Fall Design. After 100 years of being The World's Home

Transcription

1 Fall Design After 100 years of being The World's Home for Home Furnishings, The High Point Market in High Point, NC, continues to be a significant venue for buyers and trendwatchers. The Fall Market ran from October three weeks later than last year in an effort to find the most convenient slot for its audience. Buyer registrations were down by 6 percent compared with the Spring Market. Show promoters were not surprised, considering the economic climate. However, there were 8,800 new buyers registered, and 2,000 attendees who returned to the show after an absence of at least a year. By Vivian Kistler, CPF, CMGCPF, GCF Swirl patterns continue to decorate a wide range of accessories, as seen in the Swirl Shell Lamp from Arteriors. Changing Attitudes High Point grew over decades, with different buildings run by different management; the result was a disjointed experience for attendees. For many years, High Point enjoyed great success without needing to be a wonderful host. Not only did the show sprawl, but parking, transportation, hotels, and other attendee concerns were not plentiful. Some of this stemmed from the small town location, and some of the problems were ignored by show management. The playful but ergonomically correct Charley Chair uses stripes and dots to create a fun optical illusion. Shown in vibrant red, which has been the favorite bright color in home furnishings for several years. Designed by Karen McKinnon for Charley Chair Company. With an air of tropic breezes, steamy jungles, and exotic cultures, wicker, rattan, and other woven fiber designs are enjoying a revival in popularity for indoor and outdoor decor. The Rio Sofa from Whitecraft is like a personal cabana that breathes. 8 PFMPRODUCTIONWinter2008

2 Contemporary designs are growing stronger in High Point. An ecofriendly 21st -century sensibility ensures that every aspect of materials and construction is chosen with a social, health, and environmental consciousness. The simple linework of branches and silhouette of a bird are good examples of a current basic elements trend in artwork. Trends In the present economic climate, designers are tending to play it safe Now High Point has banded together to improve and market the show. They have been implementing 56 Key Initiatives and don't plan to stop there. One thing that has not changed at High Point, however, is that it is still a big, sprawling show that offers a great opportunity to observe current and incoming color and design trends in home decor. The Elyn Sofa by Klaussner shows how accessories with contrasting colors, dots, and stripes are being used to add a little flash to otherwise neutral beige decor. Colors Playing It Safe was clearly the most dominant trend, as exhibitors went for the triedand-true rather than taking a chance on more daring introductions. Beige, gray, and brown dominated the show, sometimes paired with a color like turquoise, lime, or red. There was plenty of high contrast of black and white, with a shot of such colors as red, purple, or cobalt blue. There was nothing new there. The beige or gray was sometimes paired with turquoise, red, or lime. Two-color and monotone color combinations were more popular than multi-color combina- Looking like furniture from a fairy tale, romance and luxury with a French twist infuse the Antoine Sofa, part of the Raymond Waites collection from Laneventure. Notice the leopard skin print pillow, a trend that just won't go away. PFMPRODUCTIONWinter2009 9

3 Looking aged, elegant, and authentic, reproductions like the dramatic Windsor Bed from Habersham are giving American buyers access to historic European grandeur. Decorative pillows continue to feature lots of texture. A current favorite is pillows completely covered with little flaps of loose fabric, as seen in these examples from Global Views. Note the golden yellow color, the only yellow that seems to be getting attention this fall. Wagons, ho! The fun and functional Dakota Bed from Powell is reminiscent of conestogas and stagecoaches. Furniture and accessories for kids' rooms has been a growing segment that continues to show strength. 10 PFMPRODUCTIONWinter2008 tions. Whites in monotone or paired with one other color were on display in several showrooms. Of course, the show was not completely absent of color. There was a hint of purple, but only a hint, despite predictions that purple would be strong by now. The version most often seen at High Point was amethyst a true purple or one that is slightly on the blue side. Greenish-blues have been around for a few years, but are now really strong, especially a pale or mid-tone that leans slightly towards blue. Sage green and pale water blue could be seen on many textiles. Yellow greens, particularly lime and olive, remain strong. Orange, a favorite of designers, has not really taken off as a strong trend in spite of hovering on the fringes for years. Orange does appear in muted versions in textiles as a terra cotta color. Occasionally in bright splashes in accessories like vases and pillows, orange will continue to grow. Red continues to be the safe accent color, since it is liked by people from a wide range of age groups and income levels. Several shades of red were mixed together, occasionally with a hot pink. Furniture Colors In addition to the very dark espresso brown wood of recent years, stained wood finishes are getting lighter and warmer, with red and orange-based tones. Very dark pine, with lots of visible grain, was shown by a few exhibitors. Black, white, and off-white painted furniture is very popular, with or without a gently distressed finish. Colorful painted furniture was shown mainly for children or in seaside cottage colors of soft blue, green, and sand. Several exhibitors had all white painted furniture sets on display.

