Trueform at BDNY 2025: Design, Collaboration & Conversation

Boutique Design New York (BDNY) is where hospitality’s boldest ideas converge. It’s a two-day experience that brings together interior designers, architects, purchasing firms, and developers shaping the future of hotels, restaurants, and wellness spaces.

This year, Trueform Concrete proudly exhibited alongside our sister brand, American Tin Ceilings, bringing tactile craftsmanship and architectural surface design to a highly curated audience of hospitality visionaries.

From revealing new collaborations to demonstrating how thoughtfully fabricated materials can transform guest experiences, BDNY was a powerful reminder of why design-forward, made-to-spec surfaces matter more than ever. Across every conversation, we saw the appetite for materials that don’t just fill space, they define it.

A Moment with Leyden Lewis 

One of the highlights of BDNY was welcoming acclaimed designer Leyden Lewis to our booth for a meet-and-greet and an early look at Wabele, the sculptural fireplace surround collection he designed in collaboration with Trueform.

Leyden brought his positive, energetic self, sparking meaningful conversations with designers and friends of the brand.

Wabele explores the hearth as a cultural and architectural focal point, combining Leyden’s layered design perspective with Trueform’s expertise in architectural concrete. BDNY attendees got a first look at the concept, and the response was clear: powerful, distinctive, and deeply considered.

“That’s Not Wood?” The Woodform Surprise 

Designers and specifiers stopped in their tracks when they discovered that the various wood samples displayed in our booth weren’t actually wood at all, but our proprietary Woodform concrete. Built from glass‑fibre‑reinforced concrete (GFRC) and carefully crafted using textured molds taken from real wood slabs, Woodform delivers the striking realism of wood grain, knots, end‑grain texture, nail holes and all, while offering the durability and freedom only concrete brings.

Because Woodform isn’t bound by the limitations of natural timber, designers can specify exact thicknesses, shapes, and finishes and use it indoors or out thanks to a UV‑stable sealer that shields the surface from discoloring. Several attendees admitted they’d interacted with our samples as if they were wood before learning they were actually concrete. The surprise became a routine talking point.

These moments underscored our message: you don’t have to compromise between aesthetic warmth and high‑performance materials. Woodform products offer the look of natural wood with the durability of stone and are built for hospitality, commercial, and architectural applications.

Sneak Peek: HearthCabinet x Trueform

At BDNY, we gave attendees a first look at the latest collaboration between HearthCabinet and Trueform Concrete, a modern ventless fireplace concept wrapped in our new concrete fireplace surround, EOS.

Made entirely from Trueform’s signature architectural concrete, EOS merges Art Deco styling, refined texture, and commercial-grade durability. Designed for high-end hospitality and multi-family residential spaces, this concept brings together HearthCabinet’s patented, UL-listed ventless fire technology with Trueform’s ability to craft sculptural, made-to-spec form in a suite of colors.

The result? A plug-and-play fireplace solution with the warmth and ambiance of fire, but without the need for a flue, vent, or compromise on materials.

Panel Takeaways: What the Industry Is Thinking

Branding in Hospitality Interior Design 

The “How Brand Strategy Can Elevate Hospitality Experiences” panel was a standout, featuring insights from Aliya Khan (VP, Global Design Strategy, Marriott), Pablo de Ritis (Co-Founder, Faena Rose), and Josh Wyatt (hospitality strategist and brand builder). Each shared a clear (and personal) take on what makes brand truly matter in hospitality.

For Aliya Khan, managing Marriott’s 40+ brands is like raising 40 kids, each with their own voice, personality, and space in the world. As she put it, “The biggest injustice is trying to make them all behave the same way.” Her message was clear: “don’t flatten your brand to fit everyone, because you’re not for everyone.”

Pablo de Ritis, on the other hand, shared how instinct and vision, not rigid frameworks, often drive breakthrough brand experiences. Their success stems from a founder-led approach to design, where emotion and intuition shape every touchpoint:

“FAENA is the product of instinct. We ask: is this a place we’d want to be? If yes, we do it.” This founder-led approach, he noted, is less about corporate frameworks and more about designing from the gut, building environments that reflect a personal vision and invite others in.

And Josh Wyatt offered a bridge between vision and execution:

“Innovation is worth fighting for. New ideas often galvanize fresh perspectives on how to create experiences that truly excite people and communities.”

Takeaway: In a saturated design landscape, the brands that resonate are the ones that embrace individuality, intentionality, and emotional clarity, whether they’re global giants or boutique disruptors.

At Trueform, we believe materials can help designers express that distinct personality. Our role is to help designers tell a brand story through texture, material, and form, one architectural surface at a time.

AI in the Design Process

The “AI as Co-Creator: Designing with Machines, Not for Them” panel offered a candid look at how emerging tools are already reshaping the creative process. Panelists from Studio 790 and Wayfair shared how AI is being used not just for rendering visuals, but also for streamlining operations, sparking concepts, and even managing clients.

Studio 790’s owner, Ann Lopez’s bold stance, “We’re an AI-first interior design firm”, showed how design teams are evolving their workflows front- and back-of-house. Their founder emphasized a no-ego mindset: “It doesn’t matter if the idea came from ChatGPT or a magazine, if it works, we’ll run with it.”

They also raised a new challenge: clients are now coming to designers with AI-generated mood boards and asking for validation or edits. That changes the designer’s role from sole creator to co-pilot and raises questions about authorship, boundaries, and trust.

Takeaway: AI is no longer a futuristic trend, it’s reshaping how ideas are born, communicated, and critiqued.

At Trueform, we see this shift as a creative opportunity, not a threat. Our materials are utilized to support distinct visions, whether those visions start with a hand sketch, a team brainstorm, or a prompt typed into a chatbot.

What We’re Leaving With

BDNY 2025 reaffirmed a few things:

• Designers want smarter material solutions that don’t compromise aesthetics
• Authentic brand voice matters, both for product makers and the hotels they serve
• The future of hospitality design is collaborative, responsive, and material-forward We’re honored to be part of that future. 

Thanks to all who stopped by.

See you in 2026!