We are fresh from High Point Market in North Carolina, and as usual, we are feeling so creatively renewed and full of inspiration.
If you don’t know what the buzz is all about, allow me to explain. High Point Market is the world’s largest furniture market expo that happens twice per year in April and October. Hundreds of design trade vendors showcase their products and new introductions in over 10 million square feet of showroom space, spread out in several buildings around High Point. The Market is visited by over 75,000 designers and retailers where a lot of shopping, social and educational events take place.
The Blogosphere, Instagram, Facebook, and social media in general are always abuzz with pictures and posts from industry style spotters, covering what is trending – from what colors are hot, to what products we will see more of.
This was about my 5th trip to High Point, and as usual. I took a lot of pictures, quite possibly around a thousand.
Today, I want to share with you some of my favorite trends and how you can incorporate them into your home. This will be a pretty long post that is very picture heavy, so we will break it out into 2 parts. Come back next week for part 2
If you have been following me for a while, you know how I feel about trends. Not all trends are created equally – some should be ignored, some last only for a short while, and some last a really long time; even past their expiration date. When it comes to trends, look at it from the perspective of “Is this something I love now, and will love in 10 years?”. If you answered yes, then what is trendy can be your timeless piece. I mean after all, some of what we consider to be timeless and classic now, were once considered a trend.
You can also decide to incorporate a little bit of the current trends into your home now, if it is something that you love, but may not necessarily want to keep for very long. In that case I would say to incorporate that trend into smaller, less expensive pieces that can be switched out later without a major financial set back.
I do believe it is important to incorporate something trendy to keep your home looking and feeling fresh and current.
So without further ado, here are some of my favorite picks and trends from High Point Market, and a few tips on how you can incorporate them into your home,
Bold Statement Art
Every showroom I went into, bold, statement art was out in all its glory. Usually colorful and abstract. Bold black and white art was also seen quite a bit
Every home needs art! You may not want to incorporate bold, statement art in every room of your home, but choose a room or two where the art will be a strong focal point. Maybe above the fireplace or in the foyer. Larger pieces are better to really make it a statement piece. Large pieces of art can be costly, but you can commission pieces from local artists. I offer an art curation service if you need help incorporating art in your home. Click here to find out more
Wallpaper
Wallpaper was everywhere! The bolder, the better! Large print floral wallpapers were mostly what I noticed, but they ranged from florals to geometric
You can incorporate bold wallpaper into your home in smaller applications. In a powder room, or the back of a bookcase, inside of a wall niche or as an accent wall in the room.
Curves
I noticed that curves were in abundance – on chairs and sofas
Furniture pieces with curves tend to feel softer in a space, and usually take up slightly less space. They also lend a sense of femininity in a room. If you have a small space to decorate, consider a sofa or chairs with curves
Bar Cabinets
Bar cars were big a couple of years ago, but I saw more and more bar cabinets at Market. They were to be seen in all design styles; from mid century modern, to more traditional
Bar cabinets are great for wine storage if you entertain a lot. They also work great to fill those awkward niches next to a fireplace in a living room. They are usually a good scale and height. Great for extra storage
Chairs With Back Detailing
I enjoyed seeing a lot from this trend, where the backs of the chairs are even more detailed and adorned than the front. I call them “sexy back” chairs. There were tons of different applications – leather trim, nailhead trim, tufting, crystals
This one is easy to incorporate by simply choosing a style that you love. If you have a chair that has seen better days, perhaps reupholstering it and adding a bit of detailing on the back will keep you on trend
Color
Color was everywhere at Market, but I didn’t see any significantly new color trends. I did notice forest green a few times, one or two showrooms with the apricot tones, blush, and of course, bold colors. But there were also very neutral spaces; even white
I am a big believer in decorating with the colors you love despite the trends in color. Depending on what colors you like, you may want to include them only in accent and accessories – usually if you like really bright colors. Color trends are usually more short lived, so this is one trend that you must think about before following it. Colors like Navy are more timeless, even though it remains a current trend
Mix Of Materials And Unique Materials
I am a very tactile person. I love walking into a showroom and seeing a new material that I am not very familiar it, and immediately I feel drawn to touching it, to experience the texture. This Market, I found a new material that I found very intriguing. I am actually very familiar with cocoa pods from growing up in Jamaica, but I had never seen it used in home accessories and furnishings.
Some other materials that were plentiful at Market are: bone inlay, parchment, shagreen, hammered metal, metal, acrylic, lucite, hide. There were several showrooms that showcased a mix of materials on one piece. A couple of the more popular combinations are: wood with lucite, shagreen with metal and wood with metal
You can incorporate unique and interesting materials in your home through accessories and small accent furniture. If you enjoy textures like I do, take a look outside, and maybe you will find items in nature that can be brought in for a unique accessory item
Bold Patterns And Mix of Patterns.
If you know me, you know how much I love mixing patterns in unexpected ways. A few showrooms delivered on this in a big way.
Mixing patterns is a lot easier than you might think. Head to our Facebook group to watch the live video that I did recently with tips on how to mix patterns in your home, Search #AskVeronica for all videos.
In the next post, we will talk about my other picks for Market Trends: Botanicals, Classic With A Twist, Blue And White Pottery, Statement Lighting and Outdoor Furniture That Look More Like Indoor Furniture. Stay tuned for that blog post next week
If you are interested in any of the looks or products shown here, please don’t hesitate to contact us
Wishing You Beauty and Inspiration!
veronica