Greetings from the spring 2014 High Point Furniture Show … the epicenter of home furnishings style and trends.
This mega industry trade show draws more than 75,000 home décor professionals to this otherwise sleepy North Carolina town.
With over 11 million square feet of show space, the 2,000 exhibitors present the fruits of their creative efforts to retailers bearing credentials from around the world.
If pressed to identify the strongest trends we will be seeing in the home décor stores for 2014 I would have to single out the explosions of color in every facet of interior design. I can’t identify one color trend that will reign in 2014. This mélange of color is a combination of just about every color imaginable in a space.
This bouquet of hues is such a departure from the gloomy gray that was the common denominator at the 2011 and 2012 marts. While gray is still the foundation hue, it is complimented by just about every color that the eye can perceive.
Another trend to be on the lookout for is an Asian influence. This was obvious in just about every home décor venue. Chinoiserie fabrics were used abundantly on chairs while accent furnishings featured the lines typically found in Chinese influenced furnishings. Unexpected color combinations such as ivory and mango were scattered through the Asian vignettes.
Fussy furnishings were a rare sight as cleaner lines prevailed. Even traditional furniture manufacturers were showcasing transitional collections that would meld easily into traditional spaces.
Industrial and nostalgia influence remained a presence especially for stores that cater to the 30 something consumers. Leather furnishing were sprinkled generously throughout the room vignettes to soften the hard metal and wood combinations found in industrial styled shelving, tables, stools, and chairs.
The nostalgia trend will be a draw for those who have lived it before as well as those too young to have already owned an original. This includes the subtle influence of the post modern style of the 50’s and 60’s.
The most unexpected trend that will hit the stores in the next few months is the return of gold. This is not the brass of 1986, rather a reflection of the real mineral. A gold finish on lighting as well as tables will be a fresh addition to a well appointed home.
There is nothing as inspiring to a design professional as the semiannual trek to the home furnishings Mecca. The blisters and sore feet are just a part of the High Point experience and quickly forgotten when an exciting new vendor is discovered or an old vendor introduces a fresh, new look.
It is all a part of the High Point experience.
