A 'simple' idea sparked firm's birth

By Michele SanFilippo -- Home Textiles Today, 11/10/2003 12:00:00 AM

NEW YORK —

It took a friend of the family to spark an idea that would eventually launch Cody Home, a fledgling division of 30-year-old leather apparel maker, Carina Inc.

Here's how the story goes. "A friend of mine was leaving the country and asked me to design some accent pillows for her and the fruits of my labor then became the very first designs for Cody Home," recalled Paula Sabetay, vp and co-owner of parent company Carina Inc.

After a year in business, Cody Home remains focused on "a simple decorative concept that can add a spark of life or enhance the look of someone's home." Brother Edward Sabetay, who's been with Cody Home two years and is vp operations, added, "Our objective is to take a simple product and try to add beauty to the home." Cody Home's parent Carina Inc. was started by their father, Alfred Sabetay, a former furrier.

Paula Sabetay continued, "The trend of people traveling less and focusing on the home more also contributed to our entering the home textiles business."

The company offers 30 styles of decorative pillows plus two varieties of ottoman cushions combining leather and wool. There is a quilted 16" x 16" ottoman in lambskin and a classic look in cowhide, both with high-density foam interiors.

New pillow designs include Santa Fe with fun spring colors; Classic with a lambskin front and ticking stripe fabric back; Nubuck, which has a sueded feel; Quilted, which has a Channel look; and the Patchwork Pony pillow with asymmetrical pieces of cowhide.

Cody Home's high-end line is geared toward novelty leathers, rich colors and details such as special stitches, treatments and embellishments. Some of the novelty pillows in its discount line come in one particular look, but others may be made in up to six colorways. Shapes and colors can be customized. Pillows retail for $24.99 for its discount line from Shanghai and up to $300 for its luxury line, which is produced from high-end Italian skins at its headquarters' at 247 West 38th Street in New York

Some of the company's customers include department stores, off-pricers, specialty stores and high-end boutiques.

"Retailers say we are definitely on the cutting edge with our decorative pillows and are taking our looks directly from the leather apparel business," Edward Sabetay said.