The High Point Market; a review

Last week, vendors, from all over the world of home furnishings, put on the Spring Market tradeshow at High Point.  This show covers 10 million square feet of space and offers folks in the retail and design business a chance to see the unveiling of the newest products that the industry is offering. This market is a great place to spot the coming trends in interior design.  There is always a color story, an emerging trend in finishes, and the spotting of new twists on traditional products.  This blogpost will tell the color story.

There are two color stories that emerged at this market.  The first is a Paris Chic colorLESS pallet.  Think textures like flour sack and burlap, white washed woods, neutrals in beige, white, and taupe, all given energy by copious amounts of texture, with a touch of soft color thrown in

The second color story is a 180 degree turn from the first.  The return of color, bold, clear, and optimistic dominated showrooms like this one at Baker.  Gone are the greyed tones of blues, greens and browns that have been so popular.  Bring on Spring-like blasts of pink, green, yellow and turquoise.  This was such a fresh and welcome look!

more of the Paris chic trend

love these mirrors!

Bring on the color!

Even the accessories are bright and fun!

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To Market, to market...

Each Spring the design industry pulls out all the stops for the High Point Furniture Market.  A massive, 10 million square foot trade show that introduces designers and furniture retailers to the newest offerings for our industry.  Each show, I look forward to certain showrooms that I know will go over the top in merchandising their spaces.  One of my favorite stops is Global Views, they always have the most amazing wall groupings.  Pictured here is a booth they did for the Diffa organization during their Dining by Design kick off tour of the country.  Check out the way the company used their starburst wall hangings en masse.  It is brilliant!  Global Views is always right on the mark with color trends and I always enjoy seeing their approach to modern accessories.

Another favorite stop is Cyan Design.  They offer lighting and accessories.  Again, this store is a great one for spotting trends in color, texture and design.  The company uses whimsy, lighting, and fabulous merchandising techniques to showcase their products. 

There entire first floor of the International Home Furnishings Center is dedicated to designer friendly companies.  Isle after isle of goodies await.  For me, it is like going to the a candy store for adults!  I can't wait.  As soon as I return, I will share some of the fabulous things that I find... stay tuned!

Jackie Von Tobel and the WCAA Spring Event

Jackie Von Tobel came to Charlotte, NC, on March 26th for the WCAA Spring Window Fashion and Interior Design Event. This event was put on by the WCAA Charlotte Chapter as a once every 18 months to 2 year event. The day also includes a table top vendor exhibit with 18 industry partners to the design trade. This year, the WCAA Charlotte chapter invited the AIDP Charlotte Chapter to come on as a marketing partner. Since I am a member of both groups, I became the co-chair of the event. My role gave me a unique opportunity to work with both teams. It was a great experience. One of my jobs was to secure our speaker. When Jackie said yes to us, we knew that we were in for a treat. In the months that followed our invitation, it seemed as though Jackie’s star was on a meteoric climb. There is a good reason for her huge success!

Jackie’s first session was all about the coming trends in design. Because this was sponsored by a window coverings organization, much of her focus was on fabrics and trims. Jackie had recently attended the Maison de Objet show in Paris and had wonderful slides illustrating her talk. The overriding theme was embellishment! From multi-level weaving to beading and ruffles, everything shown was taken to the next level by what was added to the fabrics. Neutral fabrics with over-the-top add-ons like metallic threads or ribbon trims seemed to be everywhere at the Paris show.

In the afternoon, Jackie shared how to achieve a high end look. This was my favorite session because it felt like being back at school at a great art/design lecture. The slides she shared were an assortment of different designers and what worked in the designs shown. As usual, details are the key, as is taking customization to the next level. Jackie shared that many of the companies in our industry are beginning to offer ready-made items that are setting a whole new standard. Our job, more than ever, will be to offer the unexpected and detailed customization.    

                                                                                   

      As an interior designer, I tap my creative side on a daily basis. I love doing this, but whenever you pour out your energy, from time to time, you need to fill back up. This event with Jackie Von Tobel certainly did that for me. I took four pages of notes! Jackie’s ideas, her review of the Paris show, and her insights to what makes great design gave me just the boost I needed. Because of my position behind the scenes, I also got to spend a little bit of time with Jackie. She is just as warm and friendly as she looks in her photos. In addition to great information, I feel like I made a new friend. Thanks Jackie!