New York City’s Boutique Design New York (BDNY) has cemented its status as a premier event for leaders in hospitality design. Every November, the Javits Center transforms into a creative hub for designers, architects, manufacturers, and brand executives, all driven by a shared commitment to shaping the future of luxury and boutique experiences.
This year, BDNY saw brands embracing a renewed focus on craftsmanship and the allure of handmade pieces, steering away from machine-made and AI-generated designs. The show spotlighted artists like Mook V and Rebecca Moses who blend traditional fine art techniques like fiber art and painting with modern design sensibilities. From hand-thrown ceramics to bespoke textiles, the show’s curated selection met the growing demand for story-rich products that infuse our world’s hotel and restaurant spaces with character.
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- Mud’s best-selling silhouette, the Pebble Bowl, made an appearance during BDNY. The bowl first emerged during an an experiment with a lighting piece, according to the company.
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- Founder Shelley Simpson was prototyping a light for a well-known department store when the pebble shaped lamp base broke in two during firing, leaving a nicely dimensioned flat-bottomed bowl—and thus the Pebble was born! Photo courtesy of Mud Australia
Handmade Ceramic Wares
Porcelain homewares brand Mud Australia made its debut at BDNY this year. Known for minimalist, durable ceramic wares with unique colors and finishes, Mud showcased a curated selection of handcrafted items including statement lighting pendants and a range of dinnerware and serving ware that’s oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the Sydney-based company uses premium porcelain from Limoges, France in its designs, popular in high-end hotels and restaurants worldwide. Highlights at BDNY included the group’s versatile servingware and a contemporary lighting line featuring three pendant styles, along with their signature porcelain numbers designed in collaboration with designer Vince Frost.
Mud’s best-selling silhouette, the Pebble Bowl, also made an appearance. The bowl first emerged during an experiment with a lighting piece, according to the company. Founder Shelley Simpson was prototyping a light for a well-known department store when the pebble shaped lamp base broke in two during firing, leaving a nicely dimensioned flat-bottomed bowl—and thus the Pebble was born.
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- Meso’s Co-Founder, Diego Olivero, was born and raised in Guatemala. He leads the design and curation of their products.
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- The group’s team of designers constantly work to create unique, conscious products for the home and hospitality industry. Photo courtesy of Meso
Mouth Blown Glassware and Terracotta Ceramics
Brooklyn-based Meso Goods specializes in producing original design by partnering with Latin American artisans. Their passion for design is reflected in their use of sustainable sourcing practices and handcrafted products. The group’s collaborators, like the Tulum-based Daniel Orozco Studio, work to create unique, conscious products for the home and hospitality industry.
Co-Founder Diego Olivero, born and raised in Guatemala, leads the design and curation of their products. Meso offers a collection that not only celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Latin America, but infuses the home with generational stories and embracing a modernity.
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- Rebecca Moses showcased her new collection with Momentum Wallcoverings during the show, which reimagines elements of her fashion-inspired art, transforming them into luxe wallcoverings.
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- The collection also allows designers to curate a range of moods by blending each pattern. Photo courtesy of Momentum Wallcoverings
Fashion Illustrations Turned Wallcoverings
Rebecca Moses showcased her new collection with Momentum Wallcoverings during the show, which reimagines elements of her fashion-inspired art, deconstructing and transforming them into luxe wallcoverings. The collection also allows designers to curate a range of moods by blending each pattern.
A New Jersey native now living in New York, Rebecca began her career in fashion working for renowned brands like Pierre Cardin and the Italian ready-to-wear house Genny. Some of her most prolific work, however, lies in the field of painting and illustration, where publications like Vogue Italy and Vogue Japan have tapped into her artistic vision. She’s also illustrated brand campaigns for Mac Cosmetics, Furla, and Fratelli Rossetti.
“The Queen,” (bottom half pictured above left) a central figure of artistic inspiration in Rebecca’s collaboration with Momentum, was also part of her “White Shirts” exhibition. The Queen is confident in her design choices and who she is, according to Rebecca. Though she wears a simple white shirt, her accessories allow “her to make her own mark.”
momentumtextilesandwalls.com, rebeccamoses.com
The Modular Insula sofa for Kettal is Patricia Urquiola’s updated interpretation of traditional seating used in traditional Arab Majlis. True to the spirit of the Arab Majlis, the Insula Sofa is designed for social interaction. Its versatile modularity allows it to adapt seamlessly to various settings and scenarios, whether indoors or outdoors. Photo courtesy of Kettal
Artisanal Construction
The Modular Insula sofa for Kettal is Patricia Urquiola‘s updated interpretation of traditional seating used in traditional Arab Majlis, where community members gather to discuss events and local issues, entertain guests, build friendships, and have fun. The sofa is crafted with all welding, sanding, polishing, and painting done by hand. Even the cushions are carefully hand-sewn for a personal touch. This sofa’s design embraces soft contours and a low profile, with an “insula-like” detail in the backrest that serves as the focal point of its aesthetic.
True to the spirit of the Arab Majlis, the Insula Sofa is designed for social interaction. Its versatile modularity allows it to adapt seamlessly to various settings and scenarios, whether indoors or outdoors. The design is anchored by an orthogonal aluminum base with softened edges, supporting a plush, inviting cushion.
kettal.com, patriciaurquiola.com
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- Emser’s Enhance: Piccolo option is a 3D-grooved, extruded porcelain wall tile that was inspired by the iconic interior design of the 1960s.
