Greetings from High Point, N.C., home of the largest home furnishings market in the world.
For six days, this town hosts more than 80,000 as they preview the trends for the next six months of the home interior industry. We have more than 2,000 exhibitors to visit and 10.5 million square feet to cover in 180 buildings, so comfortable shoes are critical!
I would love to report a specific color trend to look forward to but that is just too simple. Color, itself, appears to be the trend! Cleaner and more vibrant, the hues combined in room settings rival a 64 color box of crayons.
Red paired with teal, plum and gray, tangerine and citron, goldenrod and mink, and persimmon and sapphire are some of the most repeated combinations. Leather in saturated colors is the punctuation to room vignettes.
Large scale patterns are paired with smaller geometrics on chairs. Chevron patterns are still dizzyingly popular.
Sofas are solid colors complete with a mélange of pillow patterns to tie the colors back to the accents in the chair.
Details make formerly average pieces stand out with distinct personality. Linens are trimmed with velvet, nail heads are used in waves, boxes and diamonds are used to dress the furnishings.
Linen is still a contender as a fabric choice, but the color choices far exceed the natural ones of last year.
Quality, in spite of pricing, outshines the cheaper stepsister pieces. When lined up with precision, you know that the craftsmen is versed in how to do it right.
Mirrored furniture has taken a back seat to consoles and cabinets upholstered in textiles. Accent pieces eschew the tradition of wood stain in favor of vibrant paint colors. Distressed pieces remain popular as do high gloss furnishings.
Stain resistant outdoor fabrics used as indoor upholstery textile are a growing trend in response to a demand for livability. Yes, Virginia, it is now possible to have a white sofa and not worry about stains.
With two days of Mart down, and two more to go, we will most certainly see more creative ideas to share next week.
