I am back from my first High Point Market after a thrilling stint on the 2019 Esteem Media Design Bloggers Tour and what proved to be an inspiring (albeit busy) excursion to North Carolina for this quintessential US interior design market. In the coming weeks I will bring you my take on the trends I spotted across this season’s market and a special interview with one of my favorite vendors from the show, right here on Beyond Aesthetics. But for today, I will pull back the curtain on the mystery that is the interior design trade show, giving you an insider’s view into the 2019 High Point Market Esteem Media Design Bloggers Tour.
If you are joining me from outside of the design industry, let me start by explaining these mysterious “trade shows” a bit more. Trade shows, or market weeks as they are sometimes called, are a vital part of the interior design business. There are venues for designers and vendors of all design sensibilities, price points and tenure to present, discover and mull over the trends and innovation that will become part of the industry’s design toolkit for seasons to come. For me, personally, a trade show is the best source of great reinvigoration and inspiration. Trade shows tend to awaken me, refreshing my perspective and revitalizing my creative outlook for future projects.
High Point Market is the trade show to attend in North America, and it is the largest interior design show globally, covering over 10 million square feet through about 180 buildings. To say that I was overwhelmed by the scope and scale of the show would be an understatement! I was so thankful to have been given a private, guided experience with the Design Bloggers Tour alongside 9 talented design bloggers, all of whom I am grateful to now call friends. Now, let’s dive into this spectacular tour, showroom by beautiful showroom.
Design Bloggers Tour Day 1
The tour was to begin at 9:15am on Sunday morning, prefaced by a meet and greet with our group of bloggers. As I found my way to the media room on the 2nd floor of the International Home Furnishings Building, I did my best to take in the energy of my environment for the next 2 days, and was simply astounded at the size of the market. So finding a group of friendly faces and fresh espresso (I do love my morning macchiato!) to kick off the day, presented a wonderful opportunity for grounding myself before starting the tour. Adam Japko, CEO of Esteem Media started with a briefing of HPMKT Design Bloggers Tour. We had 9 showrooms to visit in just 7 hours and 15 minutes, which allowed 45 minutes per showroom to absorb as much of each brand’s story and collections as possible.
Our first stop was Jaipur Living, a spacious showroom with beautiful natural light where their signature globally-influenced rugs and accessories were presented. Beyond the product, what I found most admirable about this company is their social initiatives, which range from providing seasonal clinics and healthcare-related transport for their artisans to education initiatives for women artisans and their children. Bravo on supporting your employees, Jaipur, and especially on championing women!
Next on the tour was Norwalk Furniture, who has partnered with Crypton® for performance fabrics. Norwalk is a company that I was not especially familiar with prior to the tour, and I am so glad to be able to add this to my vendor list for future projects. The quality and craftsmanship of Norwalk’s line was unmistakable, and this 116 year old company sources local textiles and local wood from the Amish community. Designer friends, it is worth noting that Norwalk also does private label, and as a company, they are focused on being designer-friendly. Additionally, Norwalk’s collaborative collection with Kim Salmela is not to be missed. Kim is a designer after my own heart, who prides herself on cherishing imperfection, much like the Japanese design philosophy that I most admire, wabi-sabi.
Huntington House, an upholstered furniture maker and Crypton® partner, was our lunch host on day 1 of the tour. We were presented with a generous spread on the second floor, where we enjoyed a peaceful moment and devine Southern cuisine while recharging all of our devices.
As a fellow Sustainable Furnishings Council member, I was pleased to learn that all of Huntington House’s wood frames are made of sustainable hardwoods sourced locally in North Carolina. All of their pieces are handmade to order rather than stocked.
Post lunch, we took the shuttle to Red Line stop number 29: Hudson Valley Lighting Group, where our hosts walked us through their 4 brands which range in style from coastal, with materials like rattan and seagrass, to sophisticated, including noble materials like living brass and alabaster. New product innovation for Hudson Valley lies in LED, where they work primarily with direct current, or DC, to prevent the flickering often found in alternating current LEDs which are known to cause health issues and interrupt our well being.
Lloyd Flanders was the final Day 1 stop before touring Interhall. The quality of this over 100-year-old line of high-end outdoor furniture was impressive. Our host, introduced us to Lloyd Flanders’ 2 main collections: Lloyd Loom and Woven Vinyl. The Loom collection features a specially developed synthetic fiber woven like rattan over an aluminum frame for excellent outdoor durability. For the natural wood customer, the Teak collection is made of Forest Stewardship Council certified teak wood sourced from Brazil.
Following Lloyd Flanders, we made our way to Interhall to see our last 4 lines of the day: JAMES by Jimmy DeLaurentis, Dôme Deco, Blue Print Collection art and Four Hands furniture.
I connected with Dôme Deco right away as we discussed attending Maison&Objet where they have one of the headlining booths. They are a European-based company, and this was their first time showing the collection at High Point. Dôme Deco’s cosmopolitan, contemporary, European design concepts really resonated with me, and the entire line exhibited good dimensions and scale. They work primarily with hospitality designers, and are growing their presence in the US, so I recommend reaching out to them for your future hospitality projects.
Next, the large, bright Four Hands showroom provided our group with some much appreciated natural light courtesy of beautiful oversized windows as our last stop of the day. We were welcomed with lovely refreshments, which was a wonderful way to end the day after logging over 13,000 steps and 9 showroom appointments.
