Franco Scalamandre; Founder of Decorative Textiles Firm

Franco Scalamandre, 89, a founder of Scalamandre Inc., one of the world’s best-known manufacturers of decorative textiles, carpeting and wall coverings, whose works have been used in decorative projects ranging from the White House to the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. A native of Naples, Scalamandre came to the United States after obtaining an engineering degree and went to work for Westinghouse Electric Co. in Newark, N.J., as a draftsman. He married artist-designer Flora Baranzelli and founded Scalamandre Silks in 1929. The two began what proved lengthy research into the reproduction of historical fabrics using museums and old documents as reference points. The firm has 12 showrooms across the country and does more than $30 million worth of business annually. In Plandome Manor, Long Island, on Tuesday.