Trends Found at Fall 2011 High Point Market

The High Point Market is located in the city of High Point, North Carolina and is considered by many to be the world's largest trade show for the furnishings industry. It is held during the Spring and Fall (October 22-27, 2011) in 180 buildings (10 million square feet of space) with more than 2000 exhibitors of furniture, rugs, lamps, textiles, wall décor, decorative accessories and other related products.

Because the show is so large it is impossible to see everything in the six days that it is open so most buyers and designers concentrate on only a few areas. I have not been to this market but I think that attending it can be exhausting and easy to get sensory over load because of the amount of product categories. Some of the categories listed on High Point's website are:

• furniture and fixtures for ALL rooms
• decorative accessories - floral, tabletop, candles, sculpture, clocks, and more
• textiles - draperies, pillows, throws, fabric, and more
• wall décor - mirrors, pictures, frames, wall paper and much more

Most of the manufacturers that exhibit at High Point does not license art so why should artists interested in licensing their work look at these products? The reason is that they are displaying trends in home furnishings and those trends will affect what art is wanted by the consumers on products for the home and may move into the gift and other industries.

For instance, when you read the articles and watch the videos that are listed in this blog post, you will see that black, browns and beige are starting to be replaced with brighter colors in furniture upholstery. Designs are being influenced by cultures from other countries for furniture styles, rugs, and textiles. And the eclectic look in the home is becoming very popular as mentioned by Christiane Lemieux of Dwell Studios (see article and video below) and also seen on many HGTV design shows. All these trends MAY eventually impact the colors and designs wanted by consumers no matter what kind of product. Artists that want to stay on trend should follow what is happening in furnishings as well as in other industries.

Articles and Videos
The Fall 2011 High Point Market ended today and there are already many articles and videos showcasing new products and discussing trends. More are sure to follow so make sure that you search the internet for them. Below are links to a few interesting ones.

• Article by home stager Joan Inglis on why designers should read articles about High Point Markets "High Point Fall Market heralds home decorating trends for 2011." Note: It is too early for Joan Inglis article on 2012 trends so this article is a little out of date.

• Article by Becky Harris "10 Highlights from High Point 2011"

• Designer Libby Langdon for Braxton Culler discusses inspiration, color and creating designs for the home.

• Michael Connors for Scott Thomas discusses furniture inspiration from around the world.

• Christiane Lemieux of Dwell Studios "Talks New Products, Styles, and Concepts" and the eclectic look in trends.

• Ronna Griest of New Massoud Collection discusses new collections, new colors and inspiration.

• Jennifer McConnel of Pearson Furniture discusses colors, menswear inspired fabrics, and styles.

• Accent rug introductions and discussion about inspiration from around the world with videos by Loloi, Rizzy Home and Mariachi Imports.

• Home accent product introductions at the Fall High Point Market with videos by Currey & Company, Pasha Home Fashions, Uttermost and Ibolili.

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