Attendance at the 2023 BDNY was up, and rug exhibitors reported strong show activity as they launch trend-forward designs.
NEW YORK -- BDNY, the annual two-day boutique hospitality fair held at Jacob Javits Center, was bustling with architects, designers, and hoteliers walking the aisles to discover and source the latest area rug and carpet trends.
In fact, show organizers report that the 15,000 designers, architects, brand executives, hoteliers, developers, purchasers attending were a "testament to the resilience and growth of the boutique and lifestyle hospitality industry." And compared to BDNY 2022, the 2023 show, held Nov. 12-13, experienced a 16 percent increase in overall attendance, a 15 percent increase in qualified buyers, and a 20 percent increase in exhibitors.
The show's growth in exhibitors also included an expanded roster of area rug and carpet companies, which reported that the pipeline of projects for the next two to three years is brimming and that attendees were in high spirits as they toured the booths. What's more, the newcomers that made their BDNY debut to bring their products and expertise in the category to a broader audience reaped the benefits of high attendance.
The rug and carpet exhibits at this sophisticated, well-curated event didn't disappoint and what became immediately apparent while touring the show was that color is back with many highlighting boldly hued designs in varied shades. Not surprising to readers of RugNews.com is that green proved the leitmotif across numerous spaces - but not in the more timid moss tones or as a minor accent seen in the residential rug market. Here it roared to life in luscious full rugs in emerald-toned designs.
Though color was omnipresent, so too were the expected neutrals, with cream and beige tones dominating blues and grays. But 2023's "neutrals" were anything but dull and these carpet designs took textural looks to the bleeding edge, lending many of the pieces a textural, tactile wallop that had attendees oohing and aahing.
Finally, another major thought line of the 2023 fair was the focus on sustainability and eco-conscious products, with several booths making that theme the primary focus.
Follow RugNews.com in this industry exclusive as we tour BDNY 2023's top area rug and carpet exhibitors.
ALARWOOL
Spanish rug maker Alarwool debuted at BDNY showcasing its European-crafted area rugs and carpets.
Alarwool, a family business founded nearly 60 years ago in the sleepy town of Alar del Rey, Spain, debuted at the 2023 BDNY bringing its story to an international audience. The company's carpets are manufactured at its production plant in Crevillente, and while it may be a new name to U.S.-based hospitality players, it is among the top choices for European-made high-quality wool carpets for hotels, cruise ships and casinos throughout Europe. For its U.S. debut Alarwool showcased a range of options including hand-tufted, Axminster, indoor-outdoor and even sisal.
APADANA FINE RUGS
Apadana's Mike Alidadi, owner, and Vanessa Cadena, with designer and rug collaborator Laura Gottwald. Shown, Fantasia 6
Connecticut area rug showroom Apadana returns to BDNY and showcases its first full-size area rugs from its new licensed program alongside New York designer Laura Gottwald. Featured prominently were several modern geometric designs from the new program. The hit proved Fantasia 6, a non-repeating asymmetrical triangle design in vibrant 1960s colors. Crafted from virgin Persian wool and hand-dyed in Gottwald's bespoke colors, this rug is hand-tufted by artisans in northern India.
CREATIVE TOUCH
Creative Touch's Baki Ildiz and Chelsea Novakoski show Kaku Gowan, center right, and Megan Linquest, center left,
of architecture and planning practice BOKA Powell in Dallas, its latest hand-knotteds. Shown, Fusion 129
Creative Touch returns to BDNY and highlights its successful hand-knotted Modern Art Texture collection's newest design, Fusion 129 in emerald. The company also had plenty of samples on hand to show its broad offering of handmade rugs, including its popular patchwork and overdye lineup, modern tribal styles, Moroccans and the must-see latest additions to its best-selling Bosphorus collection.
DURKAN
Durkan's booth theme Entangled Earth displayed a range of nature-inspired designs at BDNY 2023. Shown, HTR97247
Durkan, Mohawk's hospitality division, featured plenty of carbon-neutral, textural options for BDNY attendees at its spacious booth. Front and center was its recently introduced award-winning Mycotopia collection, displayed in a booth theme titled Entangled Earth. The collection, which for BDNY was showcased in palettes including deep greens, takes its design cues from mycelium, which are living networks of fungi and root systems of mushrooms on the forest floor. The range is designed by Durkan's Yelena Rodina. The collection's organic, artfully designed pieces include a range of abstracted patterns that paired natural cream and beige tones, sometimes with vibrant greens.
