Greetings from High Point, North Carolina, home of the largest home furnishings market in the world where an optimistic economic psyche is apparent.

For six marathon days, this sleepy town extends small-town hospitality to more than 80,000 home furnishing retailers and designers as they preview the trends for the next six months of the home interior industry.

This semi annual event is the ultimate gaze into the crystal ball of home furnishing trends.

A kaleidoscope of color has exploded and offers a much needed reprieve from the sullen grays of the past few years.  Cleaner and more vibrant, these hues explode in room settings.

Orange and lavender are the stars and are being paired with sapphire, teal and sunshine yellow. These unorthodox combinations might not be as appealing if we weren’t starving for an optimistic change.

Leather, dyed in unexpected colors, continues to punctuate room vignettes.

Large scale geometrics dominate the pattern world while broad tapes have overshadowed fringe. Chevron patterns are still dizzyingly popular in bold hues and rhythmic arabesque patterns are the up-and-coming star.

Sofas are being shown in anchor solids but dressed for panache by a mélange of pillow patterns and colors that tie-accent chairs.

Details are now works of art with nail heads that create a pattern and broad tapes that provide the essential interest detail.

Linen is still a contender as a fabric choice, but the color choices far exceed the generic natural of last year.

Quality, in spite of pricing, outshines the cheaper stepsister pieces. When a pattern is lined up with precision, you know that the craftsmen is versed in how to do it right.

While transitional style with sleek silhouettes reigns, it is more sophisticated with the inclusion of inlaid marquetry and rich wood finishes. The new richness allows a smooth transition into a traditional décor.

Expect to see these trends make their presence known immediately in online design blogs and within weeks from local retail sources.