4 High contrast black and white (or dark brown and cream) continues to be a popular color combination for room decor. The Cyprus Collection from Palecek shows how formal and informal, traditional and modern, can be combined to create a cohesive, functional living space. Motifs Images from nature are very strong. Sticks are everywhere bare twigs, intertwined branches, depictions of simple, leafless branches or trees. Leaves are also popular, sometimes very large images covering a rug or sofa, sometimes a leafy branch in silhouette on a pillow. Flourishes and swirls continue, sometimes simple, sometimes elaborate, often interpretations of cultural motifs so they may seem to be Asian, or European, or Indian. Stripes and large dots are often used to add interest to otherwise plain designs in subdued color combinations or in high contrast with just two colors. Are dogs the new trendy decor animal? Artscape, Inc. ( a wholesale provider of framed art, featured a wide variety of prints featuring dogs everything from contemporary images to posters and vintage images, along with other subject matter from the large collection of vintage advertising posters the company typically offers. Textiles There was lots of texture, including strong, visible weave in textiles. Some of the texture is quite dimensional, with flaps, petals, or strings of fabric covering the surface of pillows. Letters, scribbles, and words continue to be popular. Argyle, the traditional diamond pattern, is showing up on a variety of textiles. Themes Nothing really stood out as the new style a little seaside cottage here, a little lodge look there, but nothing dominant that was represented by numerous exhibitors. This probably relates to the playing it safe mode that kept most exhibitors from making risky commitments to something new. The most distinct trend shown in new introductions was a Grand European style imposing, formal, and sometimes ornate furniture that may be a faithful reproduction or may be a composite design with French, English, and

5 Beige, brown, off white, with the tiniest hint of an accent color and dark wood for contrast this room displaying modular rugs from the Martha Stewart Collection from Flor is a good example of a very popular current decor trend. Spanish elements. Hooker Furniture's Beladora Collection offered Grand European Glitz while Habersham's Chateau Reserve Collection aimed to create a Grand European Casual lifestyle. Green materials and practices are constantly mentioned in the promotional materials from most manufacturers, but in just two years' time the focus has changed from Hey, look at my green-ness to a more self-satisfied Well, of course we are committed to green-ness isn't everyone? Contemporary style has become more visible at High Point. It has always had a presence but is now becoming prominent. Venerable brands like Ethan Allen, once known for its traditional colonial furniture, have gradually moved forward and are now using terms like cool, chic, fresh, and modern to accurately describe their updated introductions at High Point. Older buyers have become more receptive to streamlined designs, plus most of Generation X is now in their 30s (and 40s), and they have become the target market for a large sector of home furnishings and accessories. This group likes the simplicity of contemporary style (which can be easily accessorized to suit current color trends) and the ready availability of pieces that go together at all price points. Vivian Kistler, CMG, is an internationally known speaker and author of The Color Resource Names Book. Vivian is a 20-year member and senior chairholder of the Color Marketing Group. Vivian has worked as a trend consultant for colors and images to many companies in the art publishing and picture framing industries.