Good night, sweet prince
When news came yesterday that the Nashville International Airport's bizarrely beloved brown-and-beige carpet was being ripped up, it was not a surprise to the person who made it famous.
"Plans for the remodel have been in place for a couple years now, which is why I initially set up a change.org petition to save it," the anonymous pilot of the popular @BNACarpet Instagram account tells the Scene in an email. "(To no avail, obviously)."
The account has more than 28,000 followers and was tagged in mournful posts yesterday by Nashvillians including Scene favorite Margo Price, the reigning Miss Nashville Tally Bevis and me.
"This all started as a joke," read a post by @BNACarpet sharing the news. "A thing to tag when you're traveling or bored and you all embraced it and made it into a community. Made it famous enough that USA Today and Travel and Leisure wrote articles about it. This isn't goodbye. Just wanted to say thank you."
The post was liked by nearly 9,000 people and attracted more than 600 comments.
The airport has embraced the carpet's popularity — you can "own a piece of Nashville history" by buying a doormat with the BNA Carpet design on it for $34.99 — but has apparently been less open to working with the person most responsible for its fame.
"I reached out a few times in fall of 2018 about working with BNA Vision about partnering with them to make a smooth transition to the new carpet, auctioning off pieces for various local charities and using my platform to help usher in a new era of the airport, but to no response on their end," says the person behind the Instagram account. "What’s upsetting now is that they are selling off pieces of the unused back stock for profit. Seems like a no brainer that they could just donate the profits from the carpet sales back to the community who embraced that distinct brown and blue pattern. Create some good will in a time where we could use some."
In an email, airport spokesperson Kym Gerlock says the doormats provide another revenue stream for the airport, "(which is especially important during this time of major revenue loss due to COVID-19)."
"We’re pleased that people have had so much fun with the carpet, and the doormats are a way to memorialize it and keep that spirit alive," says Gerlock.
Gerlock says the carpet is being "gradually being replaced primarily with terrazzo flooring" that costs less to maintain — and which, she says, will save the airport more than $500,000 per year. Some areas, however, will get a new style of carpet. The Tennessean has a photo of the new design. To me, it looks like algae has been allowed to grow on a floor stained by whatever was spilling out of some toddler's cup as they were dragged to their gate. For another take, here's BNA President Doug Kreulen: "The new carpet is something we had designers pull together that reflects all the colors of Tennessee from the central region to the east and west sides," he told the daily paper. "It will take a little while for people to get over it."
Yes it will, sir.
Gerlock tells the Scene that "this subtle green and brown palette is a muted, calming design and flows with the airport’s updates."
I asked @BNACarpet for their review as well.
"As far as my feelings about the new carpet? Wouldn’t be my first choice. 😉"
The old carpet was kind of ugly too, if we're being honest. But it was ours. We have no connection with this new stuff. And as we walk to the gate, with some member of Little Big Town welcoming us to the airport over the loud speakers, it just won't feel the same having that under our feet.
And what's to become of the internet's leading airport-carpet social media account?
"The future of the account is up in the air," writes the @BNACarpet's anonymous author. "No sudden changes at this moment, as it serves as a fond memory of a different time in our thriving city. Maybe it’ll adapt with the times. Time will tell!"
It may be terrazzo flooring and a new carpet with swirls of green leading us to our gates from now on. But to the classic BNA carpet: Like Dolly says, we'll think of you every step of the way.
