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Buyers and designers from around the world flocked to the High Point Market in October 2022. (Photo courtesy High Point Market)
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Renny chairs, Ariel sofa and Kateri cocktail tables by Bernhardt. Rich dark woods, plush fabrics like boucle and velvet, organic textures and sculptural cocktail tables were trending at market. (Photo courtesy Bernhardt Furniture)
This past fall, the High Point Market had the opportunity to shine once more after two years of less-than-ideal COVID-19 conditions, and it delivered, according to three Richmond designers who attended and shared their major takeaways with R•Home.
R•Home: What differences did you notice at this fall’s market from past editions?
Kathy Corbet (Photo by Michael Way)
Kathy Corbet, Kathy Corbet Interiors: There were way more people there. It was nice to network with colleagues and vendors again. It was also the first time in a while that I heard people speaking a language other than English. More people had flown in than before.
Janet Brown, Janet Brown Interiors: Since COVID, there were very few [product] introductions. [Vendors] were just treading water and trying to do the best they could because they didn’t know what to expect. That’s beginning to change.
Stephanie Theofanos, Modern Traditions Interior Design: You can tell that the energy is coming back. I think everyone was very excited to be together again and see new products.
R•Home: What trends were most prominent?
Janet Brown (Photo by Jay Paul)
Corbet: Brown is back. I loved the warm wood tones of Hooker Furniture’s Charleston collection. There were also more fringe and tassels. Wesley Hall Furniture had a sofa with bullion fringe — I haven’t seen that in a while.
Brown: Vanguard Furniture has a program called Make It Yours (MIY) Bedroom, where you can completely customize your furniture. They don’t build it until you place the order, so you can tell them exactly what you want. This [trend] is blossoming, and lots of companies are doing it.
Theofanos: I saw lots of upholstered furniture with curves and softer edges, with more texture. And lots more wallpaper — more multicolored, bolder and larger scale. There were also more nature-inspired pieces, like lighting fixtures featuring unique branch designs.
R•Home: How can Richmond homeowners incorporate these trends into their homes?
Stephanie Theofanos (Photo courtesy Stephanie Theofanos)
Corbet: Bringing brown into your home is tough after so much gray has been introduced. Earthy tones like moss, slate blue and terra cotta are a great way to transition.
Brown: They can do it with a percentage of color — from very soft to very bold — and a percentage of texture, from very plain to very rough. They can mix pieces, like a dark wood dining room table with bold painted chairs.
Theofanos: The easiest way is using colorful wallpaper to bring a fresh take to your home, and you can [match] it to fit with what you already have. You can do this with accent pillows, too.
R•Home: What should we expect to see at High Point Market 2023?
Corbet: We’re going to see a lot more traditional denim and plaids coming back. And I think colors are going to get bolder and more vibrant.
Brown: I think we’ll see more pieces that can easily move from house to house and room to room. Vanguard has a sectional that has upholstered seats, but the back cushions are separate pieces that can be removed and moved around.
Theofanos: There will likely be more entertaining options. This year, I saw more bar spaces, and they’re adding really high-end gaming tables. I think the trend is [consistent with the idea of] bringing people back into your home.
