October 30, 2013

High Point Trends

I took more than 1,000 pictures in the three days I was in High Point and wading through them gave me an idea of some of the trends we’re going to see in the next year or so. image

I am always reminded of the scene in The Devil Wears Prada where Meryl Streep’s character talks about how ceruse became the colour that’s showing up everywhere.

To me, the market is like that. I see pieces one season, and then three or four seasons later, they’re showing up in the mass market stores. It’s really fascinating.

So here’s this year’s ceruse.

Tufting. One of the showrooms told me that three years ago, they had three tufters, and now they have 60!

Nailheads. They can really add a lot of definition to a piece.

Terrific hardware. This can take a piece from being dull to dynamite!

Chairs with a twist on an old design

Curved sofas

Lucite detailing

More to come!

13 comments:

  1. Like the brass detail but tufting seems to collect debris...

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  2. I spent two college summers working in an upholstery shop. I can tell you that two things will make your upholsterer want to commit harikiri - requesting tufting and nailhead trim.

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  3. Love the Lucite detailing but the rest looks fussy and somehow wrong.

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  4. I like tufting-- on modern piece as well as older styles. Lucite leaves me cold, and I have mixed feeling about the railheads. Fun post.

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  5. Dear Miss Meggie:

    I think I saw.....Mauve...??? Did I see mauve in one of those pictures??? OMG!

    AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

    That was a bad mistake that should be left in the '80's. I never thought I'd ever have to see that color again....And yet, here we are.....

    I know colors don't have to appeal to everyone, but that's not a color I ever want to see again in my life. I lived for several years with the mauve bathtub & sink that previous owners had installed in one of my houses. And then when the couple moved, the woman loved mauve so much, she had those same fixtures installed in her new house. I swear: There ought to be a law against mauve bathroom fixtures.

    Miss M.A.

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  6. Tufting and nail heads--nothing better.
    Mary

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  7. OMG !!! I am on trend --- that tufted boudoir chair the neighbor left on the street, is in my garage .I was planning to reupholster it, but I was stymied by the tufted back>>> I shall overcome and dang it find a needle and a book to sort my way thru. Ha; just back from the garage... it is like a pillow top mattress--- the tufted back has piping and nailhead accents near the Queen anne like legs. it is a Frakenstein chair of styles ha! its a baby only a shabby chic hipster could love. better get a tetanus shot for rusty tack stripping I have to deal with. I guess I shall still work with the 10 dollar bolt of a glazed chintz with pheasants and mums i think

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  8. Thank you so much for sharing your High Point images. As a former buyer to this market I especially love seeing it through fresh eyes. It’s such a fabulous window into an industry that I have never tired of. Your trend reports are great and I like that you visit a variety of showrooms to draw these observations from. I love the focus shifting back to details-lucite, nail heads, hardware. These are the touches that really make pieces special.

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  9. Not to mention the velvet comeback! I love velvet, nailheads, and lucite!

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  10. I like tufting, nailhead trim and great looking hardware, but I am sick of mid-century modern furniture. Much of it was boring and tacky then, and it hasn't improved much over the years. It will not wear well. Paired with art from self-proclaimed "artists" who can't draw anything but have a flair for aping modern art and are being touted on the net as great, I fear we are in for more of the same. Thanks for reporting the trends. I will be interested to see what else you saw.

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  11. Great pictures! I love details and I'm glad the trend is towards more. Could this be a sign of economic recovery? More detail equals more cost. And tufting certainly requires more fabric and we all know how $$$ nice fabric is. Just a thought.

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  12. Years ago my Mother sent an exquisite mid - century modern sofa to be reupholstered. This sofa came from one of the best makers at that time and was beautifully tufted and the arms were rolled and channeled. When the piece was returned sans tufting and channels my Mom just cried. So I guess that was the upholsterer that wanted to commit harikari when he saw the details on the sofa that needed the attention of a true artisan. I have great respect for quality workmanship. Meg ,these pieces are just that!

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