I am finally catching my breath after this spring’s High Point Market in North Carolina, and I must say — third time’s a charm! Both of my previous trips to Market were inspiring in their own way, but going this time as one of the 10 bloggers chosen for the Design Bloggers Tour gave me a newfound lens into the entire event. 

What is High Point Market?

Short answer is it’s the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world. I truly liken it to being the Fashion Week of the home industry!

Being part of this season’s Design Bloggers Tour meant I was able to exclusively tour 15+ showrooms — some old favorites and others, new discoveries — and not only see the product but also get insights into the brand stories. After 48 hours and way too many cups of coffee, it was inspiration overload! So much new goodness! So what do we have to look forward to in 2019?

Here’s my Design Bloggers Tour Spring 2019 Trend Report: 

Size Matters

It amazed (and excited) me to see how many more vendors have become cognizant of the fact that even people in small spaces want beautiful design. As noted in the Universal Furniture “Spaces” Collection Showroom.

Finally, the industry has heard my cries!

As someone who has lived in and designed small spaces, it was like “FINALLY, the industry is hearing me!” From new smaller scale furnishings to dual purpose pieces, like the storage accent tables of Four Hands, it was evident that the industry has embraced the “small space, big style” mantra. 

Performance Fabric Takeover

I’m naturally clumsy, so every showroom that offered free coffee & cocktails, I was hesitant to indulge in for fear of ruining the upholstery. Turns out I had nothing to worry about because performance fabric was EVERYWHERE. 

In the Vanguard Showroom, fun fact, I was actually encouraged to spill my coffee! While I wasn’t about to be the one to pour coffee on a beautiful Crypton upholstered white sofa, I was more than happy to volunteer my cup and watch the magic happen — it was definitely magical!

We’re a family of klutzes so I will always think this is a good idea! Imagine the possibilities…

Morning coffee on the white sofa.

Date night wine on the velvet ottoman.

Lunchtime smoothie on the daybed.

All worry and hassle free!

Hygge Is More Than A Hashtag

Now while no one was explicitly claiming Hygge as the design inspiration, I know what I saw! If you were to google “what is Hygge?” right now, you’d get a lot of references to creating cozy and comfortable environments that evoke bliss — lots of textures, natural materials, outdoor references, and neutral tones. 

That basically sums up Market. 

Sarah Richardson’s new collection with Palliser was a perfect illustration of this — from layering neutral textures in one vignette, to bold, botanical decor in the next. So many spaces stepped away from glam, luxe design, and instead embraced a softer, Hygge-esque aesthetic. 

I approve all of it. 

Gray Is Gone

For quite some time it seemed like everyone was going “gray-zy” (says fellow design blogger, Alyssa of Grey Hunt Interiors) because at every turn it was gray on gray on gray, from the floor to the ceiling. 

What a relief it was to see almost NO GRAY the entire tour.

Instead, other colors were finally coming to the forefront, including other classic neutrals. It was refreshing to see how hues of white were being explored in a way that was still visually interesting while providing a clean & neutral palette for the designs. 

Pink Isn’t Just For Millennials

A year-is ago, you couldn’t swing a palette without landing on millennial pink. And every industry expert would tell you, “it’s having a moment”.

Spoiler: it’s not just a “moment” — it’s a THING and it’s here to stay. 

But it’s not just “millennial” pink — I don’t even know if that’s still a thing. Instead throughout the showrooms we visited on the tour, I spotted an evolution of pinks — from the blush tones of yesteryear to deeper, “dirtier” hues that hint more on the mauve side of things. We saw it in the leather poufs at Vanguard, the tuft button details at Hickory Chair, and the rich velvets at Rawan Isaac. 

Dare I say, but pink may easily be a new neutral. 

Green With Envy

Never have I ever wanted a green wall in my life… not until leaving the Palliser showroom, where one of their vignettes featured an ombre green wall…

THE WALL!

Now usually, that would be a jarring experience, like “WHOA! Where’d this green come from!?” but then it hit me — I was seeing green in every single showroom, probably more than I saw pink! From the distressed green leather “apartment” sofa at Four Hands to the almost sculpture-like green velvet accent chair from Reagan Hayes’ new collection with Sonder Living. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the rich green finish of the Lloyd Flanders bench swing — I don't know that I’ve ever experienced outdoor seating that comfortable!

No matter the application, green was a color to be reckoned with this season. 

Craftsmanship Is The New Luxury

The level of artistry that I spotted while at Market was astounding — machines are out and makers are in, in, IN! 

From the exquisite use of materials at Made Goods to the detailed execution of the pieces at Howard Elliott, showroom after showroom was a testament of how handmade pieces were dominating the industry. The beautiful pieces that were showcased are also an indication of a shift in the industry — from fast designs to more thoughtful storytelling in design. 

Designers As Gate Keepers

While this isn’t a design trend per se, throughout Market, I lost count of how many designer collections and collaborations we toured. 

This season definitely showcased the strength of the design trade, so much so, that you almost forget that there was ever a time that designers weren’t even allowed in many of these showrooms!

Nina Magon for Universal. 

Ryan Korban for E.J. Victor. 

Mally Skok for Dowel. 

Sarah Richardson for Palliser. 

Ray Booth for HickorY Chair. 

The industry has put the designing power in the hands of the designers, which makes perfect sense, as we’re the ones with our fingers on the pulse of the people. And to think there was once a time designers weren’t even allowed into many of the showrooms at High Point Market.

I am still reeling from the Design Bloggers Tour because I never imagined that I could be any more impressed with the talent in this industry and yet I found myself gobsmacked after the first day!

gob·smacked

/ˈɡäbˌsmakt/

adjective

1. utterly astonished; astounded.
   

Seeing the evolution of the industry, how trends come and go, how ideas are adopted and transformed into timeless designs… it really never ceases to amaze me. I can’t wait to see how what I saw at Market starts to show up (or continues to show up) in the world around us.