NEW YORK—Hotel Management caught up with various exhibitors during Day 2 of the Boutique Design New York conference, held here at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, learning about the latest products and trends in hospitality design. Here are some highlights.
1429 mfg
Annapolis, Md.-based 1429 mfg has formed a partnership with designer Michel Smith Boyd of the TV series "Buying it Blind." On the show floor, design firm owner Bridgette Hamilton showed off some of the new products developed through the partnership—nightstands, headboards, armoires and benches meant to be used at the end of a bed.
The collaboration, she explained, will extend to custom pieces for hotels. “'I’m an artist,” she said. “Michel is also an artist ... We create the art for them based on their theme and their vision of what it is that they want to do.”
Tropitone
Kristi George, a senior sales manager with outdoor furniture company Tropitone, said the company is seeing increased demand for outdoor furniture made of marine-grade polymer, especially as the team adds new color options.
The polymers are good for a range of outdoor environments, George said, standing up to sunlight, rain and wind. (The pieces can be weighted down for particularly windy areas, she added.)
The polymers also are easy to clean and maintain. “You can simply clean them with dish detergent and water,” she said. “You don't need a harsh detergent that's going to scratch [the surface].” The pieces have a good life expectancy, George added, calling them “virtually indestructible.”
Wayfair Professional & Swatchroom
Boston-based furniture company Wayfair Professional partnered with Washington, D.C.-based design firm Swatchroom to develop a booth for the BDNY trade show floor, evoking three different themes suitable for a hotel lobby: midcentury, Hollywood glam and Western.
“Wayfair is a good partner for us,” said Swatchroom principal/CEO Warren Weixler. “Our whole mission is what story do we want to tell? How do we show off [different] styles?” Wayfair offers a “range” of accessories, pillows and furniture, he added. “We bring awareness to the public that Wayfair professional-grade products exist. We will punch that home.”
The booth at BDNY is kicking off a collaborative effort that will extend to hotels. Swatchroom will design Wayfair’s upcoming booths for other trade shows.
Swatchroom will also be renovating the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. The project will be a unique challenge, Weixler noted, because the companies will have to “honor” the property’s history as they reimagine it.
Future hospitality projects will similarly depend on each property’s needs rather than trends. “Trend forecasting is a thing,” Weixler said, “but a hotel’s look depends on its location and brand.”
Arteriors Contract
Arteriors Contract, a Carrollton, Texas-based provider of lighting, furniture and decorative accessories, showed off a variety of products at this year’s BDNY, including its Essential Lighting line. Though the company is more known for its larger statement pieces, said Terry Clayton, SVP of sales and marketing, it also has offered subtler, simple pieces that blend into the background more.
“We’re really trying to let people know that we do both,” said Clayton. “It’s mostly pendants and sconces, things that can be used in multiples down a corridor, over a bar area, things that you would buy in threes or fours.”
Wallace Sewell
U.K-based design studio Wallace Sewell made its BDNY debut this year. With decades of experience in custom bedspreads, wall art and upholstery, the company came to the conference to debuts its new collection of machine-washable throws. They come in three styles, including micro-patterned flat cotton and cotton chenille, each available with a variety of color designs.
“The idea for this collection is that it's easy to customize,” said Emma Sewell, co-founder of Wallace Sewell. “So it’s got a really simple set-up and we can actually then adapt it and change color and proportions very easily.”
Wolf-Gordon
New York-based design company Wolf-Gordon previewed a new collection of papers and fabrics with interior designer Ghislaine Viñas, who looked through catalogues from the 1960s through early 1980s in the company’s archives to remake patterns for a fresh take on old trends. The result, a line called “Repeat Offender,” comes in three patterns: Vicious Circle (a circular motif), Tangled Up (the company’s signature stripe) and Holding Pattern. “She was drawn to a few different patterns that could provide inspiration for her very 21st century design,” Wolf-Gordon COO Marybeth Shaw said.
The patterns are available in different colors, and Shaw noted the mix of “classic neutrals” and more vibrant options like an “innovative” redwood colorway.