• What: AT's New York Design Meetup
• July Guest: Sandy Chilewich, founder of Chilewich
• Members: 1,002 and growing
• RSVP's: Sign Up Here!!
• When: 6:30-9pm, Wednesday, July 15
• Where: Knoll Showroom, 76 9th Avenue, Floor 11, NYC
Want to meet the woman behind the great name? Today we've got Sandy Chilewich in the house to tell us the history of her innovative textile company that has become a modern staple across the country, as well as where she's taking it next. We'll be serving drinks, networking, taking your questions AND giving away a Chilewich area rug to a lucky attendee (see pics below). Join us for a very special evening of Apartment Therapy Offline...
Continuing our new tradition of our guest designer giving something away to someone in the crowd (please put your names into the bowl when you arrive) here are two pics of what Sandy is offering next week.
Giveaway: Chilewich Area Rug - 4x6 size --- winner can pick weave at the event
Retail Value: $320
Also, please RSVP if you plan to come on our Meetup page so we know how many to buy drinks for.
Our drinks this month are sponsored by September Wines. You can check them out on Stanton Street, on the Lower East Side.
See you Wednesday!
Chilewich Posts
• Chilewich Woven Vinyl - 11 Comments
• Table Dressing: Chilewich Pressed Vinyl Dots - 10 Comments
• Chilewich Shades - 2 Comments
• Chilewich Woodgrain Plynyl at NeoCon - 1 Comment
Veronica & Keith's Handmade Chic 
Before & After: A Bathroom Goes From Pinky Peach to Sleek and Chic
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Hunslet Dinner Plate
A Beginner's Guide to Superb Stir-Fry: Quick, Healthy Meals from a Wok
Easy Pitcher Cocktail Recipe: Strawberry Basil Margaritas
Comments (5)
I liked the Chilewich placemats that I used in the Bloomies window which they had for sale in their housewares department.
I take it someone's not a fan! I've seen the rugs and thought they were a cool idea but I guess vinyl is not an Eco friendly material.
Can someone please explain to me why Chilewich products are so expensive? When I first saw them and read the description of the material I thought there was something actually innovative and/or sustainable about it. I was disappointed to learn they are simply vinyl. It's gotten to the point where when I see them in a home I wonder to myself if the person who bought it really put any thought into what he or she was buying. The design is ok in a contemporary/neutral sense but really isn't imaginative or distinctive. That and the fact that, again, it's just plain old vinyl makes me wonder what all the hype has been about.
So, this had me thinking enough to check the Chilewich site to see what they say about sustainability. At least they are honest in that their products are not sustainable in any way:
"By common definition Plynyl is not green, but we’re close. We use post-industrial content in our backings, offer low VOC adhesives for installations... This means over the life cycle of our product’s installation we have a relatively small environmental impact."
"What are the plans to make Plynyl ‘green’?
We are currently experimenting with post-consumer fillers and sustainable polymers in our backings."
"Does Plynyl have recycled content?
Tiles have 15-20% post-industrial recycled content in the backing. w2w has 10% of a rapidly renewable resource (plant based polyol) in the backing."
"Can Plynyl be recycled?
Plynyl is a combination of plastics; vinyl, polyester and polyurethane in our sheet products and vinyl and fiberglass in our tile, and are too costly to separate into their original components."
notice the only mention is about the backings, not the product itself....
and what can it possibly mean to say that it's "not green, but close."
Not green, by their admission, and not even recyclable. In other words, not truly innovative in any way. Disappointing, especially considering the price.
I love Chilewich stuff. When it's on sale, it's very reasonable. I found a large dining rug in dark grey for around $150 here in Toronto.