Evan Cole

Who is Evan Cole?

Evan Cole is the American founder, owner, and current CEO of H.D. Buttercup, a home furnishings retailer with locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Cole was born and raised in Queens, New York. At 16 years old, he attended Boston University. Cole secured the first-ever licenses to sell IBM personal computers and franchise retail VAR One Hour Photos. He ran a seasonal holiday store called the Holiday Spirit, before he moved to the home furnishings industry.

In 1982, Cole joined the ABC Carpet Store on 19th and Broadway in New York, where he expanded the product line well beyond rugs. Adding antiques, linens, furniture, lighting and accessories from around the world, he founded ABC Home in 1985.

As Chief Executive of ABC Carpet and Home for 22 years, Cole was responsible for the company's annual revenue growth from $3 million in 1982 to $170 million in 2004, when he left the company.

While there, Cole introduced the home as fashion concept by merchandising furniture and accessories in new and innovative ways. Through combining unexpected pieces together, juxtaposing a variety of decorating styles, and multi-layering, he created a mix and match aesthetic normally seen in fashion, that had never been done before with furniture. In 1994, Cole received the NRF Retailer of the Year award.²