This is a monster post, today! Honestly, it was quite dizzying going through my 1300 photos from High Point. And I only stayed 3 days! (2 of them on the Design Bloggers Tour.) Many designers stay 4 or 5 days. High Point is Just. THAT. BIG.
I know that I only got to taste a sliver of what there was. But hopefully I’ll be back on an annual basis from now on. And even my first taste gave me plenty of food for thought (haha!).
In addition to the biggest furniture trend I saw (see this post), I noticed 8 more (among many, many, many others) that I kept photographing.
1. Deep, Lounge-y Upholstery
I saw a lot of super DEEP, super cushy, lounging furniture.
I love this look in a basement, media room, or teen hangout … one that has enough space to accommodate this larger furniture, however! But I probably wouldn’t choose to put this in your average family room. I still want comfy cozy in a a family room, but I also like to be able to drink a cup of coffee without spilling it all over myself. 😉
Bernhardt has come out “PLUSH,” a new line of upholstered furniture which it says is its “culmination of our quest to create the world’s most comfortable sofa.”
Apparently I can get used to this kind of lounging.
It’s no surprise that Cisco Brothers, a Los Angeles company with a tagline of “inspiring environments that feel good” had some of the squishiest sofas around.
My partner in crime during free time from the tour, Ryan Williams of Artisan Design Studio in Atlanta, loved lounging on C.R. Laine’s “Big Cozy” sofa.
This sofa from Four Hands was made for pizza & movie nights! Styled in a very California way with the boho baskets and blue board and batten millwork. A great piece for a teen hang-out, where you don’t want to invest a ton of cash but don’t want to sacrifice style, either.
I normally think of Huntington House as having much more traditional styles, but even it had a version of a super lounger sofa, as demonstrated below by fellow Blogger Tour colleague Deborah von Dunop of DVD Interior Design in Greenwich. Even the sofa base was cushy.
2. Art Deco Details — Curves & Channel Tufting
Curvy furniture and channel tufting always makes me think of Art Deco style. Some of High Point’s examples referenced that period. However, most felt more current, ranging from glamorous, to transitional to industrial loft.
Curved sectionals abounded.
This chairs from Cisco Bros. was so cozy.
3. Artisanal Inspiration
Artisanal texture was everywhere, with a lot of woven fabrics, earthenware, and nature-inspired finishes. While not as popular a trend in my area of New England, this type of decor works well in modern and mountain flavored homes, like Project #HGDmodernmtnview, where the wife is a weaver.
Limited edition, woven fabrics from South American artisans were prevalent at Cisco Bros.
There was almost a dessert or clay feel to a lot of lighting, such as the below lamps from Currey & Co.
Hudson Valley Lighting had a bunch of new introductions that looked like they came straight from the Golden State, with pottery-like lamps, rattan pendant globes, and glammed up rope fixtures by Martin Lawrence Bullard.
4. Outdoor Spaces
Many outdoor spaces were furnished with indoor-like furniture — sofas and chairs that you would swear were for indoors only, thanks to advances in cushion construction (draining water), marine-grade internal parts, and the huge advances in outdoor fabrics.
Pieces from Bernhardt’s Exteriors line.
Our tour guide showing us how water drains through the cushions and the decking.
Huntington House uses marine grade materials for its decking system.
Outdoor fabrics that look & feel like indoor fabrics.
The beautiful woven furniture of Lloyd Flanders would be equally at home in Napa Valley or New England or New Orleans.
I love the colors, the traditional/transitional lines, and the lifetime warranty!
SIFAS is a luxury outdoor furniture maker from the south of France that is equally at home in Hollywood.
San Diego designer/blogger Rachel Moriarty of must have scoped out this perch before choosing her outfit on this day. SIFAS works beautifully with her bohemian SoCal style (see this reveal post by Rachel of an Ocean view terrace!)
5. Exposed Frame Chairs
There were so many gorgeous accent chairs with exposed wood components and other thoughtful details. Adding one or a pair of these to a room helps achieve that sought-after “mix” when combined with fully upholstered pieces.
However, I wouldn’t add a pair of these chairs (with frame arms) if they happen to be your only chair seating — just not a comfortable place to curl up with a book and a cup of tea. You need to have at least one completely upholstered chair in your grouping for comfort’s sake, IMO.
Vanguard. Love the leather strapping.
Cisco Bros.
Hooker Furniture. Aren’t these handsome?
Gabby Home had some statement chairs with some gorgeous twig-like inlays.
The below is one of my favorite little swivel chairs. Just a little mod. Can be masculine or feminine depending on your fabric.
Rowe Furniture. Very pretty in dove gray velvet here.
Four Hands
6. Wallpaper
Being a rather huge fan of wallpaper, I LOVED seeing all the vignettes employing wallpaper.
The very impressive Made Goods showroom used wallpaper extensively to show off its wares. I asked after a number of patterns, and I was thrilled when Made Goods sent out an entire list of all the patterns used!
Busted. This was one of my favorites.
Some other vignettes I loved.
7. Statement Hardware
Hardware is the jewelry of case goods. I found more and more vendors were offering a range of hardware options to allow their pieces to be more bespoke. Statement hardware was everywhere.
Sleek, integrated hardware at Four Hands.
Options at made Goods.
Lots of glamorous pulls.
Mid-century butterfly pulls at Vanguard.
Fun acrylic pulls at Hooker. Great boy’s dresser!
Dana Gibson for Addison Weeks.
8. Pet Spaces
Pets even received some plush places to put up their weary paws. Dorel Home debuted a collection of farmhouse style pet beds with washable covers and hidden litter boxes at value prices.
And for sophisticated pooches with more glamorous taste, James by Jimmy DeLaurentis has created pet sofas softer than their own pelts.
Whew! I’m beat! Next week I’ll be back with details of my lighting plan for my Remodeling a Remuddle Project — keeping the flow and acknowledging history while keeping it fresh.
Good night!
-Amy
