Trade shows and “markets” are clearly the insider business, and one of the favorite parts of my job as a design writer, editor, and self-proclaimed predictor of home trends. So when a friend of mine messaged me at the last minute saying she was coming High Point Spring Market Last weekend, I organized my credentials and hit the road. Lucky for me, the city of High Point, North Carolina, also known as the furniture making mecca of the United States, is only an hour away from where I am in the Raleigh area.
I hadn’t set foot in that city for nearly a decade since moving to the West Coast, but before, I would visit twice a year to check out what new things furniture companies were creating. Retail buyers, interior designers and media people like me walk the endless parade of showroom floors in their sneakers and business casual, lanyards around their necks, brochures over their shoulders and free tote bags filled with brand swag. It’s exhausting but exciting, a design sensory overload in the best way.
Unlike in previous years, when my calendar was filled with talking appointments, I wandered around at my spare time, stopping by showrooms and booths that caught my attention. And after walking about 15,000 steps, I quickly went over to my friend and went over all the details I noticed that were common throughlines among the companies we visited that Sunday.
And today, I’m sharing what I found. Looking back, I was too busy chatting to take a lot of photos, but between my camera roll and my friends’ camera rolls, I was able to collect enough to give you an idea. Before going into depth, I want to say that everything felt very imminent. Usually, when I went to the Spring Market, it was bright, cheerful and playful. But it’s clear that we’re dedicated to design that feels rooted, authentic, warm and full of deep, earthy colors. I’m not mad about it, but let’s all not forget to have a little fun in our own homes, right?
Home Trends: Suiting Textiles
Far and away, one of the most obvious trends I saw at High Point this season was what I would call “suiting” garments. Specifically, plaid, tweed and pinstripes. Knowing that everything we see in our homes originated in fashion, it’s no surprise to me that this is the direction we’re headed. Trouser and tailoring, especially in women’s fashion, have been front and center for many years.
Taupe stripes and tweed are everywhere, from bench-cushion sofas to comfortable chairs. I’m a little unsure about tweed, not for aesthetics, but for comfort. Some of them were a little itchy, and I can imagine trying to stay cool on a prickly tweed seat on an August afternoon.
My friend announced she found her dream sofa (left), and in person, it was truly amazing. This was a super dark showroom from a cool brand that I discovered recently Rowe Furniture. Everything there made both of us unconscious. The photo on the right is from here cisco homeOne of my favorites, with some fun houndstooth wingback-esque armchairs.
Again, since I was too busy discussing and conversing with my friend about the aesthetic of my dream home (we worked together at a furniture company three years ago and hadn’t seen each other since), I didn’t notice any of the plaid upholstery items or decor pieces. But luckily she found this photo of some plaid poufs at the Cisco home.
Domestic Trends: So. excess. Fake. Bark.
Buckles are out, faux fur is in, people. And I don’t just mean throws or pillows. They are enjoying the accent seating a lot. I was quite skeptical at first, imagining, once again, slipping down a sweaty, swampy bum in the middle of July. And my wardrobe of only leggings is also not very compatible with something so smooth and soft. But I have to tell you, it is very comfortable and relaxing.
It’s an acquired look, sure, but hey, I spend my life as a design writer begging people to be original and take risks, so this is definitely one of those moments. Also, if you have kids or someone extremely blunt in your life, you’ll get interesting questions, like the one I recently got from my 4-year-old when she came to ask me what I was doing: “Mom, is that a bear or a chair?!?” I laughed very loudly.
Home Trends: Blockprint Fabric and Bedding
Block print clothes are not new to this scenario. Since everyone decided they wanted to decorate their homes as if they were jamstresses in the English countryside, they’ve been around. And actually, to add an addendum to my previous comment, block print technology originally originated in China and was later refined in India (not England).
History lessons aside, sweet, delicate florals in particular can be seen on large upholstery pieces, curtain fabric and bedding. I love to see how it was mixed and matched, most successfully with stripes and contrasting scale floral prints.
Home Trends: Metal Details
This was a bit of a surprise to me. Iron work is everywhere! I looked at it as a comparison with lighting, hardware and, most interestingly, the softness of the seating. We’ll see iron and metal details on the arms and even legs of armchairs, chaise lounges and sofas/sectionals.
Brass was largely left behind, although it can still be found in small quantities in many showrooms. But don’t be surprised when you see oil-rubbed bronze making a huge comeback. In general, we are moving away from brass, with polished nickel, chrome and zinc coming into the picture more and more. I like to mix these with other warm metals to keep things interesting and collectible.
Home Trends: Everything Rounded Out (Wood Included)
Everything round, soft, curved. Even wood, which is such a beautiful thing and makes me want to run my hands over every surface. That table on the right, by ethnic craftsI had all my heart. I stood at her bedside, rubbing the edges, dreaming of future dinner parties. 🙂
As you can see, almost every part of the image above has an arch: the bookshelf, the sofa chair, the door frame, the set, and the huge case in the background…the curve can’t be stopped.
Home Trends: Warm-Undertones and Earthy Color Palettes
Gone are the days of abundant brown and blue sofas. Olive green, chocolate brown, terracotta and mustard reigned supreme over basically everything. Upholstery, decorations, soft furnishings and even tilework were installed in the showroom.
We’ve been talking about warm neutrals for about a year or two (honestly, probably more), but everything, even darker colors, are all leaning toward warm colors. The cool greens were nowhere to be seen, and the olive was the star. Honorable mention goes to orange and red and mustard yellow.
I mostly saw the blue as an accent to contrast the main event (except for the depth leaning into the coastal waves – keep reading for more on that), which was an interesting turn of events. Although I’m sure you’ll have to pry the blue one out of Emily’s tight fist ;).
Home Trend: Nautical Blues
I regret that I failed in my quest to capture more marine and coastal blue. Even my friend didn’t have any, and she was the one who told me this (she now works for a major clothing manufacturer and distributor and knows her stuff). Lots of coastal references with soft blues and creams. There are even some very obvious beach callbacks, but it depends from brand to brand. I wouldn’t count on anchors and rope buoy wall hangings being overly mainstream.
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I leave you here for today. With a neon sign that stopped me on my way to the restroom to take a photo. It made me laugh, and lord knows we could all use a little silliness these days. “Your delulu trullulu can come.” From that neon sign to God’s ear. 🙂
Until next time, friends…
