High Point Furniture Market Round-Up!

Hey everyone! I’m back from High Point Furniture Market. I attended with my friend, Cate Holcombe (a Raleigh based interior designer), and we met up with another friend, Maxine Breedlove (colorist and designer) and her wonderful husband. We had so much fun! I was a little apprehensive at first, given it was my first market. Over 10 million square feet of exhibition space can be quite daunting. But the reps and staff were so helpful, and it didn’t hurt that they fed us and quenched our thirst with adult beverages. :)

While we were there, Cate and I attended a meet-up group at the Chandra showroom where we were introduced to former HGTV designer Kelli Ellis! She was incredibly warm and welcoming. I also saw my business coach, interior designer Claire Jefford, who gave me the little shove I needed to finally post a business video on my Facebook page. You can see all of us in the photo below. That's me on the far left, trying to act all chill standing next to Kelli!

Here’s a picture of Cate and me on the shuttle bus to High Point. The place is so huge that they have their own mass transportation system.

And here is one of the 180 buildings that make up High Point Furniture Market!

On to the trends!

I will preface this by saying that there is so much to see, we only scratched the surface. But certain trends kept repeating from showroom to showroom, so we could spot trends pretty easily. I will mix my photos with vendor photos because, well, I spent so much time sourcing for clients that I didn’t take as many pictures as I had intended.

Here we go!

Blush, Black, and Gold

Blush pink is still going strong for upholstery, wallpaper, and accessories. Usually paired with Lucite, black, and/or gold, this millennial favorite has become a new neutral! Black walls, wallpaper, cabinets, and accessories are here people, like it or not. I have mixed feelings about black. I love black in small amounts to ground a space, but I will still take a white kitchen or bath over a black one any day. Matte black lamps and vases are a subtle way to timelessly incorporate this trend. Below is my photo from the Selamat showroom (swoon worthy stuff there!), where they used generous amounts of blush, black, and gold.

Brushed gold and brass is a great way to warm up the current grey trend, so you will see hits of gold in hardware, lighting, accent tables, mirrors, accessories, and table bases. This is not your momma’s lacquered brass of the '80s, which is a good thing, since most of us spent the first decade of the 2000s removing all traces of it from our homes. If you want to keep the look classic, don’t go overboard. It’s ok to mix metals, so you don’t need to do all gold or brass. Do try to keep it to a minimum of two different metals per room. And just a little FYI--if you use two similar metals together in the same finish (such as chrome and nickel), it may look like you tried to match but missed, so mix with caution!

Lucite

Lucite is being used for all sorts of applications, including: drapery rods, tables, chairs, lamps, and accessories. Lucite tables are great for small spaces because they take up less visual weight and reduce visual clutter.

Photo Credit

Rich Velvets, Grasscloth, Faux Fur, Cowhide, and Shearling

It is all about texture! We saw lots of luxurious, jewel-toned velvet on accent chairs and sofas. Grasscloth covered furniture and walls added visual interest while faux fur and shearling draped over seating lent coziness to rooms. Cowhide is still gracing floors but now with added flecks of metallic. These materials make a designed space a real sensory experience- beckoning you to linger a bit longer.

Photo Credit

Chinoiserie

Ginger jars, pagoda mirrors, Chippendale chairs, oh my! I was in Chinoiserie heaven! Blue and white are a favorite combo in this style, and this color pairing is still very much demanded by clients. Speaking of blue and white, I kept hoping to bump into my design idol, Mark D. Sikes, but alas, it was not meant to be. Maybe next time, Mark…

Greek Key Designs

It’s hard to do Chinoiserie without a good Greek key design. Expect to see accent tables, rugs, trim, pillows, and accessories graced with this detail.

Embellished Chair Backs

In keeping with the current trend of layering pattern and textures, chair backs are being given the attention they deserve. From patterned fabrics, lush velvets, and decorative woodwork, these chairs demand to be noticed.