Hospitality flooring and area rug exhibitors rolled out a range of trend-driven product, with refreshed color palettes and motifs.
NEW YORK -- The hospitality industry didn't experience the unexpected and almost immediate surge in renovations and new constructions witnessed in the residential market during and following the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the slower recovery appears to have turned the corner and many area rug and carpet exhibitors that participated in the annual Boutique Design New York show, held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center Nov. 13-14, reported strong attendance and traffic at a pace equivalent to pre-pandemic levels.
RugNews.com tours the annual high-end boutique hotel show to discover what's new in the boutique hospitality category and the carpet and area rug styles trending with this audience.
APADANA
Apadama debuts its new felted circular motif pebble-style construction at the 2022 boutique hotel event.
Connecticut area rug showroom Apadama returns to BDNY and showcases its latest designs which feature organic styling, natural color palettes and texture. The company's just-introduced Sasco rug offers a felted wool circle pebble design in natural neutral tones.
Another popular choice has been the new additions to Apadana's Modern Safi collection, which combines flatwoven and pile constructions for a very organic look.
A popular choice was Apadama's latest flat-weave and pile wool Modern Safi design with simple organic styling.
COURISTAN
Couristan's new Oasis collection moves away from strict cool palettes, injecting warmer tones and pops of color into the latest options.
Couristan showcased its new Oasis collection at its spacious BDNY booth, and the line features many trending elements in the hospitality segment including mid-century modern inflected geometric patterns, rich textures, layered patterns and warmer colors, amped up with pops of ebullient color accents. Oasis blends geometric and organic forms for a fresh interior landscape. The patterns are available in Axminster, print and hand-tufted constructions.
"BDNY has been busier than last year and our Axminster remains our most popular construction, said Monica Bernal, VP, regional sales, Couristan contract/hospitality. "Hospitality designs are trending toward brighter colors and patterns that merge old and new."
Couristan's Oasis collection, available in multiple constructions, including high-definition printing (on wall) attracted
buyers for its bold use of color and mixed motifs.
Updated Mid-Century modern geometric motifs were trending at the Couristan booth and throughout the show.
CREATIVE TOUCH
Creative Touch showcased its new Sandy collection and show shoppers gave a thumbs up to its modernized Persian
motif and warmed up gray tones.
Creative Touch chose to feature a more traditional look in its BDNY booth, albeit a thoroughly modernized over-scale interpretation of a classic floral motif. Design 40527 from the New Jersey rug showroom's new Sandy collection grabbed the attention of show shoppers, with its gray field warmed up by ivory, blush and rust tones.
In addition, Creative Touch featured a tufted round-shaped area rug which speaks to the trend of organic shaped design.
DURKAN
Durkan Hospitality showcased its new Abstract Artistry lineup, part of the Mohawks Better Together program, which was
awarded the Best of BDNY 2022 Product Design Competition award in the flooring category.
Durkan introduced its new Abstract Artistry collection, which took home the Best of BDNY 2022 Product Design Competition award in flooring. Arnavaz Barchan, design director, Durkan Hospitality, a division of Mohawk Industries, said, "Business has been really, really good -- but there are less business travelers and more leisure travelers. And leisure travelers are more conscious about wanting to stay in something newer. So hotels are getting pushed to renovate more quickly." In addition, the leisure travelers are also becoming more keyed into sustainability and the featured rugs in the Durkan booth were part of not only Mohawk's Beyond Carbon Neutral commitment, but also part of its Better Together campaign, which features the works of lesser-known artists.
"There is a shift in hospitality where everybody is conscious about moving beyond carbon neutral and what it means," said Barchan. In terms of design and styling, the lines between Mohawk's segments were getting "a little bit blurred, where hotels wanted a more high-end residential look and the residences wanted a little bit of the hotel-like look and everyone wanted a fresh new warm and inviting setting," she continued. "The shift in design is that while there is still patterning in certain areas, there is also a heavy emphasis on luxury textures and colors that tie up the spaces. While pops of patterns are there in the public spaces still, corridors and guest rooms are more subtle. Colors that were once cool colors now need a little bit of warmth."
Durkan's Abstract Artistry collection features a textural design inspired by the work of Eve Hennessa.
FERREIRA DE SA
Portuguese rug manufacturer Ferreira de Sa debuted at BDNY and picked up an IFDA Select award in the flooring category.
