What's New at High Point: Blue and Orange With Bold Graphics

PANTONE 2012 Color of The Year:

Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango 

This interior scheme by Janie Molster fuses everything fresh in High Point design trends. I have had orange in my schemes since my first apartment. I am delighted by its resurgence. It is only a chutes and ladders slide across the color wheel to bring up its dynamic cool blue opposite. It is a fluid addition. The colors, combined with the geometric carpet,  with muscular color blocking on the draperies makes this room a hit.  

Pantone #1 color of 2013 is Monaco Blue

Lillian August has a spectacularly merchandised showroom at High Point, and this luscious new Karl Buffet styled with bold geometric fabric further illustrates evolutionary patterns in home decor. Karl gets my buffet of the year vote. I covet it. Traditionally, people have shied away from orange in design schemes. I don't know why, as it works beautifully with so many different colors. When choosing color ideas for rooms, it helps to look at china or fabric patterns that you love. 

Mottahedeh had fabulous bright gold and orange settings. 

Sarreid

These are my colors. Notice the blue and touches of black against the clean white background. 

Why, oh why did I not buy this?

If the recessionary griege has gotten you down, you can see how orange accents energize a sluggish monotone. This new Amy Howard chair is the best new upholstery piece at market.

Notice the equestrian pillow. Equestrian is always an undercurrent, but it is resurfacing. The zeitgeist is this Hermes orange floating through design. Don't forget Hermes started as a harness shop in 1837. For many of us, orange is the color of luxury and time honored tradition. For me, it is also a Palm Beach staple, and a look I love. 

Thibaut is new to High Point and their new furniture line is dressed in orange, neutrals and blue. They were awarded the best bed at market award...

                                                                           by me!

Again, bold crisp blue exploded geometrics define this space. A smaller scaled organic leaf pattern fabric cozies it up. Maybe I've been under a rock, but for me pendants as bed side lighting is new. Please weigh in on this question in the comment section at the bottom of the post.  I've gots to know. 

Global Views Arabesque rug continues to get head swivels from me each market. I love how their showroom designer paired it with the geometric in the cocktail and side tables. You could have a cigarette and a martini in this space. Century Furniture went all out with the color story this market.

Here is another version of the orange (fire)/blue (water) interplay with turquoise and oranges. The testosterone present in the robust scale and geometric shapes of the furniture is balanced with the precision of an endocrinologist. The estrogen is the painted finishes, lacquers and curves. Great design has restrained tension. Great design produces an alchemical endorphin flow, which is why we are all addicted to it. The American players can still custom finish your furniture in any paint color you can imagine. Hickory, North Carolina is back on the fashion map--I kid you not. 

A 60's pink and orange combo goes urban in Century's High Point showroom with an unexpected pairing of these uber chic chaise lounges. It is another great example of dynamic yin and yang in virtuoso design. The upholstery is curvy and sexy. The undertone is neutral, but the architectural nature of the case goods combined with bold color blocking on the curtains keeps everything in balance. This space has both strength and harmony.  Color blocking has been a fashion staple for years, but we are seeing more and more of it in interiors.

Fashion du jour daily

Suzanne Kasler has known this trick for a long time. 

 Hickory Chair October 2012

In her book Inspired Interiors with Christine Pittel,  Suzanne Kasler's use of bold color blocking on a very feminine piece balances out this vignette in a pleasing way.

What is orange, gray and graphic? 

Wesley Hall

Notice the fabulous x benches with a smaller graphic pattern defined with orange trim-- best in show. 

This exuberant hand hooked carpet by Safavieh shows how many colors work well with orange and gray. I will add, in addition to color and graphics, design is happier and more youthful than it was during the recession. I know Restoration Hardware is sticking to that story, and it is undeniably a very popular look, but femininity is balancing out that act. I am hoping it is a leading indicator! You can tell what I love by my living room. It has made me happy everyday since 2002!! Orange you glad! 

I like it so much, it became my logo. 

Come by and view our new market additions

Dovecote Decor.com

More Later!! 

Liz

High Point Market October 2012 Report

We had some technical issues last week which sent our High Point report back a bit. Also, we are dealing with Google shopping's major paradigm shift. For those of you with shopping carts attached to your web site,  Google no longer accepts product feeds for free. In other words, there is no such thing as a purely organic search on Google shopping. It is 100% pay to play. Think about it when you are shopping. With that out of the way, we can talk about design directions at the High Point Market. Most bloggers have remarked about the re-emergence of color. I could do an entire post on orange. My favorite color is all over the showrooms, much to my delight.

This vignette at Century says it all.  Complementary oranges and blues are combined with the chic midcentury exploded graphic, seasoned subtly with Asian references. We are seeing way more outdoor furniture, lighting and accessories creeping their way into interiors, which I think is the smart new take on eclectic design strategies. This Richard Frinier group is singing arias to me lately. A client and I stalked for years seeking the perfect scale, design and tone for her new terrace . We bought this line on the spot and it looks amazing with a tortoise shell finish. While Century furniture is not inexpensive, I think the price is a value for generational furniture.

My client's chickens loved it too! They have since been banished to the country. 

I digress to share an irresistible chicken snuggle moment. 

The way vendors are showing pendants grouped together has an alfresco feel to me. Lighting is hard to photograph so bear with me. 

Four Hands

Mason Globe Pendants in hand blown glass

I would say, as simple as this arrangement is, this was my favorite casual lighting vignette. It brings a romantic summer candlelit glow indoors. The industrial filament light bulbs remind me of fireflies. 

J. Douglas Showroom

Barn lights in varied shapes, again take the place of a large piece. 

Four Hands 

Moroccan lanterns reflect an exotic garden glow in this transitional space. Travel and exotic plunder elements have been design stand-by's as long as time. It will always be a stylish dimension in any setting.

In accessories, obsolescence as a collectible concept  is picking up speed. Nostalgia for the mechanical and non digital continues to populate the edgier showrooms. Repurposing has been in vogue for a good twenty years, but its been expanding exponentially for at least the last 5 years in High Point. Let's face it, junk eventually converts to treasure and the operative word is--collectible. Keep your old records and turntables if you are old enough to have them. 

 George Baylor, Noir Furniture owner, designer and showroom stylist drives this trend home.  

All of this is making me feel like a fossil. Here is a fun hotel spoon chandelier we put in a client's pantry last October. I first saw this concept  at Francine Gardner's stunning New York space, Interieurs. Jose Estevez's energetic creativity has filtered into the U.S. market. His brocante (flea market) line is the real deal. Here is the Cake Vintage interpretation. 

Four Hands

We noticed that our main clientele for the rough flea market look are men. There are exceptions, but these showrooms have a lofty, masculine focus, which begs the question of decorating for Mars and Venus. 

Cleaned up industrial and mid-century are more to my liking

Century Furniture

Wesley Hall had the best x-stools--ever. Gray and orange continue to crop up in the showrooms.
We have lots more photos, so...
More Later!!

Here is my Halloween Pinterest contribution!!

When entertaining on Halloween, be sure to wear a lot of makeup!
I was a big fan of the Klutz Press makeup kits.

If you see any market photos that you would like to order,
don't hesitate to call

Dovecote Decor
336-705-1316

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