Twice each year, the city of High Point hosts over 80,000 visitors who come from around the country and even the world to see the latest in home furnishings and decor. Over 2000 companies set up exhibits in 10 million square feet of showroom space, displaying everything from lamps and rugs to upholstery and wood casegoods. High Point Market is the largest furnishings trade show in the world, and you couldn’t see everything there is to see in the week it runs, even if you tried. Being a designer and a newly official “member of the trade” granted me access to the show, so I hopped in my car for the short ride up route 85 from Charlotte. I spent two full days charging through showrooms, snapping photos, meeting company representives and learning about new product introductions. By the end I felt kind of like the time I tried to see the Louvre in just one visit: dazed, dazzled, satiated by beautiful things, and compelled to return again. Here are six style trends I observed during my whirlwind tour:
1. Mid-Century Modern
Living room by Dwell for Precedent
Call it the Mad Men effect: we’re seeing styles of the 50’s and 60’s reinterpreted for today’s homes. Jet-setting, streamlined forms with Danish influences like walnut and tapered legs are showing up in tables, chairs, and cabinets. Abstract and geometric print fabrics and cheerful pops of color are also hallmarks of this style.
2. Global Style
 Ottoman by Hickory Chair |
 Currey & Company chandelier |
Table with shagreen top by Precedent
Rich colors, tribal patterns and exotic materials suggest travel to faraway places. I saw these global influences in fabrics like ikat and richly textured wovens, tabletops of shagreen and petrified wood, and shell chandeliers. Whether you bring back treasured tokens from trips around the world, or simply surround yourself with the essence of places you long to visit, this is a really fun style to incorporate into the home.
3. Gold and Grey
Nourison rug
 Pillows and sofa by Hickory Chair |
 Jonathan Adler vases and trays |
Grey has become the most popular non-white neutral for the home. Grey + gold is a fresh combination that’s enjoying an extended moment, and can be seen in in fabrics, rugs, and decorative accessories. In a related trend, gold-tone metallics are also popular, showing up in mirror frames, lamps and fabrics.
4. Industrial Style
 Lamps and tables by Arteriors |
 Cyan Designs tables |
Currey & Company light fixture
The industrial style bears the essence of found objects salvaged from an early 20th century factory. Welded metal, aged wood and a stark, pared down aesthetic are the markers of this style. Industrial furniture and accessories can provide an interesting dose of contrast within contemporary spaces.
5. Nailhead Trim
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 Upholstered bookcase by Hickory Chair |
An embellishment most common to upholstery, nailhead trim showed up in abundance at High Point. Nailheads of all sizes decorated chairs, headboards and sometimes even shelving and casegoods. Here’s a good DIY idea: if you like nailhead (available at most fabric stores) you could easily add it to pieces of furniture you already own.
6. Artisan Works
Custom Glass Lighting by J. David Taylor, glass artist
Naturalistic wood tables from Phillips Collection
I’m sensing a quiet movement away from mass-manufactured, made in China goods (and cheers to that!) There’s a growing demand for hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind pieces in the home. At High Point Market I met woodworkers, welders and glass blowers showing their unique creations.
Do any of these trends speak to you? Which ones could you see in your own home?