From left: Sonia Goncalves, Andreia Magalhaes, Sarah Kuhn, Calixto Valenti and Mauro Martins. Shown, Slam Lagoon
BDNY show newcomer Ferreira de Sa introduced attendees to its luxurious, made-in Portugal area rugs. The Portuguese rug manufacturer, which picked up an IFDA Select, Best in BDNY Show award in the flooring category, displayed its prowess in the tufted category. The company produces rugs using not only in traditional hand-tufted techniques but also has a state of the art robotic-tufted process, where all the details and finishing are done by hand. The company also showcased its indoor-outdoor hand-woven designs.
Produced in its factory in northern Portugal, Ferreira de Sa showcased its textural and shaped design prowess.
Precious Vintage, a plush hand-tufted abstract motif, rear, was a market favorite, and shaped rugs continue to trending too.
LIORA MANNE
NY designer Liora Manne shows off her Rose Petal design, recently installed in the Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall.
She's shown surrounded by her new Revolution Lamontage collection, which is composed of 65 percent or more recycled content.
"This has been the busiest show we have ever had," said Liora Manne, owner and designer at her eponymous wall textiles and area rug studio. "We are seeing a lot of action in the hospitality segment." Manne, who developed her proprietary Lamontage felted-wool wall and floor coverings, expands the offering to now include the Revolution collection, a lineup of Lamontage felted wool designs crafted of 65 percent or more recycled content. The patterns are crafted from black and white recycled materials and warmer tones and color can be added to the designs upon client request.
Manne, who was recently commissioned for a major wall installation at the Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall, noted that Lamontage wall coverings are in demand as they are customizable and can have a dramatic impact on an interior's design, while also offering acoustic absorbing properties. That customization, in terms of shape and colors, have also been a key component to growing flooring sales as well. "Customization is huge."
The new Revolution collection of floor and wall covering designs is crafted from at least 65 percent recycled content.
NANIMARQUINA
Nanimarquina introduces its Re-Rug, a hand-loomed dhurrie-style area rug composed from 50 percent re-used wool.
Nanimarquina returned to BDNY and featured its new Re-Rug collection, crafted using the hand-loomed dhurrie technique and available in four different color combinations. Re-Rugs are crafted from 50 percent virgin wool and 50 percent reused wool left over from the rug making process. To ensure a durable base the rug's warp is made of New Zealand virgin wool dyed black and white, yellow or blue, green or teal. The weft is made of the marbled recycled yarn of varying thickness and color.
Also on show was the hand-tufted Pieces pattern from the Tones collection, designed by artist Claudia Valsells. Crafted of pure New Zealand wool, Pieces offers simple colorful geometric shapes for a mid-century modern appeal.
Trending styles at the 2022 BDNY include Mid-Century modern geometrics such as Nanimarquina's tufted Tones Pieces.
NOURISON
Nourison, which reports strong BDNY traffic, introduced its Nourmak and Nourmak Plus patented qualities, above.
"Attendance was outstanding. We had over triple the number of people at our booth," reports Dipesh Haria, creative director, Nourison Hospitality. The increase in attendance at the show reflects the upsurge in the number of projects we are working on. We are seeing all the projects come off hold that were affected by 2020’s economic climate."
At the 2022 BDNY, Nourison Hospitality's hand-carved Axminster and Abrash techniques garnered a lot of interest, Haria said, adding that the company's bold hand-tufted feature rugs, inspired by its successful Prismatic rug collection, were "a showstopper with many raving fans. "The launch of the Nourmak and Nourmak Plus patented qualities grabbed a lot of attention as well.” Those new qualities were featured in were 100 percent wool with no backing.
Nourison Hospitality's hand-tufted statement rug was inspired by its successful Prismatic collection and grabbed attention.
NOW CARPETS
Spanish rug and carpet atelier NOW Carpets featured its attention-grabbing Bloom rug, hand-tufted of wool.
NOW Carpets reports a very busy show and brisk business. "Now there is a lot of business in the hospitality segment -- it is back," said Miguel Paracuellos, product manager at the Spanish studio, which has joint ventures in Nepal and India to produce its products. Known for its hand-tufted and hand-knotted products and increasingly a source for high-quality outdoor rugs, NOW has the ability to produce rugs on looms that are 60 feet wide.
Among the BDNY showstoppers was the company's hand-tufted BLOOM designed by Genna Weiner. Also resonating with marketgoers was The Sea and the Sand, a modern geometric collection hand-knotted of New Zealand wool and designed by New York designer and architect Rafael Alvarez. Finally, the company's puzzle-like area rugs -- the faceted hand-tufted Radical collection and reversible indoor-outdoor Tangram series (crafted of high-quality polypropylene and comprised of four customizable shapes) -- continued to gain traction.
