The dawn of the year 2000 marked the entrance of Stroheim & Romann into its third century as a leading supplier of high-end home furnishings, a major landmark in our industry. Indeed, few companies can boast of the impressive longevity and successful record of accomplishment that Stroheim & Romann has had.

In 1865, a young man named Julius Stroheim, who had recently immigrated to America, opened a business in New York City to supply decorative fabrics to upholsterers and furniture makers. His company, which was later known as Stroheim & Romann, was to become one of the oldest and most respected in the decorating world. Its remarkable success is directly attributable to four generations of leadership in the same family, and to a tradition of pride fostered by personal management that has continued to today.

Soon after its founding, the economic boom and the new taste for luxury fabrics soared. The field of interior decorating was born in 1904 with Elsie de Wolfe, and Stroheim & Romann became an important resource to this new market, a relationship that has strengthened steadily since then. Later, showrooms across the United States were established, further expanding the company’s markets. At the same time that the company was expanding, its global focus also broadened, as high-quality fabrics were sourced in an ever-widening circle, including Europe and Asia. The product range also expanded beyond fabrics, wallcoverings, and trimmings, with the addition of area rugs and, most recently, a fine-quality line of decorative hardware for window treatments.

Stroheim & Romann has always stayed ahead of the prevailing trends in design and color, remaining traditional, yet always up-to-date. Classic designs, such as stripes, checks, plaids, damasks, florals, tapestries, brocades, chenilles, and velvets are continually updated to accommodate contemporary as well as traditional tastes.

In 1982, Stroheim & Romann joined forces with another multi-generational family business, when it was acquired by JAB-Anstoetz, based in Bielefeld, Germany. It is also the exclusive American distributor for JAB’s high-end, cutting-edge fabrics. Stroheim’s position in one of the largest decorative fabric firms in the world contributes to its strength in the marketplace.

Today the company encompasses over 50 designer showrooms across the United States. Stroheim & Romann products have graced some of the nation’s most celebrated institutions and interiors, from prestigious grand hotels such as the Plaza, the Waldorf-Astoria, and the Ritz-Carlton, to official residences such as Blair House, dozens of governors’ mansions, and the White House.