12:00:00 AM

Venice, Italy —

High-end Rubelli, a European textiles company, along with a group of investors, has acquired the American-owned Donghia Furniture/Textiles Ltd. and Donghia Showrooms, Inc.

The investors include Sahco Hesslein, the high-end German decorative textiles company, and Seguso Viro, Murano's oldest glass company. The group acquired the companies from the Angelo Donghia Foundation and Sherri Donghia.

The nearly 150-year-old Rubelli company also owns Bises, Lisio and Dominique Kieffer. Rubelli fabrics are distributed in the United States in 13 of its designer showrooms and 20 partner showrooms, as well as through agents and distributors around the world.

Sheri companies, now known as Donghia Inc., will continue to be run from the New York headquarters. Rosecrans (Crans) Baldwin has been named president and chief operating officer of the company while continuing to serve as president and CEO of Bergamo Inc., a high-end fabric affiliate of Rubelli. The two companies will be run as separate brands.

Sherri Donghia will remain as creative director and executive vice president of design and marketing, and Sandy Autorino will continue as president of the showroom division.

Donghia was founded in 1968 by the American interior designer, and designs and manufactures custom luxury furniture, textiles, lighting and decorative accessories.

Donghia has 11 company showrooms in the United States and 58 representative showrooms around the world.