FERRIERA DE SA
Right, Helle Poulsen Hodjat, Gensler, LA, gets the Ferreira de Sa rundown from Andrea Magalhaes. Shown, Azora Daylight.
Ferreira de Sa returned to BDNY for its second show and displayed its cutting-edge luxurious, made-in Portugal area rugs. The rug manufacturer revealed its prowess in the tufted category with several uber-textural styles, as well as an elegant shaped ombre-style design. New for BDNY is its Azora collection, inspired by the Portuguese Azores islands, and which offers a multi-level pile height that adds a cutting-edge texture to the rugs. The company uses not only traditional hand-tufting techniques but also has a state of the art robotic-tufted process, in which all the details and finishing are done by hand.
Portuguese rug manufacturer Ferreira de Sa showcases its impressive figure-eight shaped ombre tufted design.
INNOVATIVE CARPETS
Green takes center stage at Innovative Carpets' booth, which featured a range of styles, in tufted or Axminster
constructions in luscious shades.
New Jersey-based Innovative Carpets showcased a collaboration with boutique hospitality and residential design firm Pierre & Co., New York, for a presentation that dove deep into nature. For BDNY, a range of vibrant green palettes where the coordinating theme included a diverse assortment of styles, from a tropical leaf pattern to a modernist high-low hand-tufted arch design to an oversize tropical floral Axminster carpet.
JAIPUR LIVING
Paul Semkuley, center, with Resource Lifestyles, Ontario, Canada, is flanked by Jaipur's Paul Baird and Nitesh
Chaudhary, right at the rug maker's BDNY premier.
Jaipur Living debuted at BDNY, introducing show attendees to its customization options ahead of the official launch of its contract brand and product portfolio for designers and specifiers, according to the company’s Nitesh Chaudhary, who notes that parent company Jaipur Rugs in India has long been a source for hospitality projects internationally. The response at BDNY was strong and very encouraging, he told RugNews.com. Show shoppers gravitated to the booth to learn more about the showcased array of colors available for customizing designs and rug qualities suitable for hotel applications.
JD STARON
Husband and wife duo Jakub and Gosia Staron, center left, with Crissy Johnson, center right, and Gina Macewen, of
DMA Architecture & Interiors, Evanston, Illinois.
New York rug atelier JD Staron debuts at BDNY showcasing its new textural Antelope Valley collection, an Axminster carpet range with superimposed hand-tufted overlays. Inspired by the sandstone Antelope Canyon in Arizona, Jakub Staron, company founder, created a fictional resort, Antelope Valley Hotel, illustrating how the earthy textural collection could be used in spaces throughout a hospitality project.
Jakub Staron designed the Antelope Valley collection for a fictional resort named after the eponymous canyon in Arizona.
KALATY
Gabriel Kalaty meets with Dmitry Dudnik, Dmitry Dudnik Design, New York, NY. Shown, hanging, Juno JN-079, with
Celeste CJ1021, on the ground
Another BDNY newcomer was Kalaty, which recently created a hospitality division to house that side of its growing commercial business. While Kalaty has been serving the hospitality industry for decades, the new division, Kalaty Hospitality, is solely devoted to the hospitality sector. The company presented top-selling designs from some of its most popular collections: Juno, Orian and Celeste. Juno and Orian are both hand-knotted in a Tibetan knot weave crafted of 100 percent Silkette, with hand-carved details, while Celeste is a high-quality machine-made lineup made of a combination of Silkette and acrylic yarns, displaying a knots-per-square-inch equal to many high-end hand-knotted styles.
Kalaty featured designs from its Orian (hanging, ON1161) and Celeste (on ground, CS1021) collections at its first BDNY presentation.
LIORA MANNE
Kimberly Kolcz, center, and Hollie Vilander, left, Offday Design Studio, Newport Beach, California, are introduced to
Liora Manne's new Yucatan collection. Shown, Lacandon Forest
At long-time BDNY presenter Liora Manne's booth the focus was also on nature and greenery. New York rug and textile designer Liora Manne revamped her booth display creating more wall space to showcase her Lamontage textiles and floor coverings, and samples of her latest Lush hand-tufted area rugs. The studio featured several designs from its latest felted wool Lamontage collection, Yucatan, which debuted at its first High Point Market InterHall presentation earlier this fall and became an instant favorite.
Liora Manne's revamped booth display for BDNY now allows more space to showcase its large assortment of Lush
area rugs and Lamontage designs.
