Dear Jean and Richard: I read in the paper about attendance at the High Point Furniture Market being down. I don’t care how many people were there—I want to know what new products or trends were introduced. Did you go? -- Norma, Hendersonville src="http://greesonandfast.com/blog/images/couch.jpg" alt="" title="" />

Richard: Hi Norma. Yes, we attended it and toured the manufacturer’s showrooms for three days. For our readers unfamiliar with the Market, it is held twice annually only for the trade and is spread throughout High Point, North Carolina, in 180 buildings. Manufacturers from all over the world display their latest home furnishings for six days.

Jean: If there was a common theme throughout those showrooms, you might sum it up with the phrase, “Everything old is new again.” For example, everywhere we went we saw reclaimed wood used in tables and cabinetry. It may have come from warehouse flooring or old factory walls, and when re-used the designers combined it with all sorts of metal accents. Distressed wood with rusty metal, worm-holed wood with chrome—some of the metal even looked hammered.

Richard: At night I saw some buyers that looked pretty hammered. There were several parties, a few with name entertainers. But most of them were held past Jean’s bedtime.

Jean: MY bedtime? If you say so. But you mentioned entertainers, and that’s something else we noticed. A lot of retro Hollywood images were being used to promote a sense of glamour. There are always props and posters of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. Their faces were even silk screened on upholstery fabrics. We saw over and over images of Aubrey Hepburn. I think for a lot of people she has become the very symbol of beauty and elegance—a look that the furniture industry has embraced in recent years.

Richard: It’s a lot more welcome than the look of the old marshmallow furniture. In fact, the trend seems to be toward leaner, simpler designs—particularly in seating. The lines are finer, the cushions are thinner, and yet the comfort is still there. This is a welcome direction for us—when we design a Manhattan apartment, we often need less bulky furnishings because every inch counts.

Jean: Almost as if to balance the trim nature of new upholstery designs, much of the fabric covering them had large-scale patterns. From traditional damasks to contemporary florals, the designs were bold and dramatic. The same held true for wallpapers.

Richard: That same scale contrast was used with color, too. Earlier you mentioned reclaimed materials like wood, which was often finished to retain the patina or character of its aged surface. Complementing that natural look were purples, lavendars, and even bright pumpkin orange.
Jean: Well, there were grays and taupes, too.

Richard: Those may have been there to complement the sea shell motifs. Did you notice there were shell treatments everywhere? I saw them used on lamps, mirrors, tables—and I saw one chandelier made from sea urchin spines.

Jean: Good to know for when we’re asked to remodel Captain Nemo’s quarters.