To Market, To Market...

We are just back from the High Point Furniture Market in High Point, NC. This year marks the 100th anniversary of this monumental trade show. It was, as usual, spectacular! It is hard to describe to those that have never been and I always feel compelled to try. Imagine an entire downtown area, sky scrapers ( well really short ones but none the less), cubby holes, strip shopping centers and office buildings filled to the brim with the brightest and best that every vendor can offer. Ten million square feet of show with give aways, food, festivities, and transportation at your beck and call. The way the city handles the thousands upon thousands of visitors is truly remarkable!

Every season, I report on the trends that I saw at the market. This year, I actually attended a seminar that reviewed 100 years of design trends and then a 15 minute wrap up on trends that are coming. I found the presentation to be fascinating and the speaker to be right on the money with his predictions.

Every season, there are multiple trends to track and this year was no different. The two most predominate that I noticed is the story of sober versus saturated. By that, I include color, pattern, and the overall style.

On the one hand is sober. It is a trend that sort of reflects the current economy, if you will. This trend is all about a sober and serious aesthetic. Think colors called "French Rain" and "London Fog" in the gray tones. For texture; wools, slubby linen, raw silk and other natural textures. Finishes include a "french market finish" which is a light wood with sort of a greyed out whitewash that showed up at Habersham as well as smaller vendors. This look is carried off with low voltage lighting and moody wall colors and accents. This quiet and somber trend is in direct juxtaposition to the other trend that I am calling saturated.

As with current runway fashion, the home furnishing industry is inspired by the 60's and 70's and they are bringing back colors and pattern from that era in a big way. Think Kelly green and marine blue, black, white and yellow, or, pink and orange in combinations. A pop art pattern, over sized and exaggerated, finish out the look. Even some of the most traditional vendors show cased this look.

Of course there are always "sub" trends. Metallics and embellishments are still a huge presence. Think nail heads and shells, sequins, buttons and other "bling". There is still a large segment of the market dedicated to what I have come to think of as a 'green' aesthetic. Reclaimed wood and recycled materials mark this style. Natural materials, vegetable dyed or tea stained colors are shown with natural elements. For example,the use of wooden stumps turned into stools or burlap turned into drapery panels. This pared down look works when the textures are really layered into the room. This trend is kind of colorless but really soothing and appealing in its own right.

As always, there is color trends to watch. At this market besides the grey and the saturated colors of the 70's, teal was seen across the board. Teal, a purple that leans toward pink (like a wine stain on a white napkin) orange and lime green were all fighting for dominance at the show. I had a client that wanted to find some coral accents and we did not find one!

That is the wrap up on the major trends that we saw at market. In later posts, I will share some of my favorite finds!