The movements taking shape at BDNY
From pastel palettes and Deco flourishes to nature-inspired forms, BDNY offered plenty of reasons to pause—and a fresh perspective on where design is heading.
BDNY offers plenty of reasons to walk the floor, from discovering emerging makers to exchanging ideas about the business of hospitality design. But its strongest impression comes through the experience of design itself: color forecasting, shapes, design that invites interaction and materials that make a space memorable. This year, those encounters gave new products context—and offered a compelling view of the design movements taking shape.
An invitation to linger
One of the best examples was the Relish immersive space designed by firm //3877. I spoke with senior designer Noelani Brannon about the design and elements the firm sought to communicate through the installation. She shared that the design approach began with the idea of a supper club, a space in which guests would gather face-to-face, phones down. To that end, the design included tables with built-in chessboards, as well as chessboards built into walls next to seating areas and ample charging outlets.
Another important consideration was creating openness within an enclosed setting. Multiple arched, draped entryways and slatted windows near the entrance introduced a sense of permeability, while openings overhead gave the installation room to breathe. The effect was welcoming and enveloping, yet surprisingly light.
Movements taking shape
One of the best parts of a show like BDNY is the ideas and forecasting we can take from displays, and the simple delight in discovering the unexpected.
For me, Stacy Garcia’s presentation with partner Andaaz was a standout. Arched vignettes built into the booth’s exterior framed two inviting settings: a dressing area and a cozy seating nook. The dressing area offered a streamlined interpretation of Art Deco, pairing a three-panel mirror with a Neo-Deco vanity. But the star was a dressing chair in silvery green and blue, finished with golden yellow piping and bullion fringe. It brought several of current and 2027 forecasted strongest colors and decorative details into one polished composition.
Another simply stunning booth was Samuel & Sons Passementerie. Winner of the BDNY Best Exhibit (Small), the celebrated textile and trim house was a bright light of pastel yellow in a sea of deep greens, burgundies, navies and chocolates. Definitely a leader of the pack when it comes to forecasting the next color movements. And their merchandising? Top tier. The company took an approach that mixed T-shirts with trimmed sleeves, trimmed baseball caps, and slippers among pillows, towels, and two delicate slipper chairs.
At Nourison, the Joy collection of sunbursts and fanlike motifs hinted at Art Deco with a touch of Versailles’ Sun King grandeur, softened by atmospheric color, organic contours and painterly abstraction. Executed in pastel yellows and blues, Nourison showed itself to be in line with Samuel & Sons for color forecasting into 2027.
For fabrics, I found Rubelli to have the most interesting assortment. While the booth was small, the fabric selection were vast and impressive. And again, those pastels I referenced showed up. My favorite take was their Granduchessa brocade. An over-the-top eighteenth-century pattern in bright pastels and gold, she is the definition of fancy and I can see her being used in design and fashion alike.
Biomorphism continued to make its presence known lighting at both Hubbardton Forge and Lodes. In speaking with staff at the Hubbardton Forge booth, I learned that their most popular design at the show was their Muse wall sconce; a biomorphic design that has been compared to butterfly wings. When lit, it casts a shadow that becomes an artistic element of the light.
The second biomorphic-inspired lighting design was one I’ve noticed popping up in fashion and florals, so I was delighted when, at Lodes, I was introduced to the Kinno outdoor series. Kinno’s mushroom silhouette immediately communicates clean modernity with the delicacy and beauty of nature through touches such as the radial ribbing reminiscent of mushroom gills.
Finally, worth particular mention is the Wendover Art booth. The exterior capitalized on the relationship between artist and attendees with a large piece of art created by Manuel Santelices. The artist painted in real time and invited attendees to join in, resulting in a collaborative, experiential painting of NYC. It was design and marketing ingenuity.
What remains
What stayed with me after BDNY was the interplay between the details and the experience. A particular shade of yellow, a beautifully fringed chair, a familiar silhouette with an unexpected underside—all gave me a reason to pause and take pleasure in the details. Together, they offer a clear sense of where design is heading – and that is what has made them memorable.
