In a year filled with cancellations and disappointments, it was a joy to do something “normal” and make my annual trek to Dallas for the holiday design and decor
market. I packed face masks, hand sanitizer, and my friend Lindsay and headed south to spend a few days immersed in the world of design.
Each year, three markets are held in Dallas to showcase new trends, products, and vendors.
The September market is traditionally heavy on Christmas decor (swoon) and light on foot traffic (yay). This year, due to some rescheduling and of course, Covid, many vendors and attendees opted out.
At first glance, I felt disappointed that some big retailers were not there. Seeing empty showrooms was honestly, pretty sad. Then, as we’ve learned to do this year, I changed my attitude and decided to look at things differently.
I realized this market allowed me more freedom to get around and make sure I saw everything and talk to everyone. I received VIP access to all the showrooms and had plenty of time to “talk shop” with all the brand reps.
With my outlook and expectations refreshed, I jumped at the opportunity to really explore!
I had some pretty amazing finds including Paragon Picture Gallery by Luxe Decor. I was looking for oil paintings for a specific client and stumbled upon this amazing brand.
Paragon offers gorgeous wall art of all styles. The best part is, the frames are customized for each piece by the customer. This allows each buyer to decide if they want a more traditional frame or if modern frames suit them better.
I chose a couple of large paintings for my client, selected frames to go with their decor, and voila! (Okay, they’re not actually installed yet so you’ll have to wait for the big reveal, but trust me, it’ll be worth it!)
As always, several big showrooms were dedicated to Christmas decorations.
Raz had a huge display showcasing a more natural look. They featured a lot of woodsy items; magnolia leaves, grapevines….things you would associate with the modern farmhouse look.
Parkhill, another big name, had a similar look with lots of rustic, reclaimed wood furniture. They had some beautiful trees decorated with vintage ornaments. These
trees were stunning!
Regency took a different approach to their holiday design with a nod to the roaring ’20s. I loved their display trees adorned with black, gold, art deco, and even flapper ornaments!
I saw a lot of mid-century modern design carried over into the seasonal decor. Lots of large statement pieces, fewer accouterments. Think minimalism, less glitz, and glam.
If you want to stay on trend this season, keep your holiday design simple. Leave the picks and glittery ribbon in the box and move toward slightly more sparse decorations. This year, we actually want to see the Christmas tree!
Overall, the market was quiet, but nice this year. It was a refreshing change from the busyness of years past but, for the sake of the industry, I’m hoping to see a lot more hustle and bustle next year!