RALEIGH, North Carolina — Classical Elements LLC, a fastgrowing trimming, knitted drapery fabric (under the Finestra label) and hardware designer, marketer and importer, is launching several new programs simultaneously to take advantage of an improving high-end residential home furnishings market. The latest introduction at Showtime USA is a hardware line made of recycled barnwood sourced in the USA.

“After the temporary slowdown associated with the financial crises of ‘09, we are back on track and look to again post double-digit growth in 2010,” said Stuart Gans, principal. To help celebrate his confidence in the business pick up, he recently moved into a new house he designed with his wife and business partner, Leyla, and his three boys Joshua, 1, Micah, 3, and Aden, 6. The question is: what is expanding faster — his family or his business?

“After tiptoeing in export sales in ‘09, we are looking to exhibit at MoOD 2010, to boost sales overseas and leverage the current weakness of the dollar,” he said. “We now produce drapery hardware in four factories throughout Asia and this season will launch our first collection designed and produced in the USA, made from reclaimed oak from locally-deconstructed farmhouses,” Gans said. “We are now a major supplier in both retail and jobber markets for higher-end curtain hardware.” The lines include glass, metal, wood and exotic woods including bamboo, rattan and mother of pearl.

The Classical Elements line features product in the $5 to $10 a yard range with silk fringe in the low $20 price point, the top end of the line.

The expansion will put Classical Elements more solidly in the export market having just recently started to successfully make sales to specific editors in the U.K. As part of the increased effort, the firm has signed a contract with Liesl Braun, former senior designer and design manager of Castellano Beltrame which closed its East London, South Africa factory in late 2009.

Braun will help coordinate and oversee creation of Classical Elements’ new, expanded trim collections. The new products will be exported to the Middle East and European markets, according to Stuart Gans. Leyla, who is chief designer, works closely with all design and designers in the firm.

During the past few years Classical Elements has signed exclusive design contracts with several designers including Wesley Mancini and Jana Platina Phipps (former design director of Gelberg Braid) to build upon the designs of Leyla.

“Braun will help bring all the creatives together and allow us to bring new designs to market sooner,” Stuart explained.