STEP INSIDE OUR CARPETS FOR PENDRY MANHATTAN WEST

The Pendry opened its doors in September all aglow with elevated interiors by our friends at Gachot Studios and equally elevated floorcoverings by Creative Matters. This was our third luxury hotel with Gachot - the three of them united by their use of a variety of the production methods we offer. Managing Partner Ali McMurter headed up the project. “Gachot is familiar with our process and believed our expertise with the full range of production techniques would help them achieve a cohesive look throughout the hotel,” she said.

That range of production techniques included: handknotted from Nepal and Afghanistan; handtufted from Thailand and India; hand-detailed Axminster from China; and handloomed from India.

Our creations are scattered throughout the hotel and because Gachot wanted to keep the lobby feeling very residential that is where we chose to go handknotted. There are two colour-coordinated rugs. The one at the top of this post was handknotted in Afghanistan using Ghazni wool in cut pile. “This wool gives a lot of dynamism to a simple design. The dramatic contrast between the light and dark colours lights a visual spark when entering the space,” said Ali.

Close up with the sample for the Creative Matters lobby rug handknotted with Ghazni wool in Afghanistan.

The second lobby rug in a softer neutral palette, was handknotted in Nepal using Tibetan wool. “This wool gives more subtle variation which gives the space a feeling of calm,” said Ali. “Loop pile texture along each end provides that bit of extra warmth.”

The handknotted-in-Nepal lobby rug with its simple “hand-drawn” design. Photo: Pendry Manhattan West

Ali worked closely with Lindsay Mercer at Gachot from their first discussion in 2017 through to installation in the summer and fall of this year. At different times, Ali also liaised with Cate Mills and Lena Bragina. “We were all striving to keep a feeling of artisanship and tactile enjoyment for all of the production methods we were working with. Texture, colour and rhythm were carefully considered for each space,” said Ali.

The signature lobby bar is Bar Pendry “a classic cocktail emporium that harkens back to a timeless era of style of sophistication with a distinct nod to the now,” says the hotel’s website. From us, Gachot asked for something gold and shimmery that would help keep the space feeling cozy but wouldn’t steal the show from what is happening on the walls and ceiling. The handloomed carpets embrace the space with golden colours in a ribbed textural design.

The handloomed rug Creative Matters designed for the hotel’s signature bar. Photo: Pendry Manhattan West

When it came to the ballroom, the direction was to develop a checkerboard carpet at a 45 degree angle with some sheen and texture added to give it extra depth. Our solution was develop the design in hand finished woven Axminister. This is a relatively unusual production method that we have successfully sourced from China. “Our design for Pendry comprises alternating pinstripes of wool and nylon yarns with hand detailed loop pile in shiny nylon to accent around each checker square,” said Ali. As is important with graphic design, the pattern was carefully aligned with the room entry and architectural details.

The checkerboard creation for the ballroom is more detailed than it initially may look.. Photo: Pendry Manhattan West

Detail of the ballroom carpet showing the alternating pinstripes within each block.

Another example of elevated design and service at the hotel, is the dressing rooms in the suites. With a request to make them feel cozy and special, we created a checkered rug handloomed in India. The combination of viscose (for a hint of sheen) and wool (for durability) hit just the right note of chic and comfortable.

The dressing room rug for the suites. Photo: Pendry Manhattan West

Up close with Creative Matters design for the suites’ dressing room rugs.

At a trade show in New York earlier this month, Ali started to hear good things about our carpets from interior designers who had enjoyed a tour of the hotel with Christine Gachot (co-owner at Gachot) herself. After the show, Ali was able to fit in a tour from Pendry’s Danielle Choi. She was delighted to finally see our floor coverings sitting so polished and comfortable. “It was incredibly rewarding to work with a such a talented design team who share our commitment to quality and execution. This shows through on every detail in the hotel and makes it very user-friendly and welcoming,” she said.