American Tin Ceilings at BDNY 2025: Heritage Meets Innovation

Each year, Boutique Design New York (BDNY) brings together the most forward-thinking minds in hospitality design and this year was no exception. American Tin Ceilings was there alongside our sister brand Trueform Concrete, with a shared vision: showcasing materials that create memorable, story-driven spaces.

From design icons to inspired conversations, BDNY was a celebration of creativity, connection, and craft.

Morning in Manhattan: A Studio Breakfast with Specifiers 

Before the show opened, we gathered a select group of designers, specifiers, and press for a quiet, inspired breakfast at Clodagh’s Manhattan studio. Surrounded by her art, in-progress work, and the calming energy of her space, we explored how materials and intention shape the feel of hospitality environments.

The conversations were warm, curious, and expansive, reminding us that connection often happens best away from the show floor. 

Clodagh at the Booth: A Celebrated Collaboration

A standout moment of the weekend was hosting a meet-and-greet with world-renowned designer Clodagh, who joined us at our booth to celebrate our collaborative collection, the Tara Collection. True to form, Clodagh brought her signature grace, and her beloved dog Rosie, as she engaged with longtime fans, emerging designers, and industry press.

It was clear her influence spans generations. Designers approached her not just with admiration, but with stories of how her work had shaped their approach to wellness and sensory design. 

A Material Conversation: Why Tin Still Turns Heads

At BDNY, our booth drew in architects and designers curious to see what tin can do beyond the expected. Many had stories of discovering our panels in historic properties, and others were seeing our contemporary applications, walls, bars, backsplashes, acoustic solutions, for the first time.

What they found was a marriage of old-world craft and modern utility. Durable, customizable, and deeply architectural, our tin panels continue to surprise and inspire. The Tara Collection redefines what tin can be, introducing a series of pattern designs unlike anything seen in the material’s 19th-century legacy.

Industry Insight: Branding and AI in Design

Beyond the booth, BDNY was full of perspective-shifting talks. Two conversations stood out:

What Makes a Hospitality Brand Stand Out?

Speakers: Aliya Khan (VP of Global Design Strategy, Marriott International), Pablo de Ritis (Co-founder, Faena Rose), Josh Wyatt (hospitality strategist; formerly CEO of NeueHouse and Equinox Hotels).

 This panel dug into the heart of what makes a hospitality brand feel meaningful, magnetic, and memorable.

• Aliya Khan described managing Marriott’s 40+ brands as raising 40 children, each with a distinct personality, audience, and identity. Her key message: “The biggest injustice is trying to make them all behave the same way.” Her philosophy emphasized the importance of creative boundaries that empower individuality, not flatten it.
• Pablo de Ritis, of Faena, shared a more intuitive approach, where brand is built not from spreadsheets but from lived experience and emotional instinct. “We ask, ‘Is this a place we’d want to be?’ If yes, we do it.”
• Josh Wyatt bridged the gap between corporate structure and visionary thinking, emphasizing that innovation needs a sandbox. “You can’t always redesign the whole system, but you can carve out places for creativity to thrive.” 

Why it matters to ATC: Great hospitality brands thrive when every detail reinforces the experience. Tin has long served as a tool for expressing brand character, from classic to avant-garde. Whether it’s vintage elegance, industrial edge, or modern warmth, tin is a tool for curating not just atmosphere, but emotion.

AI in the Design Studio

Speakers: Ann Lopez (Founder, Studio 790), Chloe Stubbins (Creative Director, Wayfair), moderated by leaders from Wayfair.

 AI in design is no longer theoretical, it’s reshaping how firms operate, communicate, and create.

Ann Lopez made a bold claim: “Studio 790 is an AI-first interior design company.” For her, AI enhances, not replaces, creativity. It frees up time, speeds up workflows, and even helps clients articulate ideas faster. Their firm motto? “No ego, amigo.” If a great concept comes from ChatGPT, a Pinterest board, or a bar napkin, it’s all fair game.

Chloe Stubbins, speaking from her experience as a Creative Director at Wayfair, highlighted the increasing role of AI not just in visuals, but in operational design strategy, suggesting that firms that embrace new tools will lead the next chapter in design leadership.

Why it matters to ATC: In a world moving faster, materials must meet new expectations, visually rich, highly flexible, and spec-ready. Tin’s ability to be cut, finished, and configured to exact specifications makes it not just beautiful, but practical for AI-informed workflows and data-driven design decisions.

Looking Ahead

BDNY 2025 affirmed that the future of hospitality is being shaped by firms that honor the past while fearlessly reimagining it. In a world of fast visuals and fleeting trends, designers are looking for surfaces that ground a space, and a story, that lasts.

To everyone who visited, asked questions, shared ideas, or brought Clodagh a treat for Rosie: thank you.

See you in 2026!