Design Happens

This was my first venture to High Point Furniture Market and I was truly in design Heaven. (It’s like Disney World for design nerds!) With more than 2,000 exhibitors and tens of thousands of new product introductions to try to see in four days, I was wide-eyed and soaking up as much design as I could with my coffee in hand. My goal for the week was to focus on texture trends from showroom to showroom, and that certainly wasn’t hard to find. As soon as I entered InterHall, the “main” hall at Market, rope started popping up everywhere, and I noticed it most often on light fixtures. Other natural materials like burlap, grasscloth, linen, bamboo, sisal, jute and rattan were also seen, but surprisingly, these materials don’t come off coastal or rustic. Most often, these organic textures were mixed with metals, minerals or metallics for a glamorous, modern look that appears well-matched yet unexpected.

Read on to see other texture trends I spotted around High Point Market, then find out how you can incorporate them into your home.

ROPE:

Alec Chandelier, Metal and Rope/Noir :: Glass Lantern With Rope/Arteriors Home :: Coastal-Inspired Wall Art/Design Legacy :: Square Chandelier/Steven Shell

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“Balance is always the key when it comes to design. Luckily, a lot of the natural elements I saw at High Point avoided being too ‘literal’ with their designs. There was a lot of mixing woods with metal, glass and leathers to keep it current. I would suggest the same for your interior; don’t go overboard with the new trend, but mix them in with your current pieces in order to add in the texture and natural elements in your own space.” — Britany Simon, Britany Simon Design, Design Star Season 7 Contestant

“Of course, you can envision a rope chandelier or a driftwood centerpiece in a country cottage or seaside home and they look amazing. But often those products manage to make even the most glamorous space a bit more relaxed, casual and fun. It’s less perfect and more modest which makes the space that much more chic! No one wants matchy-matchy; everyone wants interesting and perhaps a bit eclectic. The contrast, which is easy to achieve by adding humble textures to a luxurious interior, is almost more exciting than using an earthy material in a place where you would expect it.” — Traci Zeller, Traci Zeller Designs, High Point 2012 Style Spotter

More Texture Trends From High Point Market