| THE BEST OF BDNY, PART 1- HOSPITALITY AREA RUG TREND TOUR
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NEW YORK -- The annual Boutique Design New York continues to attract area rug makers hoping to gain a larger piece of the booming hospitality market. And, the latest show proved no exception with several newcomers boosting the impact of area rug at the annual New York fair, held from Nov. 11-12 at the Javits Convention Center.
The BDNY lineup included first-time exhibitors (Bokara Rug, Castelluxe, Creative Touch, Nasiri Carpets and Stark), and area rug players Creative Matters, Warp & Weft and Tibetano, back at BDNY after breaks from one to 10 years. They join returning hospitality exhibitors Couristan, Liora Manne, Nourison, Obeetee, OW Hospitality, Samad, and Surya -- among others, all announcing major news at the fair.
In an effort to stand out from the pack at this energetic show, area rug players presented bold collections, new constructions and plenty of fresh looks aimed at hospitality specifiers, architects and designers.
In this special two part series, RugNews.com tours the booths at BDNY to showcase the top directions in rugs for hospitality design. Below we review companies from Bokara Rug Co. to Nasiri Carpet. And the action continues in Part 2 with Nourison through Warp & Weft.
Finally, make sure not to miss our exclusive hospitality business report where area rug execs share their big news in the category (read full story).
BOKARA RUG CO.
Bokara Rug's Gabby Vaknin showcases the company's updated traditional looks at its first BDNY.
Bokara Rug Co. tested the boutique hospitality waters at BDNY taking its first booth at the show. "The hospitality market is growing and we want to gain a share of the market, said Gabby Vaknin of Bokara. The company showcased an assortment of hand-loomed and hand-made products, in addition to introducing designers to its custom capabilities and new wall-to-wall options.
Bokara Rug's debuted at BDNY with a selection of contemporary designs in an effort to gain a share of this thriving business segment
CASTELLUXE
Castelluxe at its inaugural BDNY stand chose to focus on its growing collection of customizable hand-tufted designs including the cut-out style Kota and Torn, on wall.
Brooklyn-based bespoke area rug showroom Castelluxe debuted at BDNY showcasing its hand-tufted line of customizable designs. The company has become a designer source for its geometric hair-on-hide designs. However in recent years, it has expanded its assortment to include hand-knotted and hand-tufted designs.
COURISTAN
Couristan's Richard Swindells, global design director, created a series of vibrant custom hospitality looks for BDNY 2018, including this hand-made carved rug that proved a showstopper.
Couristan showcased several new looks for the hospitality segment with a focus on creative custom designs crafted for BDNY 2018, said Richard Swindells, global design director, Couristan Carpets (U.K.).
The company featured custom creations some of which showcased an enhanced Axminster crafted with shiny nylon; hand-tufted rugs featuring over-tufting, barber poles, and beveled edges; and graphic printed designs.
Couristan took an art-like approach to its booth with a striking assortment of custom looks.
CREATIVE MATTERS
Creative Matters' Amie Suttie, left, retail sales and marketing, and Ali McMurter, VP and partner, present their newest hospitality designs to New York shoppers.
Bespoke rug atelier Creative Matters returns to BDNY after nearly a decade's absence -- a time during which the Toronto-based company has seen its hospitality business soar. "Today we are more comfortable working with hospitality, noted Ali McMurter, vice president and partner. "We have been doing a lot of hotel work in the past three years and it is now about 50 percent of our business. Our competitive advantage is that we are comfortable doing it and we have an understanding of design and qualities from Axminster to hand-tufted area rugs -- designers are looking for a whole package so it's an advantage."
Creative Matters returns to BDNY and featured its hand-knotted Shibori-inspired Arashi collection. Shown Suji
CREATIVE TOUCH
Creative Touch's Baki Ildiz spotlights perennial favorites from the Patchwork collection at BDNY. Shown, Rotin Patchwork
BDNY newcomer Creative Touch showcased its signature collection called Patchwork, which repurposes vintage rugs in contemporary fashion colors. The company also included a modernist color-field design from its Erinn V. Collection for Creative Touch -- created by Hollywood celebrity interior designer Erinn Valencich.
Creative Touch reports good response to designs from its Patchwork collection of wool and cotton rugs, crafted from vintage rug remnants.
LIORA MANNE
Designers loved Liora Manne's new jute and Lamontage Canvas collection of textiles and decorative floor mats.
Liora Manne introduced its first collection combining a jute ground with its proprietary Lamontage process at the 2018 BDNY. The company's exhibit stand featured the new Canvas collection of textiles and decorative floor mats and visitors were treated to a first look at the Canvas series that Manne named Kenya. Inspired by African mud cloth, the wall coverings are suitable for both residential and commercial applications, while Canvas floor mats and pillow fabrics are for residential end-use.
A long-time favorite with hospitality designers, Lamontage is specified for indoor and outdoor spaces. "They can be customized to any shape and size or design, and are durable for both indoors and outdoors," said Bonnie Lasek, vice president sales. "Lamontage was originally designed for rugs. It's grown to include wallcoverings and now we are introducing other mediums into the Lamontage process."
Liora Manne's introduced a new mixed medium design that pairs jute and Lamontage in the Canvas collection of textiles, floor cloths and pillows.
MARC PHILLIPS
Designers stopped by the Marc Phillips booth to learn about its contemporary designs.
New York and Los Angeles rug vendor Marc Phillips returns to BDNY and showcases its growing Bauhaus collection of rugs, which had vendors stopping by to find out more. In addition, the company brought samples of its top-selling indoor-outdoor olefin rugs.
Marc Phillips displays its Bauhaus collection of modern designs at BDNY.
NANIMARQUINA
Nanimarquina was named a finalist in Best of BDNY 2018 for its Blur collection, designed by the Bouroullec brothers.
Renowned design duo the Bouroullec brothers created Blur, featuring an inverted kilim technique, for Barcelona-based, high-end label Nanimarquina. The innovative approach produces an indefinite, unfocused surface from far away that upon closer inspection turns into lines that give way to rhombus forms. These hand-loomed designs are crafted of hand-spun Afghan wool in green, red or black and white.
The company, which historically does more hospitality work in Europe, sees business picking up in the US. "We are getting a lot more hotel projects," said Sheena Shah, sales executive.
Nanimarquina's new Blur collection by the Bouroullec brothers features an inverted kilim technique.
NASIRI CARPETS
Nader Nasiri introduced BDNY audiences to his eponymous studio's latest bespoke flatweaves.
New York hand-made area rug boutique Nasiri Carpets debuts at BDNY displaying its newest samples and flatweave designs, said Nader Nasiri, pointing out that his firm is well-versed in creating custom designs for residential interior designers and architects. Nasiri, which opened a new showroom in the New York Design Center earlier this year, carries unique, one-of-a-kind pieces in stock and offers bespoke service options for size, color, weave, texture and design -- and it debut at BDNY is an effort to broaden its marketing reach to the hospitality segment.
"At this show, people are serious, they have projects in hand. Everything we brought for BDNY is new samples and designs."
New York studio Nasiri Carpets showcased its latest introduction of high-end custom flatweaves at BDNY.