Here is a pictorial journal of the trends we saw recently during our Fall trip to High Point Furniture Market. What trends are you seeing?
images: Taken all by DLL
Our clients recently relocated from Italy to a home located in North Raleigh’s Bedford community. It took six months for a hole in the ground to become a 3 story home , fully furnished and accessorized for an active family of four. A six hour time change and our client’s location an ocean away brought Judy and me (Brittany) the opportunity to use technology like Sykpe and Basecamp, an online project management site, to communicate and present design concepts to our clients.From selecting fixtures and finishes, to furniture presentation and procurement, to move-in, our client’s gave us full creative license to design every detail of their new home in the United States. The client’s international roots give the home a distinctive aesthetic, with a European sensibility and we’re excited to share with you the project photos!
Photo above: the Dining Room with aqua leather chairs, a sisal rug, and metallic silver wallpaper is a study of textures- both casual and formal. Below: sun pours into the guest suite that accomodates family members who come to stay frequently.
Photo above: The eat in kitchen area with walls painted in Glidden’s Onionskin Tan. Below: The Media Room- with it’s blackout roller shades serves as a hangout space for the two teenage boys who live in the home.
Above: The swivel chairs upholstered in a Rock & Roll black patent leather sit in the music room for all of the family to become musical. Below: A teen boy’s bedroom
Check out some furnishings and fabrics used in the project and the final outcome of a teen boy’s bedroom, the Master Suite, and the patio (one of my favorite spaces) !
-Brittany
Our Market blog series is coming to an end – we’ve had a blast sharing our thoughts and we hope you have enjoyed all the wonderful eye candy. For these final trends we focused on the warm grays and the mixed compositions -we just couldn’t leave them out.
Isn’t this bed to die for?! I love it.
The Bolier & Co. showroom was so lush – the repetition with the draperies and lights made an incredible statement.
Leave it to Swaim to show us some stunning and unique furniture pieces. The table (above) is so cool with the metal base and wood top.
Didn’t get enough? Head over to our Facebook page and we’ll post all the Market pictures for you to look though at your leisure. We hope you enjoyed the recap!
Showroom images: 1. Hickory Chair 2. Bolier & Co. 3. Swaim
On to trend #4 – Every showroom we went into had the coolest chairs with new shapes and details. Above, the bottom right photograph, shows our rep Kristin holding an original picture of a chair that was re-introduced this year as a part of Hickory Chair’s new line called 1911 collection. This collection commerates 100 years of excellence in the furniture design business. How neat!
Brittany and Lauren trying out some of Lee Industries chairs for comfort.
I love the shape of this yellow chair below. Don’t you?
We are all about a good recliner – below American Leather showed three different sizes of one recliner. One for baby bear, one for mamma bear and one for pappa bear.
Tomorrow we will finish the High Point trends with the continuation of warm grays and also show you the mixed media compositions we found, so stay tuned!
Showroom Images: Hickory Chair, Lee Industries, Swaim, American Leather
Everywhere we turned there were pops of color at High Point Furniture Market. Here are a few of the highlights – blues, green, coral yellow, and orange. There is more colors to come on Thursday as we showcase all the different chair shapes.
Don’t you just love the Osborne & Littleflocked silhouette wallpaper?
This red ottoman from Lee Industries is popular among the DLL staff – because the ottoman is actually fabricated in a one-of-a-kind rug!
Yellow is so cheerful!
We were especially drawn to the peacock blue featured in the vignette at Hickory Chair.
Showroom images: 1. Ann Gish 2. Dransfield & Ross 3. Ryan Studio 4. Mr. Brown 5 -7. Lee Industries 8 -10.Swaim 11-13. Hickory Chair
Sometimes elegance can be found in a reflection, which is why we chose mirrors for our second trend this season at High Point Furniture Market. We saw so many shapes and sizes mounted on the wall or casually leaning on the floor – mirrors can totally change an entire space.
So come back tomorrow as we take you through a color adventure for trend #3.
Showroom images: 1″ (left to CW) Bolier & Co. , 2:Lee Industries, 3&4: Hickory Chair 5: Barbara Cosgrove 6: Artistica
Interior designers from all across the country and the extraordinary people who work at Lee Industries pose for a picture.
Not originally from North Carolina, I still marvel at the fact that beautiful furniture is made right here within the state of North Carolina. Touring the factory was like watching an intricate machine operate, we were able to see each process happening whether that was by hand or with a human operating a machine. Let’s begin with some of the highlights!
First, bolts of fabric arrive at the factory and are tagged to their respective furniture frame.
Next, the fabric is rolled out and inspected, prepared for cutting and sewing.
The patterns are then cut out of the fabric using a computer aided program. The strips you see on the table are being used to create a welt cord.
We closely observed the sewing department as they sew different pieces together.
Below:A top-stitch is created on leather.
Special details like a hidden zipper pocket and jumbo contrast top-stitching make each piece unique.
