NEW YORK—Boutique Design New York (BDNY) wrapped up at the Javits Center earlier this week. Approximately 650 exhibitors were in attendance. Many of those companies brought along products with strong sustainability stories—products in categories ranging from furniture to bedding to floor coverings and much more. It would be impossible to tell all those stories but here are some highlights from the annual trade fair.
bläanks, a women-owned business, featured its textured indoor/outdoor pillow and throws knitted in the U.S. with recycled cotton knit fibers and zero waste.
FOH Worldwide displayed numerous collections but its Asheville collection is crafted from sustainable wood, each piece featuring a distinctive natural grain pattern for a look that’s earthy and unique. The collection is designed to be cross-functional in use, offering an array of items that include raised boards, compartmentalized storage pieces, serving trays, tissue box covers, and more. FOH Worldwide also announced the phasing out of bubble wrap in its packaging.
Berkshire Hospitality featured bedding made with ecofiber fabrics that contain up to 80 percent post-consumer recycled content.
Minibar Systems was at the show with its state-of-the-art, energy-efficient minibars. The SmartFridgeECO only cools when guests use the fridge and remains off in vacant rooms and occupied rooms where the guest does not use the fridge. According to Minibar Systems, SmartFridgeECO brings online Wi-Fi communications and state-of-the-art network protocols to hotel guestroom fridges and delivers a financial return on investment through maximum energy savings and guest satisfaction.
One of the lines offered by DOWN Inc. was its Down to Earth Organic Collection of duvet inserts, down sleeping pillows, and down and feather sleeping pillows. The Collection meets the Global Organic Textile Standard.
Amenity Lines Made in Italy
Allegrini Cosmetic Solutions featured its numerous amenity lines made in Italy with a focus on quality, service, innovation, and sustainability.
Pandemic Design Studio was back with its Node Collection of ceramic green wall planters that are inspired and derived from the junction on a tree where the branch extends out from the trunk, known as the node.
Berner Air Curtains, known for its products that reduce energy loss in commercial buildings, announced that it is progressing on a solar installation which began in June. The installation has the capacity to produce almost one gigawatt of power annually.
Warp & Weft introduced AquaSilk, a sustainable fiber for weaving carpets. The fiber is crafted from plastic ocean waste.
Magic Stone featured its bathmat that the company says will reduce expenditures on floor towel bathmats by more than 80 percent annually. The stone bathmat is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-mold and can be customized with a hotel’s logo.
Native Trails, a Certified B Corp. and a leader in artisan-crafted, sustainable kitchen and bath products, exhibited for the sixth time at BDNY. This year, in addition to showcasing Roma, a brand-new sink in the Murano Collection—available in two new design series, Marina and Seaspray—and Gunmetal, a new titanium-colored finish for the Precious Metals Collection, Native Trails displayed a number of pieces from its celebrated product portfolio. Show visitors were able to stop by to see Topanga, Solace, and Cuzco vanity bases paired with coordinating mirrors and NativeStone vanity tops, as well as a spread of bathroom sinks, many of which are designated as ADA Compliant, from the Copper and Nickel and NativeStone collections.
Furniture Made from Fast-Growing Vine
Sika-Design A/S highlighted its rattan furniture which is made with a minimal impact on the environment, as the material is fast growing. In the production there is no waste as all residues are used for the steam ovens.
Lodging Econometrics announced that is now including green building certifications for the new project it adds to its data. More than 100 projects now include certification information.
HOUE featured its indoor and outdoor furniture including a chair made from recycled plastic. HOUE has the capability of taking the plastic waste a company generates to make furniture that is then sold back to the producer of the plastic waste. The name of HOUE’s unique business model: MyTrash.
TFS Natural Home displayed its unique furniture and bedding solutions including a chair upholstered with fabric made from cork. Some of the other natural materials used by the company: organic wool, organic cotton, horsehair, and camel hair.
Vistafolia was at BDNY with its artificial green walls. Through internal research and a partnership with Brothers Make, the company’s artificial green wall panels can now be recycled and re-purposed for a different means. Vistafolia says it is the only artificial plant wall supplier with the knowledge and ability to do this.
Ontario’s Wrmth featured its heated Modern Muskoka chair that includes a patented thermal core. The person seated in the chair can control temperature and lighting using a mobile device. The chair eliminates the need for patio heaters. The company also makes tables to go along with its chairs.
Modern Bamboo Designed Furniture
Greenington Furniture displayed samples from its modern bamboo designed furniture collection.
