Market made me want it
Nearly three weeks out and still processing a covetable mix of enticing color, delicious textures, and boundless creativity.
When it comes to Market, I never see enough. Since my earliest visits, it’s always been: “Just one more day.” It’s a good thing that I head up an organization that helps designers and the design curious, myself included, have exactly that: more days in High Point to discover showrooms or return for a closer look.|
What I did see this fall impressed me, inspired me, and made me want to become a decorator. I felt creativity and inventiveness, was beguiled by color and shapely forms. There was a playfulness that went beyond the ubiquitous game table, to furniture that encouraged togetherness and comfort.
A note on my route: I prioritize HPxD’s family of brands, and even then, I made it to fewer than half. Add a few longtime favorites, and there goes Market.
Here’s what caught my eye—and stayed with me.
Intriguing Wovens
“Everything is coming up Wicker,” read a Wall Street Journal headline. From where I stood, yes. And the attraction extended to grasscloth and raffia, expertly wrapping furniture. Some pieces cast intricate shadows through their woven structures; others invited touch. Nature continues to supply the material and the muse.
After dipping a toe into wicker last Market, Bernhardt introduced Chatham Park this fall featuring furniture shapes exquisitely sheathed in raffia. The collection had me thinking “barefoot luxe in Palm Beach”— certainly a desirable feeling.
Elsewhere, wicker and rattan conjured cinematic interiors and nostalgia. Beds were among the most seductive examples: red egg’s Indochine Canopy bed in a rich tortoise finish and the poster bed anchoring Chelsea House’s wicker room. And good news if you covet woven lighting, Currey & Company’s selection seems to be expanding.
Seeing Red
I want to talk about red. First, the Mondrian variety: primary and unapologetic.
I don’t often reach for bright red in my closet, and yet I’m increasingly open to a room wearing it in doses. Several encounters at Market had me mentally inviting things into my home.
At Collected by Schwung, I was captivated by the way red energized a vignette of European antiques. At Roberta Schilling, it held its own among black, white, and metallic finishes. One more encounter with cherry red at Wildwood stopped me in my tracks: a mirror framed in red hair-on-hide, ingeniously placed among the more expected brass and gesso frames. In a game of “Which of these does not belong?” you might pick the red one. Au contraire. It gave that whole wall life and looked boldly at home.
The dirty, russety, and wine reds were all over too. A little quieter, a little easier to live with over time. Loved the monochrome treatment from Lancaster, slipcovering a bed from head to foot in it. Deep red tones appeared on hard surfaces, too: stone at Sunpan and concrete at Dovetail.
Hefty Proportions
After a rushed online purchase left me with an underwhelming upholstered bed, I was acutely aware of what it lacked: generous proportions and a sense of substance. At Market, I found myself drawn to pieces that delivered both.
Modus Furniture reliably gives me plenty to consider. I found at least a handful of beds that would have looked and felt much better in my home, the uber-upholstered Landon bed providing layers of soft comfort. Another head-turner: Verdado from Alfredo Paredes Studio, its arch of nailheads emphasizing the padded monolith. On a smaller scale, the plump attached cushion on a Kim Salmela bench at Norwalk felt welcoming.
The appeal of heft—which, to me, suggests an investment in materials—extended to exposed wood seating and tables, too. Taylor King’s fireside bench with bowling ball-sized feet was among the most impressive. In tables, the bullnose profile of Dovetail’s Marci counter table felt quite substantial to my hand.
Three more quick takes that left a lasting impression:
The bench cushion
Finally, bench cushions seem to be in the majority, and not just a special order. I’ll take a seamless seating experience over finding loose change between multiple cushions any day.
Fab Collabs
I love that Abner Henry continues to follow no one and no trend and does its own thing, often collaborating with super talented creative souls to create highly original pieces. This Market, the showroom featured new pieces from Betsy Wentz, Nikki Levy, Helen Bergin and Dixon Rye—each so individual and expertly executed.
Lighten up
With traditional styles surging, I enjoy seeing how lighter finishes temper formality, taking a piece from antique reproduction to fresh interpretation. I especially loved Woodbridge’s Stetson bookcase with column details and the sculptural Luberon wing chair at Mr. Brown London in white rustic pine.
I’ll leave you with a bit of Wexel Art wisdom—and my gratitude to the manufacturers and designers who know how to put on the best show on earth.
