Ohmygosh. The team and I recently returned from the spring High Point Market, and I am looking for the words to describe how fabulous it was this year. In all my years of going to home furnishings markets, scouting for the unique mix of furnishings and accents, this year’s High Point Market was the best yet.
In case you are not familiar with High Point Market, it’s the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world, drawing 75,000 people to High Point, N.C. This is the show where hot new designers are discovered, the newest designs are revealed and decorating trends are cemented.
Our beginning was inauspicious this year. Our flight out of Kansas City, Mo., was delayed, and by the time we reached Atlanta, our connecting flight to High Point was long gone. Instead of waiting for a flight the next morning and miss valuable shopping time, at midnight we rented a big van and set out on the five-hour drive to High Point in the rain. By the time we arrived at our hotel at 6 a.m., we knew each other’s life stories front and back!
After two hours sleep, we zipped off to market. We forgot our fatigue as soon as we entered. I don’t think we slowed down all day, because our enthusiasm was fueling our fire. You’ll see, too, when all the wonderful things we ordered begin to arrive in about eight weeks. Until then, I wanted to give you a snapshot of our favorites.
PERFECT PILLOWS
I swear it is not a requirement for working at our store that you have to love the color blue. But we all seem to share an all-consuming love for this hue. Our buying team gravitated to the wonderful ways this ever-popular color was being shown, through upholstered furniture, bedding, accents and more. The designers were pairing blue with lots of green this year, a look we adored. One vendor allowed us to design our own ready-made pillows, so we went to town!
SHOWROOM ARTWORK
The array of artwork was also staggering and fabulous. We snatched up Audubon prints, graphic photos, florals and abstracts. It’s all fresh, exciting stuff.
WOOD PIECES
We discovered gorgeous wood pieces that will harmonize perfectly with the eclectic blend of furnishings, accents and artwork we discovered. Our shopping list included everything from the Sudden chair (featured in House Beautiful) from Althorp Estate in England, ancestral home of Princess Di, to more rustic rattan pieces.
We prefer evolved looks at Nell Hill’s, so we don’t just order a showroom full of furniture as displayed. Instead, we pull the best from myriad companies to build our own to-die-for rooms. We found some deals this year, and purchased pieces that span the spectrum from high end to high value, so there will be something for everyone.
Now, the hardest part is waiting for the trucks to roll in loaded with all these fabulous finds.
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This column was adapted from Mary Carol Garrity's blog at www.nellhills.com
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