SPECIAL REPORT
Metropolitan
Debut
New Jersey-based Fabricland Interiors takes its focused approach
to home decorating to Manhattan's Upper West Side.
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Penchant for Expansion
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The family-owned business Bruce Heyman now heads got its start
in 1934 in the depths of the Depression, when Philip and Ida
Heyman opened Chain Decorators, a door-to-door decorating business
featuring fabrics for the home. In 1951, the Heymans renamed
their New Jersey-based enterprise Highway Mill End and moved
the business to Green Brook.
Four years later, they changed the location to North Plainfield
and renamed the store Fabric Land. During the late 1960s and
’70s second-generation principle Jay Heyman saw Fabric
Land triple its size to 22,000 square feet, and in 1999 the
family updated the name to Fabricland Interiors.
When Bruce Heyman took the helm in 1990, he continued the family
penchant for expansion when he purchased Nassaus Window Fashions
in Paramus in 1999. “The purchase was a logical move,”
he says, “since Nassaus Window Fashions was another successful
family-run business, making it a perfect fit with our goals
and values.”
This year the company moves into a fresh market with the opening
of Metropolitan Window Fashions in New York City. |
Independent
retailer Fabricland Interiors, North Plainfield, NJ, is expanding
its reach into one of the largest markets in the world—New
York City—without letting go of the service-minded approach
that’s been the trademark of this family-owned business (see
D&WC, December 2001, page 24). With two full-scale window fashions
and fabric stores in New Jersey, this 70-year-old business has opened
Metropolitan Window Fashions on Manhattan’s Upper West Side
while taking pains to stay focused and grow at the same time.
“Even in this age of superstores, there is room for good independents,
especially in businesses that demand service,” says Bruce Heyman,
third-generation owner. “Our business is home decorating, an
area where consumers seek help. Our focus on friendly, personalized
service and our expertise in window fashions and fabrics encourage
customer loyalty and repeat visits.
“In fact,” he continues, “we have mothers bringing
in their grown daughters, giving our stores a cross-generational
reach with our customers as well as within the family business.”
STYLISH SOLUTIONS
Metropolitan Window Fashions opened in September in Manhattan geared
to custom, ready-made and do-it-yourself decorating projects alike.
It offers extensive fabric, trim and hardware lines; free in-home
consultations; ready-made window fashions; exciting showroom displays;
and discounts on first-quality decorator fabrics including popular
names like Waverly, Laura Ashley and Ralph Lauren. The store also
carries high-end lines such as Beacon Hill, Highland Court and Kravet
Couture in addition to Hunter Douglas window fashions.
“Metropolitan Window Fashions is positioned to serve the needs
of Manhattanites with window products and home decorating services
attuned to their unique requirements and cutting-edge tastes,”
Heyman says. “This exciting new store will offer New Yorkers
a satisfying shopping experience, thanks to the breadth and depth
in stock, provocative displays and an everyday discount.”
The bright, airy ambience of the new retail outlet boasts 700 square
feet of showroom space dedicated to tens of thousands of fabric
samples, including more than 1,000 first-quality fabrics for custom
and do-it-yourself home decorating projects.
The store also showcases thousands of styles, sizes and colors of
ready-made window treatments. In addition to a bountiful choice
of window fabrics, trim and hardware, the store features material
for a wide range of home decorating projects including upholstery,
pillows and custom bedding.
“We’ll be presenting exciting, ever-changing displays
throughout the store so customers can experience a wealth of fresh
ideas they can apply to their own apartments,” says Lois Croce,
department manager buyer for Fabricland Interiors. “From the
dramatic effect of a bold silk check window covering to the luxurious
detail of a rosette swag, our displays will offer the full range
of stylish solutions to today’s window dilemmas.”
As with all of Heyman’s stores, Metropolitan Window Fashions
will offer trade discounts to interior designers and decorators—many
of them use these businesses as their custom window treatment workrooms.
“We work closely with many interior designers who prefer to
use our expertise for their clients’ window treatment needs,”
Heyman says.
DECORATING CORNUCOPIA
Custom-made fabric treatments will be one of the hallmarks of Metropolitan
Window Fashions. Debut custom displays will boast an abundance of
fabrics and designs from the rich texture of silk dupioni draperies
layered over silk taffeta to a lighthearted monkey patterned fabric
used in a whimsical window treatment. In addition to a deluxe custom
display in the front window, the showroom will feature full-size
custom window treatment displays plus a vignette of custom top treatments
such as valances and shades creating a visual feast and a virtual
handbook of decorating ideas for windows.
Simple window coverings increasingly are a trend in home decorating,
and yet, at the same time and in the same house, there are ample
opportunities for more intricate window covering designs that make
a fashion statement. The trick is to know when and where to make
the choice between a basic or an elaborate window treatment, or
one that fits somewhere in between. With thought and planning, there
is a host of ways to mesh the two approaches for an interesting
and still unified effect, says Heyman.
“The purpose of Metropolitan Window Fashions is to provide
New Yorkers with a cornucopia of sophisticated home decorating solutions,”
Heyman says. “We expect to attract customers who are seeking
an extensive selection of high-quality products as well as friendly
service—plus substantial savings on top-of-the-line fabrics,
all of the time.”
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