Normally I love the drive to High Point because the weather is always sunny and there’s a sense of adventure that builds with the anticipation of what possible innovations might be presented by the manufacturers just a few short months after they unveiled their last batch of great ideas. Seriously, how hard must they work to come up with something new between April and October only to do it over again the following spring? Santa’s elves would riot if they had to do their thing twice a year. Yet it happens, and there is just as much enthusiasm each and every time.
Having said all that, it was not sunny this trip. Heavy clouds and a snap cold front set the stage for an ominous five hour drive to North Carolina, and the fact that I blew a headlight didn’t help my mood much. Experts on the radio discussed winners and losers of the latest Republican debate. A welcome break came at Starbucks in Greenville where I always stop for a visit with a good old friend. Over coffee we solve the world’s problems and debate things like if heaven will be in the clouds or just a better version of earth.
Arrival at the Doubletree in Greensboro after midnight is par for the course. Experience has conditioned me to expect something to go wrong with my hotel room, however this year I was pleasantly surprised by no surprises except a warm chocolate chip cookie at check in and an even warmer greeting. The room was spacious and well appointed and the bed looked especially cushy. Brimming with exceeded expectations, I threw open the curtains to take in a sweeping view of….the dumpster. Back to reality. Oh well, I’ll take a dumpster view in exchange for a lock that works and functional plumbing.
Thursday before market was spent in a class on internet marketing, and planning for the big weekend of showroom touring. Breaking news! Martha Stewart is presenting her new line of furniture through Miles Talbott, one of my great vendors! This has potential! I spilled a margarita on Rachael Ashwell last year, what might happen if I meet Martha? What might she say if I spill a margarita on her? I’m guessing that would not be a good thing. Word is she doesn’t just give a papal wave on a design bearing her name but rather is deeply involved in every nail and stitch. Descriptions of the fastidiousness of her team shed light on the reason for her tremendous success in all she has undertaken.
Thursday night dinner conversation was filled with crazy furniture stories….yes, they exist, and a really cool bar trick by my new friend Robert, a custom home builder, who blew our minds with a fork and spoon suspended in a physics defying balancing act on the side of a glass by a burning toothpick. I should have taken a picture but my hands were too busy picking my jaw up off the table.
Next day, off to market. Keep in mind that Friday is not officially ‘market’, so I had a full day to get the scoop while minds were sharp and smiles were bright, knowing that conversations would soon be dulled by aching feet and sensory overload.
Morning started at the Miles Talbott showroom, well actually it started at Biscuitville, but you know what I mean, and my group was all atwitter over being one of the first to see this new Martha Stewart collection. Given that Martha’s website gets like five gazillion hits a month I was expecting to see something along the lines of Vegas Strip lighting and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to announce this major partnership, but those funny Miles Talbott folks had that “what’s the big deal?” look on their faces behind Cheshire cat grins. Clearly this IS a big deal, but true Southern gentle-people don’t jump up and down. Neither does Martha, I suppose. So, to prolong the agony they toured us around the entire building first. Clearly there was a lot to see and you must show respect to the top gun designers in the Miles arsenal, but doggonnit we wanted to see Martha! Just when I thought that maybe we would have to wait ‘til next market, there it was on the wall before me: ‘Martha Stewart Fine Furniture’. I paused in reverence and entered. Our lead designer is a huge Martha Stewart fan and knew what to expect when she visited on Saturday, but I had no preconceived notions. The two words that popped in my mind as a first impression upon seeing the collection were ‘Federal’ and ‘Asian’. Some of the pieces looked like they could be on loan from Mount Vernon or Monticello, but there were a few with Asian influence such as a fan mirror and a side table with bamboo inspired legs. Her fabrics were more colorful than I would have imagined, and apple green made a big splash on the settee shown here.
Post Martha, to sum up what I saw over the next couple days: French, gray, blue, birds.
French is first because that is the look representing the goose that laid the golden egg which unfortunately is sure to be killed soon via overexposure. French script was ever present, just like last market, but I am telling you I heard the word ‘French’ so often and in so many creative ways I would bet the official food at market was French fries. Doubt me? I wrote this one down just to get the quote right.
“…and its finished in a bleached post industrial sandblasted French.”
Deco French, French rustic, French music set to a techno beat, even the color red I noticed as a new accent this year was Bordeaux. Why couldn’t it be Chianti? ‘Cause Chianti’s not French.
To be honest, I loved it all. The look is super cool, but now that you can find it at Target how much longer can it last?
I spoke to long time fabric buying guru Sue Dunn about the accent colors at market this year and her response was blues are still big. Spa blue, turquoise, navy. Robin egg blue. She was right; blue was the predominant accent color in most showrooms whether in fabric, accessories, or occasionally in painted finishes. Apple green was strong, too, and as long as there was a gray background you could count on yellow to be nearby.
Favorite name for a color: “glazed shagreen yucca plant blue”. Honestly, what comes to your mind?
Gray was the featured neutral base color for upholstery and casegoods, and it really looks good. Accent colors pop next to gray and the weathered look it gives to occasional tables and casegoods says the owner is stylish but casual. Dove gray, slate gray.
It’s cool to see how these trends all work together. First you have the eco trend which brings in a natural look; then you have the great recession trend which drove us to simplified comfort. Add a little casual sophistication and viola! French Laundry.
Another insightful quote regarding consumer trends, “Everybody wants red but buys beige.”
I spotted accent walls and fabrics in the purple family, not a lot, just a surprise here and there, but enough to ask a color expert about it. He confessed, “Raspberry, plumb, purples, yes they are out there but purple always makes us nervous.” Scary purple.
At this point in my notes I wrote “wayyyy too much coffee.”
One factory rep told me they monitor trends in fabrics sent in by designers (for custom covers on their sofa frames) for guidance in selecting future fabrics offered by that manufacturer. They’ve seen so many bird fabrics they added a couple to their lineup. I noticed birds on a couple pillows last market and saw bird fabric in nearly every showroom this fall. Saw turtle shell in a couple of showrooms this market and now wonder if turtles will take over the world next spring.
Geometric patterns in fabric have led to fretwork designs in furniture which showed up in some clever places like headboards and occasional tables. Spooled legs…big.
Heard a story about the designer for Kate and William coming to High Point and requesting a Rolls Royce to meet her at the airport. Probably aren’t many Silver Shadows in town. She stayed at one of the nicest hotels but had to have her sheets flown in from England, poor thing. Contrast that with word that Oscar De La Renta himself was working past midnight to get his showroom ready.
From class and culture to the best (or worst) line I heard by a rug salesman who happened to be using a cane. “You want to know why I am using a cane? I took a Viagra and it’s been more than four hours.” Bet that works with all the ladies…