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Were you not able to attend Fall Market 2020 at High Point? Neither were Gail and Erin, but they know some designers who did. Here’s your chance to find out what you missed.
In today’s episode, Gail and Erin take a back seat as a select panel of designers relate their experiences at this year’s revamped Fall Market, sharing insights, trends and favorite products. This discussion was recorded from a post-show “Masters of Market” event live-streamed at an earlier date.
Featured Panelists (in order of appearance)
- Kate McKee, lead residential interior designer, Barbour Spangle Design, High Point, NC
- Cindy Aplanalp, principal designer, Chairma Design Group, Houston, TX
- Sara Noble, principal, Noble Designs, Leawood, KS
- Liles Dunnigan & Zandy Gammons, co-founders and interior design experts, The Warehouse Interiors, Raleigh, NC
- Nancy Charbonneau, principal designer and CEO, Charbonneau Interiors, Conroe, TX
- Amy Leferink, owner and principal designer, Interior Impressions, Woodbury, MN
- Adrianne Bugg & Brandeis Short, principal designers, Pillar and Peacock, Florence, AL & Irvington, VA
Kate, who co-moderated the panel with Erin, reported that although, understandably, traffic was down, overall Fall Market was a success, with ordering very strong. Pre-market ordering was the highest on record. She also announced that a new initiative, High Point by Design, was launched in September, that is working toward having showrooms open year-round, either by appointment or during events, and eventually would include opening showrooms to the public.
All the panelists commented that indeed there were far fewer attendees this year, but that made it easier and faster to visit showrooms and get a good look at the latest products. Those who did attend came to shop, whether for current or future projects. Most came for just a few days, as per the new schedule, and plotted their strategy in advance to make the most of their time on the ground.
Among the notable trends cited by the panelist were
- lots of feminine-oriented design, such as floral patterns and curvy forms
- furnishings for home offices and multi-purpose spaces, such as guest room / home office
- generous use of highly saturated, deep-rich colors
- updated outdoor furniture
- shift away from maximalism toward easy living, functional furnishings, and clean lines
- appeal to comfort and natural simplicity: e.g., updated Boho look combining rattan and jute with metals; caning; natural textures in fabrics, wallpaper, including lots of boucle; furnishings with a lived-in, rustic look
- updated classic or traditional pieces with a more modern look or feel and more comfortable fabrics
- over-sized lamps
- colored leathers
- lots of acrylic hardware and details
- more movement toward sustainability (e.g., soy-based cushion inserts)
In addition to fashion and products trends, Nancy spoke about the problems designers are having with availability and timeliness of receiving goods. One rep explained to her that besides manufacturing delays due to the pandemic, in some cases, especially in Asia, there are not enough cargo containers available due to shipping backlogs, so goods cannot be loaded and shipped out. At this time, she said, “there is no end in sight as to when the situation may be resolved.”
For further insights and to find out which new products caught our panelists’ eyes, listen to the entire podcast. You can access it wherever you get your podcasts.