Savannah and I are at a market in Dallas in May, and it’s our second time in more than a month! We attended the semi-annual furniture market in High Point, N.C., at the beginning of April.
We love sharing live shots of our finds on social media and if you haven’t seen them, check out JSB Designs on Facebook and Instagram.
We Came, We Saw, We Conquered
Market involves lots of walking and lots of promotional items. Savannah made it her mission to gather all the bags and measuring tapes while I stuck to free wine and food. Ha!
It also means miles and miles of furniture and accent pieces to admire. Talk about sensory overload!
At the end of each day, our bodies were exhausted and our brains were fried but that didn’t stop us from dishing on all the vendors we spoke with, the products we liked best, and which of our clients would benefit from the items we found that day.
The market is always a whirlwind experience, but it is also very inspiring. I loved having a design assistant this year to bounce ideas off. I think we probably both even dreamed about decorating while we were there!
Takeaways
I’ll try to sum up what we saw to give you a head’s up on what we expect to see trending over the next few months.
Blue and green appeared to be the hottest colors for the season. Everywhere I turned I saw blue and green! What does this look like? Any shade of blue from a light blue to a dark navy paired with darker greens.
We saw a lot of Asian-inspired displays. These looks were quite varied but the Eastern influence was prominent.
Bohemian styles rich with wovens and rattans were on display so that look should be sticking around.
The same goes for the Grand Millennial look featuring throwback florals, chintz, and toile.
Comparing notes
It’s always fun comparing notes with other designers. We all have our tastes and preferences and are drawn to different things. As you know, I love rich colors and bold patterns.
In contrast, Savannah tends to be more drawn to shabby chic decor, modern farmhouse style, and more monochromatic color schemes. I’d be remiss to not show some of her favorite displays because they are stunning!
Why High Point?
I always love attending the High Point market because I find the history of the town so interesting.
High Point, North Carolina, located an hour and a half from Raleigh, is known for being a hot spot in furniture manufacturing in the United States.
Following the Civil War, High Point became an integral part of industrial manufacturing thanks to its proximity to the railroad and its ample local lumber supply. This continued into the 20th century as furniture manufacturing in North Carolina continued to blossom.
After World War II, up to 60% of furniture made in the USA came from a 150-mile radius of High Point. So even if you’ve never been there, or even heard of it, you have likely owned a piece of furniture that made its way to you from High Point, N.C.
As a nod to its rich history in the furniture world, the industry continues to hold its premier trade show twice a year in High Point.
High Point Market is truly something to see! The entire town transforms into the backdrop of the show and everything caters to the tradespeople who come in for the week. Large displays are set up all around town and even the universities shut down to provide workers for the market.
Aside from the main galleries, one section of town near the water tower is devoted solely to antiques. There are areas in town to find unique items such as the hand-painted, one-of-a-kind tapestry I picked up for a client. I just love finding artisans and vendors who create such beautiful and distinct products that I can share with my clients back home!
Covid Impact
No, we’re not done talking about Covid. As with most industries, the design world is still feeling the effects of the pandemic.
Unfortunately, we continue to experience a lead time of six to eight months to receive products and shipments.
Some of this is due to shipping delays and supply chain issues but there are larger factors at play as well. When Covid hit, many workers in furniture, textile, and manufacturing plants around the world went home during initial shutdowns and many of them never came back.
In some countries, these factories are just now reopening. Doing so without the seasoned workers they had before, they are now in the process of hiring and training new employees. All this takes time and leads to long waits here in the United States.
Those of us in the industry are trying to be patient and understanding of the global issues involved. But it can be frustrating to wait months to receive a product we need to complete a project so please know that we share the frustrations of our clients.
Back to the grind
It’s always equal parts exhausting and invigorating to attend a big show like High Point Market. Once we get home, there is little time to relax.
We are buzzing about everything we saw from products featured by some of our favorite furniture vendors along with some amazing new companies we found along the way.
We had the best time exploring all that market had to offer, well, as much as we could see in three short days, that is! We headed off to the market in Dallas the first week of May so stay tuned for more fun updates!