Twice a year, the line-up at High Point Furniture Market in South Carolina treats us to an in-depth and up-close look at what will soon be trending in the world of interior design, furniture, home décor, and textiles.
Last month we sent our contributing editor Keith Flanagan to see what was what, and safe to say, it's looking good. After taking some time to digest, Keith took a look through it all and narrowed it down to a few of his favorite finds.
From lighting that's sure to make a statement to Memphis Milano-inspired furniture you can modify until your heart's content, here's Keith top picks from High Point Market that he's predicting will be some of this year's biggest interior design trends.
STONE FACED
It was hard to miss the sheer amount of lighting incorporating stone throughout High Point Market this year – especially illuminated stone, which can emit an almost ethereal glow.
Milky and opaque, these stones were often encased in metallic bases, brackets, and bezels for a mixed material experience that leveled up the whole look. And the debut that most caught my eye came from Noz Nozawa, a brilliant and brainy San Francisco-based designer who partnered with Corbett Lighting on a striking collection inspired by antique jewelry.
For Noz, the love of vintage jewelry exploded during the pandemic, when she connected with the online community of collectors (a dazzling distraction during a time of isolation and solitude). Metallic silhouettes nod to anything from stackable rings to swooping chains – emulating jewelry Noz wears herself–in fixtures like the Lariat Chandelier with alabaster tubes, or the Riviere Sconce with an onyx disc shade, all casting a moody and ambient quality of light.
See more at Hudson Valley Lighting
BRIGHT SPOT
While natural and neutral color schemes still have a hold on the market, true splashes of color were all the more exhilarating to spot. One of the brightest launches of the batch was a playful collaboration between New York designer Sasha Bikoff and Abner Henry, an Amish furniture company based in Ohio.
The surprising pair crafted an equally electric series blending Memphis Milano (which has made something of a comeback in recent years) and postmodern design – think oversized shapes, geometric patterns, and bold colors guaranteed to make you smile.
The Darius Armoire was a personal favorite (I’m a big fan of statement wardrobes) with its two-tone cerused wood front and a colorful interior like a box of Crayola’s. The best part? The entire collection is customizable – every piece can change size, color, and finish. They’re calling it functional art, I’m calling it a whole lot of fun.
See more at Abner Henry
GORGEOUSLY CORDLESS
We tend to think of light fixtures as fixed objects. That aspect is all the more apparent when you visit most lighting showrooms, often a dizzying world of plugs, cords, and outlets everywhere you look. But the category of portable table lamps – both cordless and rechargeable – is certainly on the rise.
One brand leaning into the movement is Visual Comfort & Co., which recently cut the cord for about 30 of their best-selling designs, offering portable versions with bulb-like modules that pop in and out of full-sized lamps (the charge lasts upwards of nine hours, and the docking stations are nice and handsome).
It means that updated designs currently on display at their showroom, like the Tiglia lamp by Kelly Wearstler seen above (coincidently influenced by Memphis Design as well) can be moved around the home, placed on any tabletop regardless of whether an outlet is nearby.
Lamps with legs? It’s a new dawn for lighting design.
See more at Visual Comfort & Co.
PLUMPED UP
There are simply some home items that you’ve got to feel to believe. And that’s my takeaway after visiting Jaipur Living’s buzzing, spacious showroom at High Point.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Jaipur Living is known for hand knotted rugs, and has raised its level once again with a new Fine Fibers collection crafted with luxurious materials like Mongolian cashmere and New Zealand wool.
I’d seen photos of the line before visiting and loved what I saw, but trust me, the images hardly compare to seeing and touching these rugs in person (fear not: they have a robust program for rug samples).
Available in lovely warm neutrals that come to life when light hits their surface, many of the rugs are as thick as 2/3" (like the Alpaca rug pictured here), and are so extraordinarily soft that it feels like a spa treatment underfoot–one guaranteed to give you all the feels.
See more at Jaipur Living
