S&H DEBUTS AT ICFF, TARGETS DESIGNERS & CUSTOM BUSINESS S&H offered a range of rugs in pink long before Pantone dubbed it the color of the year. Shown, the wool and silk Broken Mohtasham Kashan design (29593) in pink on ivory.

CARLSTADT, N.J. -- S&H Rugs debuts at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, running from May 14-17 in New York City, in an effort to reach more high-end interior designers, Ori Wilbush, president of S&H, told RugNews.com in an exclusive pre-show interview.

"We have been targeting more decorators and design firms and thus participating in more shows that are focused on interior design and home decor," Wilbush continued. "ICFF is focused on the modern and contemporary aspect of interior design we feel this is a perfect fit for our modern collections and the custom side of our business."

S&H Rugs, which continues to focus strictly on hand-knotted rugs, largely produced in Nepal, has carved a niche for itself as an innovator with strong customer service component.

"We innovate on two main fronts; both on the product we sell and our service," pointed out James Arjmand, an Oriental rugs specialist with S&H. "Overseas we have a team working to develop the latest colors, designs, and qualities.

"On the service end we use technology to help the dealers and designers that work with us find the exact rug they need. Each rug we have is photographed and uploaded to our site with daily updates so our dealers can sell the rugs to their customers before even having the specific piece in their showroom."

S&H will showcase only its contemporary designs at ICFF, including this wool and silk Modern Abstract (28625) rug.

In the past several years, S&H has seen its business change significantly with the custom segment experiencing  "tremendous" growth attributed in part to improved communications and technology. 

"Over the past three years the custom business has grown tremendously," Wilbush said. "More and more the focus has been on getting the exact color, design and size the customer wants.

"With the ease of communication and innovations in technology, we have been able to create a team overseas focusing just on custom orders. The process is now a large and growing part of our day-to-day operations.  

S&H began offering "broken" style designs about two years ago, adding to it with a range of wool and silk Mohtasham Kashans (SH29575). 

For ICFF, the company will bring a selection of its two-year-old line of a broken design transitional tabriz rugs. "It is a modern take on a classic design and we have been going strong with this program," Arjmand said. "We have grown from this idea to incorporate another similar line with a broken Mohtasham Kashan design in wool and silk in grey, pink and pistachio green colors. These transitional program lines have been great and have helped us stand out." 

S&H, which also participates in home goods showcase NYNow, anticipates ICFF attendees to be a higher-end designer clientele more interested in modern and contemporary designs, than at NYNow. 

"ICFF is a great venue for our modern lines and a way for us to grow our custom business with designers as well as contemporary furniture stores," Wilbush commented.