The Sweet Spot of High Point
Hermine Mariaux -- Gifts and Dec, 12/1/2011 2:00:00 AM
AS BUYERS FLOCKED TO OCTOBER'S HIGH POINT MARKET in increased numbers, armed with a replenished open-to-buy, they found resources well prepared with trendy new and extended product offerings. Industry leaders in particular were intent on message:
• Orange by far is at the top of the list of new colors, cresting at Global Views and drawing attention at Nourison with handmade pillows appliquéd in felt.
• Blue-and-white offerings greatly expanded from porcelains and ceramics at Tozai to home textiles whether used for upholstery, domestics or table linens and decorative pillows at Mazouk.
• Blanc de Blanc or white-on-white looking fresh and easy to use in Barbara Barry's Collection for Studio A. Others, including Jonathan Adler and Barbara Cosgrove, reinstated their fondness for this neutral in accessories and lighting.
• The latter two also presented Lucite benches, a '50s material enjoying a revival. Each bench came topped with Mongolian Lamb pi
llows, one chose white, the other a gray version of the popular curly fur.
• Animal motifs abound - leaving leopard behind and focusing on Horse images in wall art. Giraffe or zebra patterns were applied to many accessory products. Horn and tortoise shell serving utensils, trays and collectors' boxes are part of a growing category, the motif reaching into home textiles where turtle prints were seen and even into furniture finishes as at Century.
• Underwater sea life expanded - going beyond coral and shells and after seahorses, crabs, lobsters, even an octopus turned into a candelabra as the latest catch.
• Also enlarged: the world of insects for decoration on porcelains and in wall decor. While butterflies are still the most popular, increasingly, an exploration of the whole insect family is well underway including the colorful world of scarabs, universally loved and admired for their great diversity in color and unique markings. While we tend to be more squeamish about bugs in America, decorative accessories tell us we have to get over it.
• Gold and copper casting their warm glow through metal finishes on leather and glass objects. Silver finishes 
Decorative horse figures at Currey & Co. are handcrafted out of repurposed sari fabric.
are taking a second seat except at Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams, where tree trunks made stunning accent tables when wrapped in silver foil. Metallic overlays were also seen in Prints at Natural Curiosities as in a pair of giant botanical tulip blossoms and a pair of palm reading charts.
• "Caged" chandeliers were everywhere, with light variously diffused by gauze (as still practiced by British estate owners when they mothball their stately somes for the summer) , or by chainmail, strips of mirror or beads for those of us with lesser chattel. Chandeliers are the specialty of Currey & Co. where young president Brownlee Currey leaves plenty of room for his creative team to explore new ideas - this time including a cement chandelier made to look like wood. Don't ask how your ceiling would feel about that.
• Currey has always had a soft spot for handcrafted objects including folk art. New market offerings included objects made in the chindi tradition of India, i.e. these soft sculptures are fashioned of hand-rolled cotton repurposed from old saris.
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Major Acquisitions in Home Furnishings
Sep 21, 2010 -
The Bombay Co. Partners with JLA Home, The Zrike Co., StyleCraft Home Collection, MVP Group International
Oct 28, 2011 -
ARTS Call for Nominations
Apr 2, 2012 -
ART Seminars and Bowling Come to High Point
Mar 8, 2012 -
Direct from Market: Paris: Maison & Objet
Feb 17, 2012
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