High Point 2008

As if Market in Las Vegas wasn't thrilling enough, I was included this year in the trip to High Point, North Carolina. I marked my calendar and pretty soon it was time to pack. This time, I packed even more mix-n-match clothes and even my uggs just in case of severe foot emergency.

The weather out there was so beautiful... and as opposed to Vegas market where you're inside a building all day, High Point is an entire downtown city full of various free-standing buildings, many renovated and re-purposed from old factories, even hoisery manufacturers! We hopped the bus and rode the 'go anywhere' shuttle all around town each day beginning at 8 a.m. and sometimes not returning home until 9 p.m.

We visited most of our current vendors, the usual suspects, and also had a chance to pick up a few really great new upholstery and accessory lines. I was like a mouse in a cheese factory everywhere I went! Let me paint the picture: we went into a contemporary showroom and I was all of a sudden totally loving (=wanting to order) all of it... then we went to a place more 'shabby chic' and suddendly I'm obsessed with cottage style. Oh help. Luckily I only point at & pet the things I like and am not in charge of ordering or paying for the product finally ordered. Of course I did pick up a few things, I had to!

I definitely wouldn't consider myself a trend-spotter, but I will dish on the things I saw most of, I guess it's safe to say they are trends? Larger than life chess pieces (tons in all sizes in at least a dozen showrooms- strange if you ask me), painted candlesticks/candlestick lamps, aqua/tan and blue/camel schemes everywhere, fabrics pressed into basketweave patterns (cool!), and lots of distressed vintage furniture and ecclectic pairings.

We took loads of pictures, but here are a few of my favorite things:

concrete dogs flanking an entryway - Derek ordered these for his client's gothic revival house in Huntsville

rooster aubusson needlepoint pillow at Gerry Nichol - I know it seems kinda old fashioned but these are absolutely beautiful - and retail for over $400


a vignette at Old Hickory Tannery - how fun is this set-up? Matching upholstered beds, my fave, and fabulous bedding, etc. I want to package this room up and have it as a guest room!

We saw this giclee (canvas reproduction) at Picture Galleries. The picture doesn't do it justice but something about this photo caught me - isn't it incredible?

And here's me in this HUGE chair we saw at IHFC. I had to climb/jump into it. (notice the uggs, sweater and strange hair-do, can you guess it was our fifth and final day?) And at the top of this post is the Baker Furniture building. The topiaries, the artichoke finials, the iron gates, the awnings, the ivy! I fell in love with the building's cream, gray, black and green look and its iconic historical styling.