HIGH POINT MARKET: RECAPPING OUR FALL ‘22 VISIT

The team and I recently returned from High Point, North Carolina after visiting the largest furniture and interior design market in the world. If you’re unfamiliar, High Point Market is the premier market for anyone in this industry to attend, its a great hands on learning experience and I would recommend it to any designer! There are thousands of exhibitors across a massive campus of 180+ buildings – it’s 12 million square feet of showrooms! We came back feeling refreshed and inspired.

Sure, it could be overwhelming, but having a schedule and a plan is the key to success. Before we go, we always check the list and plan out what showrooms we absolutely have to visit! Keep reading to see who were our favorites this market!

OUR MAIN GOALS FOR THIS TRIP

It’s our job as designers to always stay on top of the latest collections, trends, and product information when it comes to furnishings, and High Point Market is THE place to do that. In addition to seeing what’s new, we had a few other goals for this visit:

Find new vendors (particularly those with shorter lead times).
Sit on all the sofas & chairs from vendors we order from. Our clients trust that when we recommend a sofa, it is comfortable and exactly what they’re looking for. Sitting on the furniture and taking detailed notes is how we know what to recommend, and assure our clients that even though they won’t be able to sit test the chair we spec’d, we have and can highly recommend.
We also wanted to see what the upcoming trends are for this year! High Point Market is the “Fashion week” for Interior Design. This is when all the vendors come out with their new collections.

Top Trends we saw at HPMKT

Living Room Vignette from Baker Furniture

1) 70s STYLE - Smoked glass, curves, rattan, and terrazzo.. the 70s are coming back. With people working from home we are reverting back to the comfortable style of the 70s. When the team and I took a look at showrooms such as Regina Andrews, Arteriors, and Visual Comfort we saw smoked glass EVERYWHERE. Smoked Glass creates a unique display of shadows and light that shines though.It gives a touch of moody while still being contemporary.

Another element of the 70s we saw was rattan. Rattan has been trending for some time but we saw it in different applications at Market. When we were at Summer Classic and Gabby we saw rattan being used on furniture for both inside and outdoors. These lines managed provide an updated feel to such a classic style.

Another 70s staple we saw at market was terrazzo. You typically see terrazzo on tile but it’s making its way into the furniture world. TOV Furniture had a terrazzo coffee table that I am still thinking about. While it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when designing a space it is a great way to add subtle pops of color.

Curves are also making a comeback as well! Keep reading to see some of the cool ways curves are being utilized.

2) CURVES - There is no doubt that curved furniture is making a comeback in the design world. But why did we see this element in almost every showroom?

Curves are visually appealing. A curved sofa is great to have in a living room because it helps with the flow of conversation. A curved cabinet can add a softness and sophistication that a traditional cabinet could not. Additionally, curved furniture is extremely versatile and can be used in both traditional and contemporary settings. Another curved item we saw was round/sphere pillows! They are so fun and provide a cute accent to a sofa or chair, they also help break up the harsh lines that the traditional pillows can sometimes have.

3) FLUTED DETAILS - The versatile treatment strikes the perfect balance between modern and classic, offering a unique texture without feeling too ornate (especially when applied in an oversized scale or unexpected material). The fluted details give depth to the piece and texture when running your hand over it. The fluting provides clean lines and is a delicate way to bring balance and height into any space. We saw a gorgeous fluted coffee table from Baker Furniture as pictured above.

Bedroom Room Vignette from Adler & Tweed

4) BEIGE - Grey is finally making its way out of the spotlight and tones like taupes, beiges, biscuits, and mushrooms took center stage, along with nature-inspired hues. are stepping in. Having the main furniture piece such as a sofa in a beige hue gives you flexibility when adding decor. Beige and taupes help anchor the space which is why we saw so many showrooms have those hues in their showrooms.

5) BOUCLE - It has a soft feel, it’s comfortable to sit on, and the texture adds visual interest. Boucle is a woven loop fabric, which makes it look bumpy from far away—but it's soft and comfortable from close up. You typically see boucle in a white but it also looks stunning in a taupe! We also saw a hunter Green Boucle Bed frame at Alder & Tweed.

6) COWHIDE- Rustic with a modern twist. Cowhide was very popular among the showrooms in HPMKT. From chairs to ottomans we saw cowhide on everything! One of our favorite showrooms, Verellen, which is a modern traditional Belgium company, had an application that I never saw before. I loved its pairing of cowhide with a nice dark wood. This wooden coffee table with a cowhide accent is the perfect example. Verellen also has beautiful leather goods!

7) AGATE- Crystals and agate are a staple in the lighting world right now. We saw so many beautiful lights that are incorporating crystal, marble, or agate into the design.

8) SWIVEL CHAIRS- We love a good swivel! When we were sit testing the furniture we almost always checked to see if it swiveled. Swivel chairs are great to add to a living room because they can be turned and help the flow of conversation. Classic Home had multiple great swivel chair options in various materials. One of my favorites was this moody mauve velvet barrel swivel chair. It was super comfortable, soft, and looked great when not in use.

9) BAR CABINETS- Get your wine glasses ready because bar cabinets are here to stay! This is a great way to store your glasses and bottles. Ambella Home had a beautiful microsuede-lined bar cabinet that was illuminated for that extra detail. I love the way these brands are utilizing the entire cabinet for storage. Some bar cabinets we saw even had a built-in shelf on the door in addition to the main storage compartments.

One of my favorite designs by Justina Blakeney!

10) COLOR- This trend made me feel so inspired! We went to Justina Blakleney’s talk and she is the queen of using color and pattern! While I love a neutral moment there is something about having color in a design that makes me so happy. She was talking about how she got her start and discussed using color in her designs. One thing she said that stuck with me was “Decorating wild is all about tapping into your unique style, without inhibitions! Give yourself permission to get creative. Break some design rules, and get a little wild!” Justina has done some amazing work including creating a collection with companies such as Target, Loloi, and Fabricut!

One showroom that was not afraid to break the color rules was Rowe Furniture. They had some great options for bright colors and bold patterns. Their furniture was also so comfortable, I could definitely take a good nap. People are often afraid of mixing patterns and colors but I say it is okay! Don’t be afraid to do something out of the box and push yourself.

On the last day, we went and saw The Largest Chest of Drawers! It is over 100 years old and is 38 feet high!! This beautiful, 19th-century dresser was built to call attention to High Point as the Furniture Capital of the World. It features two large socks that hang from the drawers as a nod to the area's hosiery industry. It was built by Sid Lenger who was a High Point designer and craftsman.