NEW YORK -- A bustling 2019 BDNY showcased the latest area rug looks -- from painterly styles to avant-garde -- designed to meet the hospitality market's growing appetite for the product category.
While repeat exhibitors like Couristan and Nourison wowed attendees with themed exhibits showcasing rug and broadloom options that coordinate a design concept from public spaces to guest rooms, Surya showcased its cross-category hospitality offerings from custom rugs to lighting, a big draw for show shoppers.
Designer Liora Manne, a long-time hospitality source for her custom Lamontage rugs told RugNews.com that hospitality designers are specifying the proprietary product for headboards, walls and ceilings -- so much so that sales of those combined categories are now equal in volume to rug sales.
Creative Matters, which has sold its rugs to contract designers for over 30 years, was not alone in questioning the seemingly sudden increase in rug exhibitors. "We started in commercial with corporate office lobbies, and with the move to residential looks in hotels we've been doing them for years," said Ali McMurter, vice president, Creative Matters, positing that the use of hard surface in guest rooms is triggering handmade rug vendors' decision to exhibit at the show.
McMurter's observation was echoed by many other area rug players participating in the 2019 event. They also noted that the increasing popularity of handmade and Axminster area rugs for lobbies - an area once dominated by broadloom installation - has been a boon as well. Below, RugNews.com tours BDNY and showcases our picks for the top 15 area rug designs at the fair.
AMADI
Amadi debuts at ICFF introducing shoppers to its latest African-mud cloth inspired Kuba collection, woven by women weavers in Amadi's Afghanistan facility.
COURISTAN
Couristan featured its hospitality capabilities with a range of show-stopping designs inspired by the Camp: Notes on Fashion exhibit, which ran from May-September at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC.
CREATIVE MATTERS
Creative Matters returns to BDNY after a 2018 debut and showcases its latest customizable styles and its new Halcyon collection's Balthazar design, hand-knotted of fine Tibetan wool and pure Chinese silk.
CREATIVE TOUCH
Creative Touch introduces its first rug design in partnership with interior designer Anna Maria Mannarino, following the success of her pillow collection for the rug maker.
F.J. KASHANIAN
Debuting at the boutique hospitality fair, F.J. Kashanian offered a sample of the company's popular Ocean design and its fashion-forward boho, patchwork and modern looks for show shoppers.
INNOVATIVE CARPET
Innovative Carpets illustrated its custom capabilities for its Axminster carpets and hand-tufted rugs with a range of surreal, quirky styles and new fiber combinations.
LIORA MANNE
Liora Manne, whose work in the hospitality business continues to grow, got a great response to the color scheme featured for her latest Lamontage customizable designs, with sales for use on headboards, walls and ceilings now equaling rug sales.
LOLOEY
A top source for European designers and architects, Italian high-end rug atelier Loloey introduced shoppers to its high texture Gaia collection's Nena design.
MOBAYAN
California-based Mobayan debuted its customizable area rug program at its first BDNY -- and textural looks were a hit with hospitality designers.
NOURISON
Nourison showcased its top constructions, ranging from a debut high-density printed quality to its best-selling hospitality quality -- a carved, abrash Axminster -- in a cross-coordinated brushstroke-inspired selections for layered hospitality designs.
OBEETEE
Obettee turned the spotlight on its a special BDNY capsule collection, called Beautiful World, which focused was on reworking classic Indian designs in fashion colors.
SACCO
Sacco featured a custom floral Axminster wool design that was commissioned by Tihany Design for its installation at the Breakers Palm Beach, Florida.
SURYA
BDNY shoppers were stopping in to learn more about Surya's lighting assortment, which was featured alongside the company's pillows and popular area rug designs, available in 10 hospitality-grade constructions.
STARK
Stark returned to BDNY for a second time and featured a sophisticated take on animal prints and a classic black and white palette with new softened and warmed up tones. Featured constructions include felted, hand-loomed and hand-tufted Axminsters.
WARP & WEFT
New York rug studio Warp & Weft introduced hospitality buyers to the fourth installment in its Atlantic Collection, called Picnic by WORKSHOP/APD.