The Road to High Point: Discoveries Worth the Drive
From thoughtful customization to unexpected finds, High Point Market put designers—and the details that matter—front and center.
This High Point Market proved to be one of the most important in a decade. Not just for the products introduced but for the focus on serving designers by understanding how they work, think and buy. This was evident from pop-ups such as the Ticking Tent, programming that focused on elements designers want to learn about and ask for, and expanded custom options and attention to detail at select manufacturers. The message? Designers Matter. These were the standouts.
Better customization
Whether speccing a refrigerator or a sofa, the customization options available to designers continue to expand and High Point brought them forward with an attention to small but mighty details taking center stage.
Case in point: Basset’s new line with Heather Chadduck. Chadduck began her career in editorial, where she produced hundreds of stories and countless showhouses. The learned attention to detail required on the editorial side shines through in her product for Bassett, where elements such as the appropriately sized Lilliputian pulls on her game table and the color grading on her furniture’s bamboo legs were intentional, precise, and came together to create beautiful pieces.
On the other end of the design spectrum was Monogram’s space at 313 Space, designed by Monogram creative director Richard T. Anuszkiewicz of RAITH Design. Anuszkiewicz’s designer background informed his choices and turned custom appliances upside down with his brilliant burlwood refrigerator, playing beautifully into his vision of “The Golden Hour”. He then created a banquette using a vintage rug for both the wall and banquette. But the wow didn’t stop there. His magic extended into creating a worktable with a warming drawer. No base beneath. Utter genius.
Newness with staying power
Four colors dominated the scene, with green standing loud and proud in first place. Brown, jewel-toned blue, and burgundy fell in line behind with varying degrees of importance, dependent on the showroom.
But I believe it is the colors coming up behind them that have the longest staying power. Soft, minty green such as that showcased in the new Basset showroom, variations on blue like those shown in in Revelation’s artwork from Ginny Williams’ “Surprise Landing,” as well as pastels like those seen in Universal Furniture’s special order upholstery vignette.
One of the things I love about market is the opportunity to ask designers on the ground questions about what they’re loving in the moment. One of the best responseswas the return to florals in sofas and chairs. It signals a return to romance, an extension of “cluttercore,” and a hearty reclamation of feminism that asserts power, sophistication, and the freedom to freely occupy the room. Case in point: Rowe’s Heywood accent chair.
Pictured: Rowe’s Heywood accent chair in Emili on Dublin
Motif and form movements
Block prints continue to play an active role in florals and plaids continue to evolve across the menswear movement, but we also found a flurry of new takes on tweeds, stripes, animal prints, brocades and tapestries and renewed interest in burlwood.
Revelation’s Mozart burlwood chest was a study in Biedermeier design while Highland’s House’s collaboration with Bungalow featured the best chair at market created in the pozzetto style with a barrel back and reminiscent of French Art Deco. To sit upon it was akin to being hugged by a chair.
Loloi led the pack, so to speak, in their new animal print rugs from the Roam collection. We are partial to the cheetah print featuring a large format, full sized cat roaming across the field in different directions. Another animal favorite was Mary McGuire’s Zebra Wallpaper in blush.
This market also saw the rise of embellishments and hardware. Sofas and chairs were skirted, sometimes finished with embellished trim and in other examples bullion fringe, appliances were offered with touches such as leather-wrapped or wood handles, and furniture featured detailed and thoughtful pulls.
Pictured: Revelation’s embellished skirted Bolsted Confidence sofa in Arrow
The thrill of the hunt
Regina Andrew may have popularized this turn of phrase at market but The Ticking Tent delivered in the best possible way. When asked about the event, co-founder Benjamin Reynaert shared, “The success of the Ticking Tent speaks to a larger shift in the design industry. We see a renewed appreciation for the thrill of the hunt, the stories behind unique objects, and meeting the people who make or find them.”
The High Point pop-up featured Rug and Kilim’s vintage rugs, Saved New York’s assortment of cashmere throws, estate jewelry and other vintage finds, The Green Vase’s sumptuous paper florals, Casa J’s showstopping greenhouses and Coleville Home’s vintage and antique assortment among other small, and curated brands. Paired with top tier refreshments and a consistently positive atmosphere the Ticking Tent achieved what we didn’t think was possible. It made 313 Space even better.
We’ve arrived
I left High Point thinking less about a single color or collection and more about the care behind what I’d seen. The perfectly scaled pull. The unexpected vintage find. The familiar appliance reimagined by someone who understands how designers think. “Designers Matter” is a welcome message. Seeing it reflected in the products, the possibilities, and the experience itself? That’s worth the drive.
