Best of High Point Market, Fall 2014

 Best of High Point Market

If you read my High Point Market Trend Recap, you can tell that there are a lot of new trends to watch out for in the home furnishings and accessories market. However, today’s post brings you the Best of High Point Market – some of my favorite product sightings.  Some items were included in my Style Spotter picks and some were not, because either they were chosen by another Style Spotter before I got to it, or I had already chosen another product in the same showroom (we were only allowed to spot one item in each showroom).  Those who know me, know that I have an infinite love of color, texture, and small details, and these picks certainly reflect that.  So here goes – my Best of  High Point Market, Fall 2014:

SkLO Studio introduced a variety of hand blown Czech glass that look great on their own but even better when grouped with several colors and sizes. Colored glass vases that seem to be stacked one on top of another are actually fused together.  I have been watching this line and have noticed that  they are getting quite good at merging lighting with their hand-blown colored glass, and the results are truly unique.

Taylor Burke Home‘s “Don’t Fret” pendant had to be one of my favorite picks at market, and had I been allowed to style spot more than one item per vendor,  this pendant would have definitely been at the top of my list.

The Petite Kelly Table, a collaboration between Taylor Burke Home and Mirth Studio was a no brainier. The satin brass base is paired with  wood patterned tiles from Mirth Studio. For those of you who are not familiar with Mirth Studio tiles, they are digitally printed engineered wood tiles that use a technique in which an original  hand painting is photographed at high-res then digitally printed onto engineered wood tile and coated with several layers of polyurethane finish. Super durable, extremely good looking, and can be easily mistaken for hand-painted if you don’t know the difference.  Mirth Studio wood tiles come in a variety of colors and patterns, so the possibilities are endless.

The Fulham Channel Upholstered Table was my Style Spotter pick from the Hickory Chair showroom. The table is also available plain, without the tufted upholstery, but there was something about this combination that really caught my eye. A tray on top is all that is needed for drinks, and storage below is available for books and miscellaneous items.

Peter Jacob’s collection of upholstered seating for Wesley Hall looked fresh and new.  The”social sofa”, style spotted by Michelle Workman, features a rich, emerald green leather and the unique shape makes the “social sofa” the perfect piece to float in a room where there is a lot of entertaining.

Alexa Hampton’s  faux snakeskin armchair with red grosgrain piping for Hickory Chair is a great all- around chair with a modern edge  that even the most traditional client can relate to.  I believe that this is the same faux snake used in the Fulham Channel Upholstered Table (also from Hickory Chair) but here it is shown in a totally different setting.  The contrast pomegranate red grosgrain piping is the perfect complement.

According to the rep at Jonathan Charles, the piece you see above started out as a custom design for a client that was put into the line and has become one of their most well-received items at market.  What is interesting about this piece is that the design looks like it is a breakfront china cabinet that has been placed upside down and the scale and proportion adjusted.  Unlike the traditional breakfront, this piece can be placed in a smaller room without being visually overbearing, as it takes up far less volume.  This is also one of those perfect pieces that can be incorporated into almost any style space.

Stanley Furniture‘s Alexander  Telephone Table from the Crestaire Collection,  has a pretty demi-lune shape which allows all four legs to be seen when viewed from the front. A light strategically placed underneath illuminates items on the shelves below.

The Brooks Console Table is also from Stanley Furniture‘sCrestaire Collection.Fellow Style Spotter Mitzi Beach style spotted this same console but in a “capiz” finish, but above it is shown in an “argent” finish which resembles silver leaf.   Had Mitzi not style spotted this, I would have done so in a flash, because I love the reference to classical architecture.  The picture above was tweeted and retweeted time and time again and you can see exactly why.  I believe in my original Instagram post I mentioned that it reminded me of an Italian Renaissance portico.  For all you art history and architecture buffs, Brunelleschi’s Foundling Hospital in Florence, Italy to be exact.

Estetik Decor‘s Cube Blace Block, caught my eye as I was making my way through the Suite at Market Square.  Unlike hair on hide, which has become quite commonplace as of late, the Cube Blace Block is also made of a long haired hide (a type of deer, if I’m not mistaken) that is matted down with a metallic copper laminate.  At a quick glance, it looks more like a plume of iridescent feathers than fur.  One thing for sure is that it is absolutely stunning and would bring life to any room.

Metalsmithing has been a trend that I saw from several manufacturers, but no one did it as well as Bernhardt Interiors and the oxidized brass door fronts of the Margot Buffet.  A rich artisanal finish that has a slightly blue cast when viewed at an angle, it is a great interpretation of rustic modern chic at its best.

CR Laine is known for their bold use of color and their impeccably styled vignettes that incorporate not only their own upholstered goods, but also lighting, art, wallcoverings, and case goods from their vendor partners.  The result is nothing short of stunning.  In this particular setting,  dark, charcoal grey walls are contrasted with kelly green, white, and a medley of bright pops of saturated color.

This traditional spool chair is upholstered in  a punchy polka-dotted white and green woven jacquard, which gives traditional a contemporary, preppy twist.

I’ve seen a lot of upholstered headboards with tufting and nailhead trim, but this is the first time I’ve seen such elaborate beading on a headboard.  Callisto Home uses a dusty rose woven ikat motif in which matte silver beading is applied to bring dimension to the ikat pattern.  An antique nailhead trim and piping along the edge adds even further detail and dimension.

The Ming 2-Drawer Chest from Bungalow 5 sports a laminated textured slate blue grass cloth that can be incorporated into almost any style space.  There are few things I find that I like that will blend in with any style and in any room.  I often move things around as I get tired of how things are arranged in a space, (I hear that this is a common practice among designers, so don’t judge!) so what might be in my bedroom today may be in the living room tomorrow.  If I were a retailer, this would be one item that I would stock because it has such a wide appeal.

This vintage porcelain camel from my friend, Heather Vieira of 20th Century by HKFA came so close to coming home with me.  But reason got the best of me and I realized that it would be more prudent for me to pay for my kids’ private school tuition than to use those funds to bring home a porcelain camel.  But look at him – in perfect condition and beautiful as either a plant stand or an accent table – or even as a centerpiece on a large dining room table.  The possibilities are endless – but alas, I will never know as I didn’t bring him home with me.  But just because I didn’t take him home with me doesn’t mean he can’t be one of my favorite picks!

So that’s it -the Best of High Point Market.  If you’re a designer and you’ve never been, I strongly urge you to put High Point on the calendar for spring – April 18-23.  Make your hotel reservations soon, as accommodations book up quickly!

If you would like to be considered for one of the Style Spotter positions, an honor that I thoroughly enjoyed and would do over again in a heartbeat if I could, visit the High Point Style Spotters Page and the link for an application should be up shortly. As glamorous and fun as it looks, it requires quite a bit of hard work, so don’t apply unless you are willing to work hard and put forth the effort. Zack Taylor of Wesley Hall equated the Style Spotters to being High Point Market’s “Homecoming Court”.  I chuckled when I heard him tell a buyer, but I’ll take it!

Lastly, during market I struck up a conversation with Brian Foote of Epson America, and he interviewed me for “Blueprints”, Epson’s blog geared towards the architecture, real estate and interior design community.  We discussed High Point Market trends, design and business in general.  Catch a snippet of our interview HERE.