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Victoria Dreste
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Lou Renzo’s first move as the new chief executive officer of the world-famous fabric, wallcovering, trim and furnishings maker, Scalamandré, was signing and sending out refund checks. To be specific, $200,000 to disgruntled customers and for backorders over a year old.
“I came from finance,” Renzo says. “I knew nothing about fabrics.”
Starting at Scalamandré is a lot like learning how to bat from Albert Pujols. Founded in 1929, the mere mention of the name Scalamandré brings a reverent sigh from designers. Aside from residential sales, the company is famous for its work in the restoration of period textiles. Counted among projects it contributed to: Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, Mount Vernon, Winterthur, and the Mansions of Newport.
Once on the job, Renzo caught on quickly. In the past year, sales have jumped 25 percent. Renzo was recently in St. Louis at the designer showroom, Design & Detail in Maplewood, all part of a nationwide road trip to call on the company’s best customers.
“We are getting back to basics—bright colors, gorgeous fabrics,” he says. The company is in the process of opening street level showrooms. Granted they’re for the trade only but customers can certainly look in and see the wares.
New, um, actually old designs will be reissued. Renzo says they are planning on digging into the depths of the company’s archives to reintroduce some of its vintage prints.
“There are lots of archives,” he adds.
The company is also expanding its line of fabrics suitable for the elements outside. It’s also marketing a number of fabrics at a lower price point than it’s had before. Two new lines are being introduced and a coffee-table book of Scalamandré’s best wallpapers is being published.
The iconic zebra print was originally made in wallpaper for the owner of Gino’s Restaurant in New York, a native of the same Italian town as Franco Scalamandré. Now you can find it in Barney’s, on umbrellas and soon in tote bags. “It’s a symbol for the company,” Renzo says.
And Scalamandré—as it is now and always has been—is a symbol for high style and terrific textiles.
Images courtesy of Scalamandré
Christy Marshall, editor-in-chief, St. Louis AT HOME
