Salzburg brings its rugs to show

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 5/5/2003 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

Neoclassical and Art Deco designs are the muses for Ida Deknavorian's 18 — and growing — collections of 100 percent hand-tufted wool rugs.

"That's what inspires me," she said. "I fell into this business by accident. But I love it."

For the past 13 years, she has been custom-making area rugs for the specialty and department store and catalog customers of her company, Salzburg Creations, based here in the borough of The Bronx. The company made their debut at the New York Home Textiles Show.

Deknavorian said that while she always loved to draw and paint she majored in math.

Her entrepreneurial side emerged when she moved from New Orleans to New York and started making handmade topiaries as decorative items for the home.

"I sold them to very high-end stores," she said. "Somehow from there I expanded into rugs, and here I am."

Deknavorian co-owns her company with three other partners. She operates two factories here and imports all her goods from China.

Her customer base comprises 27 retailers in the United States as well as two in Japan and two in Europe.