LOLOEY
Sustainability was the focus at Loloey's 2023 booth and a high-texture design, Roma from Eikon Collection, was the show's star.
Luxury Italian rug atelier Loloey returns to BDNY focusing on sustainability. Whether that's natural biodegradable yarns such as wool or other options such as recycled PET yarns, recycled wool and Econyl (regenerated nylon), the company is committed to reducing its carbon footprint. Among the featured introductions were Loloey’s newest from its Eikon collection, of hand-drawn designs.
MILLIKEN
Innovations in hard and soft surfaces are allowing for unexpected combinations and installations. Shown, Milliken's Revelation
carpet tile collection
Milliken, a regular participant at BDNY, showcased its new Eurythmic Collection by Virginia Langely Designs at its spacious booth. The series was inspired by the spirit of fine arts and architecture and offers natural silhouettes and graceful lines. Also on show were designs from the new Revelation carpet tile collection, which features a blend of textures, patinas and vibrant jewel tones, and which can be used alongside hard floor tiles for a flush finish.
NANIMARQUINA
Nanimarquina showcased its iconic modern approach to area rug designs featuring Oblique in amber, right, and Haze, left,
Spanish area rug atelier Nanimarquina featured its certified climate neutral rugs at the 2023 edition of BDNY. Among the full-size designs on display was the new minimalist Oblique, designed by Matthew Hilton, in the amber colorway. The hand-knotted Oblique features a Persian knot and Soumak weave with cut pile crafted of hand-spun Afghan wool. Another sophisticated rug hails from the new Haze collection, designed by Begum Cana Ozgur. Haze 1 is hand-loomed of 50 percent New Zealand wool and 50 Italian wool offering a chromatic color scape combining yellow, earth and gray tones.
NOURISON HOSPITALITY
Kara Siffermann, KSID. Las Vegas, right, and Misty Wade, left, Wade Design & Interiors Springdale, Washington, get
a tour of Nourison's latest hospitality designs from Jonathan Peykar. Shown, hand-tufted, style 16296v1A
"We expect 2024 to be busier than 2023," said Dipesh Haria, creative director, Nourison Hospitality, noting that a pipeline of hotel projects will keep the industry busy for the next two to three years. Haria said the theme at Nourison booth was Coincidences in Motion, for which the company challenged its in-house designers to each create custom carpets for BDNY 2023 that would mirror the elegance of nature in motion yet be influenced by modern technology. The results wowed visitors with their blend of artistry and functionality in a range weaves and textures from Nourison’s proprietary Nourmak-Plus quality, to premium Axministers and hand-tufted qualities.
Also on show: the company’s technical capabilities including hand-carving, innovative mixes of raised and cut pile, coordinated patterns unified with glistening golden accents, and a color palette of neutrals and pastels inspired by the delicate hues of bleached corals and sandstone.
Nourison’s exhibit stand featured its popular Nourmak-Plus quality (hanging) and Endure collection design 113238vs
Axminster with shiny nylon accents.
Organic patterns and extreme textures were a hit at the Nourison stand for the 2023 BDNY event.
NOW CARPETS
Now Carpets focused on its high-quality indoor-outdoor rug debuts at market. Shown, Maui collection
Now Carpets, headquartered in Spain but with offices in NY and Miami, returned to the boutique hospitality fair and focused on its latest indoor-outdoor collection, Maui, designed by Spanish designer and artist Ignasi Soler with minimalist geometric motifs that harken back to the abstract geometric Bauhaus style. Also on show were samples of hand-tufted and hand-knotted products crafted in Nepal and India.
OW HOSPITALITY
OW Hospitality's Gavin McDowell, president, and Chrissy Bryant, VP of customer operations, went bold with their color-
drenched BDNY booth display.
OW Hospitality's Gavin McDowell, president, declared color is back and the OW booth was an eye-catching combination of vibrantly colored motifs coordinated with more neutral-toned patterns to illustrate how the two can work together throughout a hotel. Designs ranged from kaleidoscopic geometric motifs to abstracted geometrics to organic swirling marble styles.
The company’s comprehensive hospitality offerings span Axminister and hand-tufted weaves, plus its Luxury Ax, which is twice the pile height of standard Axminsters. On show was an eclectic mix from a number of directional collections, among them Destination, Well Being, Carbon-Neutral and In the Groove.
OW Hospitality went with an ultra vibrant abstracted geometric design on the floor for added wow.