On the wall, NOW featured its hand-knotted The Sea and the Sand, made of 100 percent New Zealand wool.
PERENNIALS
Perennials' Brush Strokes rug from its Cloud 9 collection was a finalist and its vegan leather fabric
a winner of BDNY's
product design competition Best of Show.
Perennials also reported a "great" BDNY and showcased its range of styles and textures. The company debuted its new luxury performance Cloud 9 collection of fabrics and five area rug designs in three constructions. The rug lineup's Brush Work was an instant show hit for its warmed up neutral palette and dense pile Tibetan knot construction, which offers 80 knots per square inch. Brush Works is available in Perennials' Ready to Roll stocked rug program in sizes 2x9, 2x3, 5x7 and 9x12. The Brush Strokes rug was a finalist, while its new vegan leather fabric was the winner, in BDNY's product design competition Best of Show.
Perennials continues to grow its area rug offering and showcased its various qualities and textures, now offering select
styles in its stocked Ready to Roll program.
RUG & KILIM
New York area rug showroom Rug & Kilim showcased its range of textures and styles at its second BDNY show.
Joining the BDNY lineup for a second time is New York area rug showroom Rug & Kilim which had initially attracted boutique hotel clients for its expansive assortment of antique and vintage area rugs. At the company's busy booth designers were stopping in to review R&K's range of handmade products. Said Josh Nazmiyal, "Our goal is to share our creativity, modern designs and innovative constructions -- now that we have increased our ability to meet higher volumes. We have the inventory to meet hospitality needs." BDNY is one of the better New York shows and there has been a lot of traffic this year."
SACCO CARPETS
Alberto Diaz dons an astronaut suit to complete the look of Sacco Carpet's show-stopping booth.
Returning exhibitor Sacco Carpets said the 2022 edition was "amazing." The company featured two show-stopping intricately detailed carpet depictions from Nasa’s James Webb Telescope which captured unprecedented views of Jupiter. The carpets are printed on a nylon base.
Sacco, founded in 2001 by Marc and Debra Sacco, serves the residential and hospitality markets, and constructions range from 100 percent silk hand-knotted rugs to New Zealand wool Axminster and printed designs on a nylon base.
SURYA
Surya showcased its hand-knotted wool rugs and the various constructions available via its Contract Custom Rugs Program.
"Traffic has been outstanding," reported Aldo Altieri, VP of sales, hospitality at Surya, who added that business is back to pre-pandemic levels. The company showcased its range of hand-knotted wool rug designs at BDNY 2022 and the various piles available as part of its Contract Custom Rugs Program, including popular choices such as distressed hand-knotted and cut pile. Altieri noted that while wool area rugs remain a top choice at boutique hotel settings because of wool's durability and easy to care for nature, PET rugs are increasingly important in this segment.
"The hospitality segment wants to be more residential looking, and a lot of the residential design looks are pushing into the hospitality market -- we do an equal amount of business in traditional and modern styled rugs. But most important is to be able to offer something unique." The company's Livorno collection of updated global geometric looks offering a zero pile and high-low patterns was resonating with buyers.
Surya's growing range of home accents and accessories continue to gain ground in the hospitality segment.
WARP & WEFT
On the floor, Custom Picnic Axminster carpet from Warp & Weft's collaboration with Workshop/APD, a New York
architecture and design studio.
Like several area rug exhibitors, including Liora Manne, Rug & Kilim and Surya, Warp & Weft chose to illustrate its assortment of textures and price points. The New York area rug atelier's Katie Goldberg reports that they had "very heavy traffic" and that clients from all over the country attended. She noted that they want "local flavor" in their boutique designs. "Local flavor and quality are extremely important because that is what is exciting about leisure travel."
Warp & Weft offers hand-woven, hand-knotted, hand-tufted, machine-tufted, Axminster, and flatweave rugs that are appropriate for suites, guest rooms, hallways, amenities and outdoor spaces.
WOOP RUGS
Woop Rugs showcased its made-in-Spain multi-textural Holvi rug (shown rear) and new indoor-outdoor basketweave
construction at its inaugural BDNY event.
Woop Rugs, a Bilbao, Spain, manufacturer of tufted area rugs, featured its multi-textural Holvi shaped rug, crafted of eight wool textures and four colors. The company, which in 2020 opened a NYC Madison Avenue showroom, had a very busy opening day introducing the company to BDNY attendees. In addition to Holvi, Woop debuted its new indoor-outdoor basket-weave Qada collection for which the company developed its own weaving machine in order to produce.