What’s Next in Hospitality: Top Trends from BDNY 2025

Stepping into booths that transported you to entirely new environments, terracotta palettes created a grounding, nature-rooted sense of calm. Layered with supporting hues - like soft peaches and rich burgundies - the color story brought a surprising touch of natural tranquility right into the convention center.

This Tuscan sunset hue continues to show up again and again because it hits a rare sweet spot; warm, timeless, and endlessly versatile. It makes a space feel cozy without the weight of deeper browns or the intensity of bright reds, while pairing effortlessly with natural woods, cool stone, metals, whites, and blacks. Designed for hospitality but adaptable across markets, terracotta proves just how flexible a color can be.

So here’s your reminder to keep this sun-baked, earthy undertone in your rotation.

Outdoors or indoors, bold design choices can transform a space. Eye catching, high contrast stripes are making a strong entrance into the hospitality world, bringing a sense of confidence and direction to every surface they touch. Vibrant bands with a lively rhythm energize a room, creating a magnetic pull that invites anyone to step inside and explore.

Stripes naturally provide a sense of flow, with lines that guide the eye toward focal points and create intentional pathways through a space. This linear movement adds visual momentum, allowing designers to play with color and contrast to shape dramatic, memorable environments. Whether subtle or striking, stripes offer a dynamic foundation for storytelling through design and they show no signs of slowing down.

A modern fusion of warm and electric hues is taking over, balancing the heat of orange with the freshness of lime and the power of pink. Bold, bright colors are increasingly defining hospitality spaces, where joy-infused tones instantly boost mood and spark movement, creating a vibrant and almost ethereal dynamic. As you move from booth to booth, one thing becomes clear: color is the new neutral.

This season, bold hues truly took center stage, with vibrant pops creating an atmosphere full of momentum. These high-energy tones worked together in lively, rhythmic harmony, zesty greens offering a crisp jolt of brightness that can really alter a space. The result was a palette that felt spirited and unapologetically expressive, transforming every space into one that radiated optimism, creativity, and undeniable visual impact. Buzzing with optimism, think bold the next time you reach for the next color palette for your space. 

At BDNY, fringe wasn’t just an accent… it was the attitude. Sofas, chairs, ottomans – even decorative trims – were dripping in long, luxurious strands that moved as much as the crowds around them. Think: runway energy, but for furniture.

Fringe works because it softens silhouettes, adds movement, and injects personality into a space. It’s nostalgia meets new-age cool – a blend of 70s glam, hospitality drama, and tactile comfort that designers are clearly craving.

Expect to see more fringe used to soften corners, activate lobbies, and add motion to social spaces. It’s maximalism without the clutter – texture that brings joy!

Tech wasn’t the star of BDNY, but it played a supporting role that made everything else shine. We saw technology used in thoughtful, human-centered ways: a 3D painting robot creating live artwork, digital displays breaking down material stories, and immersive lighting that transformed booths into mini hospitality experiences. This year’s takeaway? Tech in design is shifting toward creativity, mood, and storytelling, not just efficiency.

Sustainability wasn’t subtle at BDNY. It was expressive, artistic, and front-and-center. Brands used recycled fibers, plastics, and textile scraps to create installations that doubled as both design moments and environmental statements.

Encore Carpets turned upcycled materials into sculptural fashion forms, while other exhibitors leaned into nature-inspired palettes and transparent messaging about origin, impact, and end-of-life.

Faro Barcelona used lighting to express elemental themes – Tierra, Mar, Aire – reinforcing how nature-focused storytelling is shaping sustainable design narratives.

The takeaway? Sustainability isn’t just a feature anymore. It’s the narrative driving design forward.

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Ariana DiPierno is the Marketing Producer at Carnegie Fabrics, where she blends her background in interior design and marketing to craft visually compelling brand experiences. With a love for color, materiality, and great storytelling, she bridges the worlds of design and marketing to create content that feels both purposeful and inspiring. At Carnegie, she brings the brand to life through creative visuals, thoughtful messaging, and fresh, design-driven ideas.

Brooke Kanell is a Content Marketing Specialist at Carnegie, where she creates content that brings the brand’s materials and stories to life. With a background in marketing and a passion for all things creative, she enjoys sharing the inspiration, people, and ideas shaping Carnegie’s work. Brooke’s goal is to make design feel engaging, welcoming, and easy to connect with.