ROYAL THAI
San Khan, left, and Jennifer Lem, IBI Group, Toronto, check out the latest designs at the Royal Thai stand. Shown, Reverie
collection design FH072884P012
Royal Thai, a vertically integrated rug manufacturer based in Thailand, made its BDNY debut hoping to expand its U.S. reach. The company, which focuses on the commercial and hospitality segments, featured an eye-catching painterly hand-tufted design from Royal Thai's Studio Collection of Axminster and hand-tufted rugs. The new Reverie collection, which pairs Axminster weaving with hand-tufted details, features a sumptuous velvet feel, hand-carved accents and bold neons for dramatic effect, and pairs Axminster weaving with the luxurious touch of hand-tufted artistry.
SACCO CARPETS
Sacco Carpets showcased a textural water-themed carpet design crafted from upcycled plastic ocean waste.
Returning exhibitor Sacco Carpet, a source of high-quality carpets for interior designers and architects, devoted its perennially catchy booth design to its sustainability initiatives. For 2023, the company created a water-inspired motif with yarn crafted from a process where ocean plastics are removed, recycled, and turned into fiber. The New York studio asked booth visitors to pledge to also do their share to help reduce plastic waste in water.
Founded in 2001 by Marc and Debra Sacco, Sacco offers constructions that also include 100 percent silk hand-knotted rugs, New Zealand wool Axminster, and printed designs on a nylon base.
SURYA
At the fall BDNY Surya showcased its custom home furnishings options in a booth adjacent to newly acquired sister
brand Global Views, also a cross-category hospitality design source.
Surya Contract returned to BDNY with a booth located alongside sister company Global Views, which Surya acquired earlier this year. Both brands have an established presence in the contract market, and both benefited from the adjacent positioning. “The show was very well attended and we had good traffic at both booths. The side-by-side setup of Global Views and Surya was a huge benefit in showcasing the synergy of the two brands. Most people didn’t know about the acquisition, and this was a tremendous visual,” Aldo Altieri, vice president of hospitality, Surya & Global Views, told RugNews.com. At the Surya booth a sampling of the company's custom area rug options, furniture and accents were on show in a coordinated vignette and the booth featured a custom mid-century geometric shaped rug on the ground.
Surya Contract featured a Mid-Century modern theme in its BDNY space, with furniture, decorative pillows, wall art
and more anchored by a custom area rug design for hospitality installations.
WARP & WEFT
Warp & Weft introduces its latest rugs crafted of AquaSilk yarn fiber, a luxurious yet highly durable fiber made from ocean plastic waste.
Another area rug atelier that focused 2023 on sustainability was New York's Warp & Weft, which has been a long-time producer of rugs made of natural fibers and dyes. However, this year the company introduced BDNY attendees to rugs crafted from AquaSilk yarn. AquaSilk is created from upcylced plastic, sourced from ocean waste, and has a performance profile of a highly durable synthetic fiber. These luxurious rugs offer a soft hand with the added benefits of being water and stain resistant, flame retardant and quick drying. Featured designs were full of texture and achieved by a combination of tufted and cut loop pile or flatwoven with a cut pile.
WENDY MORRISON DESIGN
Designer Wendy Morrison brings her maximalist style to the New York hospitality segment. Shown, Zebra Leopard
Palms, foreground, and Arc en Ciel, hanging
Scottish designer Wendy Morrison debuts at BDNY highlighting her sumptuous chinoiserie-inspired hand-crafted area rugs, wall coverings and textiles. Morrison, who recently opened her first showroom in London, said she wants to expand her reach to the U.S.
Morrison offers two collections composed of hand-tufted rugs crafted in India and hand-knotted pieces produced in Nepal. Among the featured designs were her Zebra Leopard Palms and Arc en Ciel, both hand-knotted of wool and silk. "People are becoming less afraid of color -- there was a time when people thought it best to keep things neutral, easy to sell and fit all, but now people are less likely to conform; people are less afraid to be themselves," she said.
WOOP RUGS
Woop showcased its indoor-outdoor Wood + ntgrate collection of custom woven vinyl rugs, on ground, and Holvi, hanging.
Woop Rugs, a Bilbao, Spain, manufacturer of tufted and woven rugs and carpets introduced market-goers to its new ntgrate collection of woven vinyl rugs. These custom rugs are produced in Spain with material manufactured by ntgrate, a Belgian producer of vinyl woven flooring. Also on show was the company's multi-level tufted Holvi construction shown in an undulating organic motif.