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- Featuring harmonious, inviting aesthetics, these tiles boast soft curves that bring forth a touch of retro elegance. Photos courtesy of Emser Tile
Hand-Formed Ceramic Tiles
Enhance by Emser Tile was inspired by the challenge of creating spaces that are as beautiful as they are functional. The ridged designs are handcrafted and can be paired with a vast selection of colors and styles, making every installation as unique as its owner. Enhance’s Piccolo option (above) is a 3D-grooved, extruded porcelain wall tile that was inspired by the iconic interior design of the 1960s. Featuring harmonious, inviting aesthetics, these tiles boast soft curves that bring forth a touch of retro elegance.
Astek’s Resonance wallcovering collection captures the movement of thought through gestural brushstrokes. Each piece embodies a serene, almost meditative quality. Photo courtesy of Astek Home
Hand-Painted Wallcoverings
Astek Home’s Resonance wallcovering collection stood out as a celebration of fluidity and expression. The collection’s hand-painted designs by the group’s in-house team capture the movement of thought through gestural brushstrokes. Each piece embodies a serene, almost meditative quality, with flowing marks that felt like a visual stream of consciousness. Resonance is also available in over 30 different design and color combinations.
Astek’s designers started by answering a prompt to develop large-scale brushstroke paintings for repeating wallpaper patterns or murals. The team was given limited, controlled materials for continuity across the collection: large rolls of white paper, black gesso, and large brushes. Photo courtesy of Astek Home
To create this collection, Astek’s designers started by answering a prompt to develop large-scale brushstroke paintings for repeating wallpaper patterns or murals. The team was given limited, controlled materials for continuity across the collection: large rolls of white paper, black gesso, and large brushes. They were encouraged to work on a large scale, creating gestural movements across the page using the entire arm rather than just the hand or wrist. Listening to calming music or taking deep breaths before beginning was also recommended to create the most present, calm, and centered work possible.
The creative directors then assembled a soft, tranquil color palette to accompany the high-contrast black-and-white designs. Inspired by earthy ceramics, these colors are reminiscent of desert hues and wildflowers, as well as the sky during various times of day and night.
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- Each Opiary piece is modeled by founder Robert Remer, and handcrafted in the group’s Brooklyn studio by a team of artists and craftspeople.
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- The studio integrates nature into each of their designs, incorporating live greenery and organic shapes into bespoke furniture, planters, and sculpture. Photo courtesy of Opiary
Sculpted Biophilia
Opiary is a Brooklyn-based biophilic design and production studio. The studio integrates nature into each of their designs, incorporating live greenery and organic shapes into bespoke furniture, planters, and sculpture. Through the ethos of biophilia their work reflects the shifting, yet timeless relationship between humans and nature.
Each piece is modeled by Opiary’s founder, Robert Remer, and handcrafted in the group’s Brooklyn studio by a team of artists and craftspeople.
The “Masterpiece,” created to celebrate the launch of Royal Thai’s RT Studio, embodies innovation and artistry. It required 470 hours of labor by 50 artisans and the guidance of MookV, the inaugural designer collaborator. Made from over 72 colors of leftover scrap yarn.
Hand-Tufted Artisan Rugs
Royal Thai presented hand-tufted artisan rugs created in collaboration with artist MookV, whose designs are inspired by Thailand’s hilltop tribes. MookV began working with Thai artisans over 20 years ago, teaching them Western techniques to enhance their craft’s appeal while learning their intricate tribal patterns. MookV calls them a “tactile vernacular”—a unique form of communication through texture and design.
Today, MookV’s rugs for Royal Thai weave tradition with modern artistry, creating pieces that tell a story of cultural heritage. Using premium wool, silk and viscose, expert tufters add texture and dimension to the company’s creations through specialized sculpting and carving techniques.
The “Masterpiece,” (above) created onsite during BDNY to celebrate the launch of Royal Thai’s RT Studio, embodies this innovation and artistry. The project required 470 hours of labor by 50 artisans via the guidance of MookV, the inaugural designer collaborator. Made from over 72 colors of leftover scrap yarn including wool, nylon, luster nylon, and lurex, it is Royal Thai’s first hand-tufted wall hanging crafted without latex backing, allowing bidirectional tufting using needlepoint techniques. The piece weaves elements from all eight design categories into a single narrative inspired by Thailand’s Hill Tribes.
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- Ajiro Honeycomb in Queen Green takes its cue from the natural elegance of a beehive.
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- Coco Chenille in Tweed Taupe is inspired by the timeless allure of Coco Chanel’s iconic tweed jacket. Photos courtesy of Maya Romanoff
Handcrafted Surfacing Materials
Maya Romanoff debuted two new handmade wallcoverings during this year’s BDNY. One new introduction, Ajiro Honeycomb, takes its cue from the natural elegance of a beehive. Multi-hued hexagonal shapes, crafted from paulownia wood, are hand-painted and inlaid to form a flowing, organic pattern. A subtle metallic accent enhances the design. The second debut, Coco Chenille, is inspired by the timeless allure of Coco Chanel’s iconic tweed jacket. This wallcovering combines bold, versatile colors with the soft and inviting texture of a chenille-like fabric.
In the Romanoff Studio, every creation begins in a modern factory that harkens back to the precision of 18th-century workshops. Long painting tables, stencils, drying racks, and rolls of paper set the stage for a process rooted in tradition. The team places its trust not in machinery, but in the hands of artisans who craft each piece.