I was delighted to acquaint myself with the Four Hands line. The natural materials, beautiful wood and sultry, textured textiles drew me in from the minute we entered the showroom. Furthermore, I have to praise Four Hands’ ability to combine the authenticity and depth of high-end globally infused designs with very reasonable prices, a feat that is not easy and makes them an easy addition to projects regardless of budget.
Their current collection is reminiscent of the 1970s, with accents like travertine and curving lines. And they have also just launched a collaboration with the fabulous Tracey Boyd that is not to be missed.
As Day 1 of the Design Bloggers Tour came to a close, my mind was abuzz with the activities of the day. From meeting this fabulous group of bloggers for the first time to 10 continuous hours of showroom meetings, I was feeling simultaneously energized and ready to rest my weary feet while preparing for another bustling market day on Monday.
Design Bloggers Tour Day 2
By Day 2, I knew I needed to prepare for the many steps I would take on the Tour, so I woke up early to do a Sun Salutation and have a nourishing breakfast. One thing I learned was the importance of leaving early to beat High Point Market traffic, which means allowing for 1 hour of travel time!
Our second day on the Design Bloggers Tour began in the Hooker Furniture showroom, followed by Vermont-based lighting company, Hubbardton Forge. Hubbardton was founded in a barn nearly 50 years ago, and has become an important name in lighting design. Their utilization of environmentally friendly practices including reduction of waste, use of naturally occuring materials and utilization of a phosphate free bioremediation cleaner, are commendable. During our presentation by David Hicks, head of Design at Hubbardton Forge, we were introduced to the Rain and showstopping Abacus Collections, at which point the entire group erupted into involuntary gasps of excitement! The Abacus Collection allows for full personalized positioning of the blown glass globes by simply moving them up or down their respective cables. It is a designer’s dream to have such a lovely piece configurable to each client’s individual needs. David’s presentation was so informative — truly a magical note to end on!
From Hubbardton Forge we proceeded to Daniel Stuart Studio, where we had a lively discussion on color trends as we begin to see the market including deep, saturated color layered on top of our tried and true neutrals.
SIFAS, a French outdoor furnishings company that also does business in the hospitality sector, was our next stop. Exuding a modern, European flair, I was happy to find SIFAS. For chic and unique outdoor pieces that make an unexpectedly artistic statement, SIFAS should be your first choice. Their pieces are easy to maintain and really add an extra pop of interest in what tends to be a more traditional furniture category.
We continued to artist Windy O’Connor’s vibrant showroom, which was one of my favorite of High Point. I found Windy to be so authentic and truly passionate about her art. There is nothing better to me than an artist who has the capacity to maintain that level of passion and continually produce high-quality work. Windy’s signature “Chica” series features bright, energizing colors and rhythm, and she has found a unique way to produce home decor pieces like decorative pillows and trays that beautifully feature her art without watering down its soul.
Dorel Furniture followed Windy, with their line of functional, affordable furnishings that are great for smaller spaces. And from there, we traveled to Shuttle Stop 14 to meet with another tour favorite of mine, Smith Hönig, where Zoe Bios Creative cofounders Minh Nguyen and Caitlin Dinkins showcase their exceptional art.
I really enjoyed listening to Melanie Hönig tell the stories of Smith Hönig’s global sourcing and give back initiatives that benefit their artisans, who they work with directly rather than through middlemen, to ensure the artisans receive all of the profits from their partnership. Melanie is a great businesswoman and travels globally to source all of their unique items, such as their fabulous Bedouin textiles and tassels. Smith Hönig’s luxurious global-Bohemian line is full of vibrant colors, and each piece has a unique sourcing story behind it, as Melanie travels the world seeking exciting new artisan relationships to build.
From Smith Hönig we ventured to our final showroom of the Design Bloggers Tour: Cisco Brothers in partnership with Crypton® fabrics. This was an excellent note to end on, as I found Cisco Brothers to be delightfully luxurious and tasteful, and I was thrilled to learn that they are responsible in their sourcing of wood, using only FSC certified or recycled wood in production, and they produce an entire line of sustainable furnishings.
Cisco Brothers is a second generation family business that began with upholstery textile manufacturing and has evolved into a full home furnishings line. All of their manufacturing is done in the US: about 30% in North Carolina and 70% in LA. The standout to me is their environment® line of high-end sustainable furnishings with a decidedly modern and European style. I am really looking forward to utilizing the environment® line for future projects, and perhaps in my own home as well!
As our second day of the Design Bloggers Tour came to a close, Cisco Brothers presented us with fabulous food and refreshments. They had an excellent setup: celebratory cocktails and a live show as we watched the chef cooking tapas and empanadas. We sat in small groups at tables and benches throughout the area, and enjoyed regrouping with the bloggers, Adam, Luba and Beverley from Design Bloggers Tour Team. We were a weary but energized group, with nearly 30,000 steps under our belts over our 2 day tour. I am so grateful to High Point Market, Esteem Media and all 17 showrooms for this incredible opportunity. High Point Market proved to be even more spectacular than I could have anticipated, and in addition to a successful market trip resulting in fresh new sources, I am coming away from this experience with a collection of new friends, as well, in my 9 fellow Design Blogger Tourists.
I hope you enjoyed coming along with me as I reminisced on our whirlwind tour, and please stay tuned to Beyond Aesthetics for fresh High Point Market and Design Bloggers Tour insights in the coming weeks.
