Inside a Carpet Mahal at Grand Opening of Abrahams Newest Location
Sam and Omana Abraham at the grand opening of their new showroom on Bartlett Street in the Kirby-Rice Village area.
By Jawahar Malhotra
HOUSTON: One of the Indian community’s oldest continuously operating businesses unveiled its latest incarnations by showcasing its showroom in the Kirby-Rice Village area this past Friday, September 19 in an evening reception that brought in many of its well-heeled clientele and supporters.
Abrahams Oriental Rugs had its Grand Opening event at its newest location on 2515 Bartlett Street, just a few blocks south of the Southwest Freeway and half a block east of Kirby with a Tex-Indian cocktail party that drew in over 350 guests from across the city, including many friends and patrons like members of the Austrian Royal family Princess Maria-Julia Galistine and Prince Piotr Galitzine, and local celebrities like Joanne King Herring, Richard Yates and Madeline Feijoo.
Consul General Parvathaneni Harish and his wife Nandita and Omana Abraham.
“We had been at the Decorative Center on Woodway for the past 38 years,” explained Sam Abraham of this new location, “and we have finally relocated from there to this place,” gesturing to the tastefully decorated two-story building which is literally wall-to-wall rugs. Sam’s office is located on the second floor, which is laid out with a long dining table setting for 20 people.
Abraham and his wife Omana started the business by importing handmade rugs from India in the 1970s and, over the years, have had other retail outlets in several locations in Highland Village or the Galleria area. They will continue to have their showroom on Post Oak and Westheimer next to Canyon Café.
The event drew in many key people from the Indian community, including Leela and Nat Krishnamurthy, Mani and Anu Subramanium, Murthy and Chitra Divakaruni and the Indian Consul General Parvathaneni Harish and his wife Nandita. Meat appetizers were catered by Goode Company, which is literally located next door, and the Indian vegetarian appetizers included samosas and paneer tikkas. A jazz duo played modern contemporary jazz numbers in the large showroom in the back.
The entrance foyer to the new Abrahams Rugs showroom on Bartlett.
The Abrahams bought the building two years ago and completely remodeled it from the rafters down to the cement floor. Each wall is lined with the rich textured and patterned rugs that Abrahams is known for while many more are piled high on the floor or rolled up by the walls. Other accessories for the house fill the niches, with high-backed chairs even hung from the balustrades.