The latest from High Point DREAM IT. DESIGN IT. (//WWW.PUBLICOPINIONONLINE.COM/BLOG/DREAMITDESIGNIT/)
Maryann Fisher, Decorating Den Interiors
12:34 a.m. EDT October 24, 2016
Every April and October High Point, North Carolina, increases its population by more than 75,000. This is due to the International Furniture Market High Point hosts. It is the largest furnishing industry trade show in the world. There are 180 large buildings holding 11.5 million square feet of showrooms filled by over 2,000 exhibitors.
This stately bedroom displayed at High Point features a king size bed with a tall, custom made upholstered headboard. (Photo: Taylor King)
The biannual event is opened only to registered designers and buyers from around the world who have secured premarket passes. Security is serious, as passes are checked upon entering buildings and specific showrooms. I’m attending this Fall 2016 market with a limited group of 80 Decorating Den Interiors owners and decorators who come from all over the U.S. and Canada. My schedule shows that in four days I’ll be touring 30 different showrooms with an option to add 10 more if time permits. While you are reading this article I’ll be finishing up my scheduled tours. The individual companies in the home furnishing industry use their space and time to showcase styles and introduce new styles. If a new collection is not received well at market, i.e. the buyers and designers don’t get excited about it, or it doesn’t do well with market sales, it may not go into production. The market itself presents a theme and with this being an election year I’ve read a couple of articles showing that we’ll see a touch of the Patriotic theme. This works well with the re emerging of the color blue earlier this year. Also showing in premarket information: continued interest in the midcentury modern style and more brass, gold metals than brushed pewter. One of the things that I’ll be interested in seeing is the new collections in my upholstery lines. Following the market time frame, upholstery companies introduce their new fabric lines each April and October. Depending on the size of the showroom, some companies will set up many wonderful vignettes, others will have their featured products or new designs displayed without vignettes to get as many as they can in their valuable space.