High Point Furniture Market Top Designer Showrooms April 2012

Halo Styles showroom on 212 N. Main Street is chockfull of Timothy Oulton's vintage reproductions. Repurpose is the operative word here.

The new inverted flower bucket pendants are clever and I'm looking forward to seeing how clients will start using them. Our interns gather at the end of term, to start loading new product, I cannot wait.

This is also a great spot for snagging one of a kind accessories from exotic places, at great prices. Their reclaimed teak tables fly out our doors. From Halo Styles, we generally walk over to the Hamilton district and hit Hickory Chair. You know we are raving fans, and how many CEO's comment on blog posts--pronto? Jay Reardon left an instant, thoughtful comment! Alexa Hampton is the nicest design luminary in the business. She is funny and wickedly intelligent--everybody loves her.

The Alexa Hampton Christianson dining table is still the best dining table you can buy. Other than the fact that it is a stunning repro from her personal antique collection, it can grow to infinity and beyond. Hickory Chair does a terrific job showing versatile dining schemes that work well in apartments and large room settings.

Notice how Alexa works with different shades of blue and creates a rhythm and balance throughout the room. We have also discussed arranging art. Your house should not look like a hotel. Homes should be organic. What I mean by that, is your home should reflect the process of collecting. There should be some unexpected moments. There is a tension and a pause in a space that is waiting for the new great piece. The art over the sofa brings personality into the room, not pure symmetry. Too much symmetry is boring. 

Thomas O'Brien assembled this ultra chic space in muted velvets with up to date mid-century references. Its a pad, and those nail head trim bookshelves still win the prize. We have seen incarnations of them in linen and suede and they are always knock out.  This is a guy that loves legs--everywhere.

This is one of my favorite beds. About three markets ago Thomas O'Brien showed it in a buttery caramel leather with the same nail head pattern and it was amazing. Hickory Chair is a custom operation so seeing the pieces done differently from market to market trains your eye. 

Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence Blog gave this sexy sectional a test drive. Wesley Hall is a multi-generational family owned business who never get stuck in the old rut. Trust me, some folks do. 

Many of the top tier showrooms create architectural interest in a room by adding window casements with mirrors. If you have a little box of a room that needs more light, you can buy big leaner mirrors and place them strategically. This room had a great mix of graphics and color. Bunny Williams Beeline Home is done by Wesley Hall, and we know Bunny does her homework. Stacey Bewkes from  Quintessence blog has some great pictures of her line, so hop over. After Wesley Hall we went over to see what  Phoebe Howard was doing at the Sherrill Furniture showroom. 

Phoebe Howard does quiet, elegant and pretty rooms. Note the well executed faux chinoiserie painting on the wall. Click through to her website, her work is exquisite. 

detail

Again, the wall detailing is a smart leather strip with nail head trim. We are seeing quite a bit more texture on walls these days. This room is a nice mix of masculine and feminine, traditional and contemporary. 

 

This soft wall color showcases Tommy Mitchell's tole flowers to perfection. I raved about them at the New York Gift Show post. Note how Phoebe mixes them with simple white plates. So, for those of you who don't follow me on FaceBook and Twitter, this is what I actually bought at market. It takes me years to pull the trigger, because I always think I will find something better. I have been designing my courtyard in my head, from my thoughtful spot for over a decade. I am s-l-o-w with my own house. 

I'm really glad I waited for these. There hasn't been anything like this at market--ever. I feel like I just plucked this grouping from a chic little spot on the cote d'azur. We've got it if you want it, so call me if you have to have it. Now, I finally have my courtyard dinner party vision. My roses were budding like popcorn, so I had to set the table. 

Dining alfresco is my favorite summer time activity. The reclaimed teak chamberlain table is finally mine and I look forward to many wonderful evenings with friends and family. Its not just furniture, its...living. 

More Later!

Liz Morten

Christine Storch