Event: High Point Market in North Carolina

October 27, 2015 | 2 Commentaries

My apologies for the lack of posts over the last few days. I didn’t mean to step away from my blog, but life has been hectic, and I couldn’t find even a minute to write. I have loads to share, but I’m not quite sure how quickly my news will come. My week is absolutely hectic (MBA life and work life are completely overwhelming this week!), but I’ll do my best to keep on writing!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending High Point Market in North Carolina. Oh man, was it ever interesting! I was only there for one day, so there was absolutely no way to see everything. That said, I had a fully productive High Point adventure, and I’m happy to share my recap with you.

I found High Point Market to be a very well-run operation. Getting to Market was completely effortless as was the parking and shuttle situation (side note: my TomTom came in handy once again and I discovered even more features that I like). After we parked our car in the free parking lot organized by the market, my sister and I hopped on the shuttle trolley which took us directly to the centre of Market. Effort-less.

I have quite a bit to share, but for this post, I’ll begin with what I discovered as I walked through the showrooms at the International Home Furnishings Center.

The furniture and accessories at Noir were cool, modern, and had a rock-n-roll vibe. Some of the accessories reminded me of Kelly Wearstler designs. I was smitten with the bookshelves and some of the side tables.

Selamat was chock-full of bamboo pieces, and the quality of the metal bamboo pieces really surprised me.

I wanted just about everything at Europe2You. As soon as I stepped in the showroom, I felt like I had traveled to France. The displays and styling were absolutely gorgeous, and the showroom staff was friendly. In this showroom, I was drawn to a lot of the art installations. I think the cameos (see photo below) are especially interesting and unique.

Speaking of all things French, Eloquence had a bed and a daybed that I adore! (and I realized only recently that I already featured the bed here). It was such a pretty and feminine space.

The acrylic pieces at B. Pila Design were unexpected, unusual, and definitely hip. They were unlike anything else I saw in my short time at the market.

Finally, Currey & Co. was full of so many beautiful items. Their selection of lighting fixtures was sort of overwhelming, but I was drawn to all the pieces that had shells on them. I think I need a beach house. As an added bonus, Currey & Co. generously offered food, so we were able to enjoy delicious bread pudding (among other things) while we were browsing the showroom goodies.

As you can observe, High Point Market includes items from across the design spectrum. Traditional, French, delicate, modern, rock and roll, refined, quirky…there was something for everyone!

To wrap-up today’s High Point post, I thought I’d share six trends that I spotted at High Point Market (regardless of the design focus). They are:
1. books without covers on them
2. navy
3. gold
4. shells (including oyster shells) on mirrors, furniture, lighting, etc.
5. bamboo
6. acrylic

Later this week (I hope!), I’ll share news about Visual Comfort & Co. and Jaipur, which ended up becoming my two favourite stops on my High Point tour.

Note: High Point Market takes place twice each year. The spring market is scheduled for April 16-20, 2016. Will you attend?

Photos by me.

Event: High Point Market

October 15, 2015 | 2 Commentaries

In just a few days, I’ll be joining crowds of other design enthusiasts at High Point Market in North Carolina. I’m pumped! I’m excited to see what’s up-and-coming in the design industry, and I’m hoping to be amazed by cool pieces of furniture and textiles. For anyone writing about, talking about, or dreaming about design, this is the market to attend.

In preparation for the trip, I’ve read these handy High Point Market tips-and-insights articles (avoid being overwhelmed by the scale of the market; map out secret places to eat), and I’ve browsed the list of exhibitors. I’m also keen to follow #designbloggerstour, which is a hashtag that a group of design bloggers will use as they explore the market. I also found this Rue article to be quite useful as well. Can you tell I like to research?

image via High Point Market

images via High Point Market

image via Rue

High Point Market has just about 12 million square feet of space to shop. 12 million! This boggles my mind. (Note to self: wear comfortable shoes.)

I’ll be sharing my High Point Market highlights on Instagram and Twitter as quickly as I possibly can. I’ll also be sure to share my experiences right here in a few weeks.

In the meantime, if you’ve been to the Market, please do share your advice!

Design: Classic White in Chapel Hill

May 28, 2015 | Leave a Reply

My sister recently sent me photos of her friend’s home in Chapel Hill. I nearly fell off of my chair when I saw them. It’s gorgeous! It is clear that the homeowners designed each and every room with thought and care. The colour combinations, the furniture pairings, and the rugs especially grabbed my attention. That said, the homeowners have kept some rooms (kitchen, laundry) very classic with the use of white. I think this was a smart move because full renovations to these spaces can be costly. While it’s relatively affordable to change furnishings and paint, kitchens are much more expensive to renovate.

Okay, enough of the chit chat. Let me show you what I’m talking about. You must check out the whole home. Aren’t the kids’ rooms beautiful? I’m also loving the rattan chair in the master. Such a beautifully designed home, don’t you think?

Photos by Corie.

Update: Yesterday, The New York Times published an article about Chapel Hill that may be of interest to those of you who have been to the area or who are planning to visit: 36 Hours in Chapel Hill-Carrboro, NC.