Lee Industries president Norman Coley (middle) observes a hardwood frame and nylon webbing.
Above: A master upholster begins tying down the metal springs with 8 way hand tied knots, a mark of good quality.
Below: An upholster finishes an ottoman with covered buttons.
Have you ever heard the phrase “spitting tacks?” This experienced upholster (above in green) holds his hammer to his mouth to show us a tried and true quick method.
Below: A gorgeous Chesterfield sofa.
Above: A covered welt cord will be applied to finish the edges on this pretty sofa with exposed wood.
After the factory tour Norman explained to us Lee Industries green practices, you can read all about their eco-friendly company culture here. We really enjoyed our experience at Lee Academy and feel great about all the knowledge we acquired while at the factory.
We had a fabulous trip to High Point last week for Furniture Market, and we’re excited to share our favorite trends! Below, our team gathers for a picture inside the Hickory Chair showroom.
Judy catches up with one of her close friends, Diane Gote from New Jersey, while (above) Hilaire poses for a picture with our dear friends, Nancy Gales and Nancy Bolen.
Our first stop on our High Point visit was Verellen, an eco-friendly company with a European flare. The light fixtures quickly grabbed our attention and the upholstery fabricated in shades of creams, charcoals, and browns. This is where we noted our first trend for Fall 2010:
Trend #1. Organic Industrial
Lauren and Judy enjoy the comfort of new pieces (above), while colorful cords accent the streamlined floor lamp below. What a unique idea!
Trend # 2: Unique Furniture Shapes
As the morning continued, we headed to Modern History and Somerset Bay where we saw similar neutrals with a splash of color. We love the cream cabinet with a jelly bean green splash on the interior!
Trend # 3: Applied Details
Fashion and interior design always influence each other, and I believe that’s what we’re seeing here. Stop in J Crew or Banana Republic, and you will find appliques and embroidered details on their outfits. We spotted similar concepts on drapery panels and even lamp shades!
Trend # 4: Mature Graphics
Graphic patterns have been apart of a fabric trend we’ve seen over the last few years. But this market, they found their way on a different color palette that seemed more thoughtful and mature.
Trend # 5: Cream Finishes
Along with the organic neutrals, we saw warm and bright cream finishes that soften the pieces they are applied to. We loved Suzanne Kesler new collection for Hickory Chair with it’s French inspirations.
Every time we tour the Hickory Chair Showroom, we run into some of the industry’s renown interior designers, Suzanne Kesler (left) and Alexa Hampton, who was promoting her most recent book The Language of Interior Design (right).
Trend # 6: Linen, Linen Everywhere
In nearly every showroom, linen was featured on furniture and pillows. Five to ten years ago, chenilles were much more popular as upholstery fabrics, but the clean and fresh look of linen has now taken its place.
Above, Brittany and Judy in the Century Furniture Showroom at the end of the day.
Trend # 7: All Shades of Grays
As far as neutrals go, the taupe tans of the 90’s have been replaced with their fresh warm gray relatives.
Gray can be pared with rustic finishes and textures or with high gloss metals for either an industrial or polished look.
Natural Curiosities always has wonderful art and accessories to complete rooms. We were particularly struck by the moody horse pieces below.
Regina Andrew and Barbara Cosgrove shared their unique lamp and accessories. We love the varied of shapes in the mirrored frames above!
We ended our day in the Centuryshowroom. Above, Hilaire tests a leather chair. Judy loved the unique lines of the McCrae casegoods in the Lee Industries showroom. Also in Lee, we loved the punches of color, including purple!
Lee Industries, one of North Carolina’s high-end furniture manufacturers, invited Lauren and Brittany to a two day Academy in Hickory, North Carolina. By educating interior designers, they in turn are more knowledgeable when hand selecting furniture for their clients.
We are still going through all of our wonderful pictures from the 27th annual Lee Academy .
We promise though Brittany and Lauren will give you, our readers, their personal perspectives on all the behind-the-scenes details of the factory tour and the academy, coming up next week!
One of the highlights from the Academy was watching this fabric below being woven on a jacquard loom. Watch the toile pattern appear as the weft yarns are inserted into the warp yarn.
Ashley has been working with a client for a few years now and these two shots are of the sitting area in their master bedroom.
The two contemporary wing chairs are one of their most comfortable in the Lee Industries line and they just came out with this same chair in a glider. The glider version could be perfect for a nursery.
The floor length mirror allows an extra dimension in the room. Not only is it great to get ready but becomes its own piece of furniture and accents on the furniture that sits in front of it.
The decorative bench at the end of the bed allows for another patterned fabric and another shade of blue. The fabric is from Lee Industries.
The decorative ottoman, also from Lee Industries, is a nice accent piece that brought another shade of blue into the room and allowed the client to relax and read a book with their feet put up.
Stay tuned, there is more to come in this master bedroom!