C2C Designs strives to use renewable, natural, or reclaimed materials as well as offset its energy consumption whenever possible. It was at BDNY highlighting its high-quality custom hospitality furniture.
Coronet, a CarbonNeutral company, featured its wide selection of LED lighting. Coronet is independently owned and operated in New Jersey and uses a supply chain that’s virtually all U.S. based.
Arte introduced Babylon wallcoverings. Terracotta, part of the collection, uses a combination of different light panels in tile form to create both a geometric and an earthy design. Thanks to the pronounced relief of the engravings, it is reminiscent of decorative earthenware or ripples in sand.
ART FOR CHANGE, at BDNY this year, connects socially conscious art collectors with in-demand contemporary artists and their work. ART FOR CHANGE offers a curated selection of museum-quality prints and original works at approachable price points. By leveraging its deep relationships with artists, galleries, and collectors, it affects positive change in the world by donating a portion of every purchase to relevant nonprofits.
One Tree Planted for Every One Used
Vaughan-Bassett, a leader in bedroom furniture, offered its latest creations made in the U.S. For every tree used in the making of its furniture, Vaughan-Bassett plants one tree. Since 2007, over 2 million trees have been planted by the Virginia Department of Forestry through this program.
Vibe Architecture featured its various styleGREEN installations of plants and mosses that bring pure nature to interiors and modern design to walls. A myriad of plant varieties are available to create a unique green wall, picture, or accent. styleGreen embodies the essence of Biophilic design for offices, restaurants, hotel lobbies or any space where the benefits of connecting with nature will be realized.
BERMANFALK, a participant in the MindClick Sustainability Assessment Program, displayed its latest hospitality casegoods and seating solutions. According to the company, it works to provide high quality products that make a lasting difference, contain sustainably harvested materials, and include product families that are compliant with chemicals of high concern.
Havwoods, a leading global specialist in wood flooring, announces its showroom-exclusive Bog Oak product from the Hand Grade Collection, derived from semi-fossilized trees that have been sourced from European lakes, rivers, and peat bogs, where they remain untouched for 100 to 1,000 years, creating a premium, high-end timber with uniquely colored boards. The deep, fully saturated black color results from a complex chemical reaction with the tannins.
Expormim USA LLC offered examples from its indoor and outdoor furniture collection—everything from armchairs to dining tables to chaise longues. In 2022, Expormim was honored for the first time in its history, by the German Brand Awards in recognition for its firm commitment to sustainability.
International Art Properties featured a wide assortment of planters, trash and recycling containers, and modern side tables.
Carbon Neutral Leather
Leather company MOORE & GILES offered selections for hospitality for seating and other furniture. Starting January 2024, two of its top-selling leathers, Mont Blanc and Tribeca, will be carbon neutral.
Milliken Flooring featured its many flooring options that are carbon neutral everywhere in the world. Milliken LVT is 100 percent ortho-phthalate free. All production waste is granulated and recycled into backing production to create an internal closed loop recycling process. Milliken LVT is manufactured at facilities that are ISO 9001 compliant.
Panaget was at BDNY from France with its sustainable oak wood flooring. Panaget offers wooden floors for hotel rooms, high traffic, or any commercial areas.
New Zealand-based Maxwell Rodgers Fabrics was at the show with its many examples of fabrics for upholstery, throws, and drapery. “We’re proud to use New Zealand wool in our performance textiles,” the company says.
Aiming to ease the work of the housekeeper, Better Fit Bedding invented the Fitted Flat Sheet and Fitted Blanket. They have a unique elastic edge that easily tucks under the bottom, left, and right corners of a mattress. “No more lifting the mattress to secure the bedding,” says the company, whose representatives demonstrated the sheets and blankets at BDNY.
Wallpaper Inspired by Nature
Merenda Wallpaper designs sometimes quirky wallpaper inspired by nature, sensuality, and the urban environment. The eco-friendly wall coverings featured at BDNY are digitally printed in-house, ensuring the highest quality from start to finish.
3Z Brands highlighted its Birch mattress that features all-natural materials including certified organic cotton, American steel, and eco-friendly wool. The mattresses are GOTS and GREENGUARD Gold certified.
The Prestwick Group offered its line of products ranging from towel valets to waste and recycling bins to picnic tables—all made from recycled plastic.
With more than 40 articles in over 500 colors, Green Hides offers an expansive collection of luxurious leathers for hospitality interiors. The hides are reclaimed from the food industry and contain no PFAS chemicals.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
