High Point Market Trend Recap

Fall 2016 Market

I’m back from High Point Market and here with my much anticipated High Point Market Trend Recap, chock full of information on the latest interior design trends and observations seen while at the Fall 2016 market. This time around I attended as a part of the Design Bloggers Tour, which was made up of ten top of the most influential design bloggers in the industry.  For two full days our group made it from showroom to showroom to view presentations on the market’s latest introductions.  In addition to the two days spent with the Design Bloggers Tour, I spent 3 days on the front end and another extra day on the back end – six days in total, and that still wasn’t enough time to see all I wanted to see.  With 11.5 million square feet of show space, no matter how much time I had to spend at High Point, it would never be enough!

One observation I had is that “Sexy is In!”.  Change is definitely in the air and this market is the most pronounced shift away from the traditional design aesthetic  I have seen to date.  Even those manufacturers that identify themselves with classic design are introducing cleaner lines and the market as a whole is leaning towards a more transitional and modern aesthetic.

Without further hesitation, I present to you the Fall 2016 High Point Market Trend Recap:

• PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF DESIGN

• GOODBYE BULKY – THE SECTIONAL GETS SEXY

• SEXY LEGS – THE METAL STILETTO

• THE BACK IS WHERE IT’S AT- CHAIRS WITH BACK DETAILING

Pushing The Boundaries of Design

Cutting edge and unexpected design details and shapes were popping up all throughout High Point Market.  Furniture designer Susan Hornbeak-Ortiz, known for her fashion-forward line Shine by S.H.O. now brings a “ready-to-wear” line, Sho Modern, which brings high fashion at a more accessible price point.

First time High Point Market exhibitor Eichholtz, one of the largest exhibitors at Maison et Objet in Europe, brings the look of high fashion and modern glamour to the United States at an attainable price point.

Bernhardt Interiors, known for their impeccable transitional styling has also stepped out of their comfort zone and is experimenting with edgier shapes, and we couldn’t be more excited with what they’ve done!

Milling Road, Baker’s lifestyle brand introduced a new collection by Darryl Carter, whose opening party we attended the day before High Point Market opened.  Carter experimented with different shapes and mixing materials.  Several pieces in his collection married traditional design with a modern, unexpected twist.

As always, designer Kelly Wearstler always manages to lead the pack with pushing the boundaries of design with her fashion forward and edgy designs.

The Sectional Gets Sexy

Goodbye to the big, bulky sectional that we have grown accustomed to – you know, the massive chunk that takes up the majority of real estate in any given room.  Long gone are the days when sofa sectionals are awkwardly wedged at the corner of a room.  Fall market brought a sexier sectional – smaller in scale, back detailing, and with curved and angled options that make it possible for a sectional to be floated in the middle of the room without overpowering the space.

We especially loved Ambella Home’s curved option, which softens up the lines and allows it to be floated without having an awkward and bulky corner.  The curved back feels much more natural and the smaller scale more manageable.

We loved the slightly angled sectional that was front and center at Duralee.  A much lower back and smaller scale ensures that is presence is minimized in the room.  And how about the colorful fabric they have used from Highland Court?  Who needs beige when you can have this?

Another softly curved sectional sofa from Ambella brings a more feminine side.  Self-welt detailing along the back and a much lower back profile make this a sexier option.  In most cases, I do not like walking into a room head on into the back of a sofa, but this lower back profile, the petite appearance, and the self-welt detailing make this option much more inviting.

Sexy Legs – The Metal Stiletto

As you can tell by the previous trends I covered so far in the High Point Market Trend Recap, sexy is back.  Metal stiletto legs in a variety of finishes are gracefully holding up their upholstered seating counterparts.

High Point manufacturer Thayer Coggin has always been one step ahead of design since the inception of the company over 60 years ago.  When Thayer Coggin was formed in 1953, Milo Baughman led design and to this day his designs are still being produced in the same factory and his designs are just as current now as they were back then. The Manolo sofa (which also can be added to the “sexy sectional trend” as it is also available in a sectional option) has a skinny,  bronze leg which allows it to blend into almost any interior setting, be it traditional or modern.

A polished chrome stiletto leg graces the base of this exposed wood frame sofa from Bernhardt. While polished chrome on its own can appear a bit cold and impersonal, the combination of wood offsets the cool metal and warms up the look.

Super sexy is this petite blush leather stool and brushed brass leg from Kate Spade for EJ Victor.

Again, Ambella Home does what they do best and takes a traditional shape and gives it a modern twist.  The dark, turned wood leg on the traditional tufted leather chair and ottoman is traded in with a polished brass stiletto leg for a modern and sexy take on traditional.

The Back is Where It’s At

Today’s design trend has followed in the footsteps of the mullet, where it’s all business up front, party in the back. Sorry about the analogy – the mullet is one trend we’d all rather forget!  No longer are chairs lined up against the wall.  Today’s designers are bringing the action to the center of the room, and in doing so, the backs of chairs and sofas are left exposed.  No fear, as today’s furniture designers are on top of what is in demand and have delivered.  The chair back is where all the action is.

Wesley Hall, known for their traditional styling and impeccable quality (and a staple upholstery resource in my store) has made a shift to a more contemporary aesthetic and we love what they’ve done with the back detailing on their chairs.

Thayer Coggin’s iconic “Design Classic” chair, designed by Milo Baughman, is just as current today as it was when it was designed over 50 years ago.  Sleek, simple, and stylish, I couldn’t resist and  this chair is headed back to my store in a butterscotch colored leather and antique bronze frame.  I can’t wait!

I have much more to report in Part 2 of my High Point Market Trend Recap.  There was way too much to pack into one post so this time around I decided to split up my report into two parts.  Stay tuned for more!

If any of you are in the Southern California area this weekend, stop by WestEdge Design Fair, where I will be exhibiting along with Life Space UX, Sony’s new lifestyle and design driven line of innovative home technology solutions.  I’ll be in Booth 119, so come see me!