ABC opens in Brooklyn, adds another leased department in Manhattan

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 10/25/2002 3:01:00 PM

New York — ABC Carpet & Home has opened a new 40,000-square-foot store in the increasingly hip Brooklyn neighborhood known as DUMBO (for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).

The DUMBO store is "a totally new concept," president and ceo Evan Cole told HTT. "More contemporary. More colorful. There's a lot of regional chauvinism in Brooklyn vs. Manhattan. We have a lot of shops; we have a day spa, Mud Honey; vintage clothing; jewelry; and eyewear. And in November we'll open a disco nightclub in DUMBO."

Meanwhile, at its flagship store in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, Pamela Kline has become the newest leased department to join a lineup that also includes Sferra, Area, Ann Gish, Anichini and Matteo.

"This store is being totally renovated — every square inch," Cole said.

In other news, Julia McFarlane has joined the company as divisional merchandise manager for linens. McFarlane, a co-founder Ad Hoc Softwares, an innovative home furnishings store in SoHo that began in 1976 and closed last year, succeeds Li Kurczewski. She is responsible for bedding, bath, tabletop, gifts and lighting.

Kurczewski has been promoted to the new position of vp, visual/merchandising/art direction/product development. She and McFarlane report to Evan Cole, president and ceo.

Rawley James, formerly merchandise manager and buyer for Ad Hoc, joined the company as senior buyer, reporting to McFarlane.