Evan Cole

Evan Cole (born January 1, 1961) 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 (National Retail Federation) Retailer of the Year award.

In 2004, Cole sold his ABC Home shares and headed to California where in 2006, he opened the first H.D. Buttercup store in the historic Helms Bakery complex in Los Angeles. Over 100,000 square feet of maple floors, redbrick walls and 30-foot exposed beams, the open layout store, which is powered by solar electricity, carries furniture, gifts and accessories. It also houses the showrooms of well-known designers including Timothy Oulton, Andrew Martin, Stark Carpet, Lillian August and Cisco Brothers, making it a popular destination with interior designers.

In 2010, Evan Cole opened another H.D. Buttercup store in the SOMA neighborhood (South of Market, San Francisco) of San Francisco.

Cole is also a real estate investor. In 2007, he paid $4.8 million for a 2,500 sq ft (230 m2). apartment at 15 Central Park West. In 2011, he put it on the market for $9 million. Cole was cited by Conde Nast Portfolio Magazine as Personal Finance Winner in the December 2008 issue.

Cole co-founded ABC Home, which is now fully owned by his ex-wife and business partner, Paulette.