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A shift in styles and palettes, the perils of buying furnishings online and other topics were front and center during Home Accents Today’s semiannual editorial breakfast held at the String & Splinter Club on Sunday morning. 
Sponsored by Stylecraft and Harp & Finial, the breakfast was led by editor-in-chief Susan Dickenson and attended by David Santiago, Casa Santi, New York; Teddie and Courtney Garrigan, Coco & Dash and Ciao Coco!, Dallas; Shay Geyer, IBB Fine Furnishings, Frisco, Texas; Maria Adams, Maria Adams Designs, Greensboro, N.C.; Shayla Copas, Shayla Copas Designs, Little Rock, Ark.; Erica Herman, Greensboro, N.C.; Rich Schell, Rich Designs Home, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Stephen Shutts and Kim Scott, Stephen Shutts Design, Morgantown, W.Va.; Natalie Reddell, Richmond, Va.; Jamie Merida, Bountiful, Easton, Md.; and Claire Bell, Claire Bell Home, Atlanta.
Dickenson opened conversation by noting that the emerging trends at market seem to be trending toward more design-driven looks.
Bell responded by telling the gathering how she describes market to non-industry friends. “When I explain High Point to people, I say it’s Fashion Week for the furnishing industry,” she said. “I think the design is trending toward fashion,” and High Point Market is where it is unveiled and celebrated. Several of the attendees noted they had been so busy attending parties, seminars and market events that they had yet to spend much time shopping showrooms.
Merida agreed with the assessment that fashion is coming to the fore. “Personally, I like all the gold I’m seeing at market,” he said. “It looks dressier. My friends at the Antique & Design Center say they’re selling brown furniture again.”
Geyer is noticing a move toward more customization. “Today, even your Nikes can be customized,” she said. “The consumer expects that. Nobody wants to have their home look the same as their neighbors.”
Copas said her first stop at market this week was Woodbridge Furniture and the details and contrasts caught her eye. “I was impressed by the detail this market,” she said. “The pieces are classic, but the hardware is more modern.”
Schell said a turn away from so many minimalistic looks got his attention from a personal standpoint. “As a designer, I can be as minimalist as possible, but in my personal life, I’m more of a maximalist. As designers, we can’t stop. You have to have something to tie those pieces together.”
There’s a fearlessness in the marketplace that hasn’t been there for a few years.
Geyer recalled her first High Point, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, and noted its somber, muted vibe. That’s long gone, she said. “I feel like people want to be happy in their homes,” she said. “They want things that make them feel good. If it speaks to them — furniture, wallpaper, accessories — they want to feel good. I find people are taking risks. Across the board, there’s a lot of excitement.”
Also noted by attendees, the prevalence of greens, lavender and warmer colors, a design direction toward classicism, a more refined offering of brass and gold finishes, and overall, a higher level of elegance. Several said they felt energy was also high this market, with a lot of creativity on display.
Service remains a big topic in the retail and design world, and as online shopping for furnishings becomes more prevalent, retailers agreed that they could win by paying attention to the nuts and bolts in business.
“I did an experiment several years ago. I wanted a new sofa so I thought I would see what it’s like to buy a sofa online,” said Coco & Dash’s Teddie Garrigan. “I went to a place online and ordered the sofa. The sofa came and it was the wrong color and too small. I think they were using props to make it look bigger (in the photography) and the quality was AWFUL! I don’t get buying furniture online because you can’t touch it and you can’t sit on it.”
Santiago said that’s when designers often get called in to save the day. “Most people buy online because they want to do it themselves, then they call us to fix it,” he said. “If you see something online, send it to me, but don’t buy it and then ask me to fix it because then I’ll have to bill you.”
With representatives from Stylecraft and Harp & Finial in the room, Dickenson invited attendees to share vendor concerns or comment on voids they see in the marketplace.
Courtney Garrigan said some product designers don’t know when to say when. “They don’t know when to stop,” she said. “Quit trying so hard. It doesn’t need all the whistles if it’s got the bells.”
While simplification in products is good, attendees agreed that simplification in ordering, returning and other less glamorous aspects of the business are what keeps them coming back. “On the front end, I like a great website with great photography, availability, cost and maybe being able to order online,” Adams said. “I tend to go back to manufacturers that make it easy.”
“With vendors and dealers, it’s all people who do beautiful product but they forget the last step — getting it to you on time and without damages. Sometimes you can get so frustrated, you could spit. Everybody gets so caught up with making it pretty and they forget the nuts and bolts.”
Reddell said sometimes, those considerations go into choosing what’s going into a project. “I hate for it to drive design, but when you’re choosing between two lamps, you pick the one you know you’re going to get on time.”
