Glam to Galactic: Hot Products at the Spring 2019 High Point Market
Defying the conventional wisdom that the most noteworthy product launches land in the fall, the April edition of the High Point Market proved a fertile hunting ground for retailers and designers alike.
The slate of designer-licensed collections was particularly robust, among them Ryan Korban at EJ Victor, Ray Booth at Hickory Chair, Alexa Hampton at Theodore Alexander, and Carrier and Company at Century.
Vibrant palettes enlivened showrooms, with blue as the indisputable couleur du jour, particularly indigo, not only in upholstery fabrics but furniture finishes and accessories. And when it came to neutrals, a clear direction emerged: Black is the new Beige.
But if there was a single takeaway from the spring show, it was texture—coarse metals, natural hardwoods, nubby fabrics, raw stones, rough concrete—all clearly establishing a Please Do Touch policy.
The fall edition of High Point Market will run October 19-23, 2019. Here are the most notable products from the spring edition.
Nicole Hollis for McGuire
Unquestionably the market’s most audacious debut, San Francisco-based Nicole Hollis’ 27-piece collection for McGuire tapped inspiration from couture runways, resulting in multilayered tactility and a surfeit of dusky finishes. For instance, the ebonized oak frames of the Tresser lounge chair and sofa are woven in black leather.
Hollis favors bold material combinations, from Danish cord and coco beads to rattan and woven lampakanay, a weed native to the Philippines, the natural variety woven to create the Hoku mirror, and the matte-black version wrapping the intersecting planes of the Lorentz console.
Named for the Greek mathematician who studied the nature of three-dimensional space, the Euclid daybed features dramatically angled oak legs that support the lampakanay-wrapped seat.
Modern Toile at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
South Carolina pop artist Tennessee Loveless pays tribute to Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams’ 30th anniversary with an exclusive printed fabric, Modern Toile, a storyboard of iconic images that traces three decades of continual evolution. For example, the emerald refers to Hiddenite, North Carolina, also called Emerald City, where upholstery frames are built. The apple applies to Taylorsville, also called Apple City, the company’s headquarters. Leaves nod to eco-friendly manufacturing, the American flag a reminder of where it happens.
But at the center of it all is beloved bulldog Lulu, the brand’s enduring mascot, who graces the commemorative fabric as it dresses the sheltering ‘70s-ish frame of the Cooper swivel chair.
Calavaras at Bernhardt
Natural textures met modish applications across the Bernhardt Interiors label, nowhere better expressed than in the stunning Calavras headboard constructed from cross sections of teak, which are fit together into a fluid and organic puzzle. But the bed also mingles well with sleeker surfaces, here provided by the Trane nightstand and Ardmore bench.
Morris & Co. at Selamat
As the latest licensee to rustle the archives of the William Morris estate, Selamat delivers an expansive 40-piece assortment that translates the legendary designer’s textiles into furniture, lighting, wall décor, and accessories. The classic Poppy pattern finds new life as an armoire with teak frame and brass base, with lacquered doors that from a distance seem almost pixelated.
But upon closer inspection, it’s clear that the effect is actually created by inlaid woven cane detail that peeks through the brass.
Richard Mishaan for Theodore Alexander
The far-ranging, 50-plus-piece collection for Theodore Alexander acts as a travelogue of sorts, reflecting New York-based designer Richard Mishaan’s connection with many cultures, particularly the fusion of Eastern and Western sensibilities. In one of the more intriguing subsets, Mishaan reinvents chinoiserie in a graphically modern vein, such as the collage effect created by the hand-painted details that front the black-lacquered Han side table.
Mike Newins at Mill Collective
The curated Mill Collective exhibition within the burgeoning Plant Seven complex again hosted a compelling roster of new and returning manufacturers. Among the newcomers: Mike Newins, the Durham, North Carolina-based designer-builder, who sparked the spirit of invention with pieces such as the Blue Noodle table and Peg bedside case, both in oak.
Newins utilizes the same wood species for the Soft Isolation Chair, where it joins vegetable-tanned leather and cotton rope.
Star Wars at Kenneth Cobonpue
The wildly popular film franchise “Star Wars” finds an unexpected alliance in the upper-end sector, as Kenneth Cobonpue targets adult fans who are just as ardent as juveniles—but with more open to buy. The Imperial Wings chair recreates the TIE fighter in handwoven polyethylene, while the Little Jedi hanging lamp gathers a cluster of Jedi brandishing glass lightsabers in a framework of powder-coated steel. But taken on their own, without the Disney imprimatur, the furnishings still read gamely Goth.
VanCollier and Wendy Concannon Photography
Furniture maker VanCollier collaborates with Wendy Concannon Photography on the Artisan table series, named for the artists who inspired them: Ellsworth, Rothko, Mondrian. Forged steel bases with gold-rubbed finish are topped with color-drenched block prints, which are mounted under acrylic glass.
Lauren Rottet for Visual Comfort
Interior Design Hall of Fame member Lauren Rottet named her Fascio collection for Visual Comfort after the Italian word for “bundle,” a fitting description for a family of lighting fixtures meant to resemble bunches of reeds. The asymmetrical wall sconce is composed of crystal rods wrapped in a textured metal sleeve, available in polished nickel, antique brass, or bronze, the LED source emitting a glow that mimics the warmth of incandescent lighting.
Juliet at Nathan Anthony
Tina Nicole hazards dangerous curves in glamorous fashion with the sensual Juliet sofa at Nathan Anthony, informed by the swooping curves of 1930s automobiles. Upholstered in blue velvet, the gently sloping profile of the 96-inch-long Juliet sofa sits atop three tapered metal legs.
Woodbine at Sun at Six
In Maria Yee’s showroom, her son Antares Yee once again showcased Sun at Six, his emerging brand of soulful, smart-scaled furnishings. The Woodbine sideboard is crafted with traditional joinery, featuring exposed tenons and dovetail construction, using solid white oak finished with tung oil.
Nina Magon for Universal
Houston-based interior designer Nina Magon expresses her predilection for modern European style in a whole-home series for Universal that includes the Moulin sofa, a burst of bold burgundy against an otherwise monochromatic vignette that includes the Roni lacquered accent tables, along with the faux-leather-wrapped Matisse swivel chairs and Camille ottomans.
Clava Dine at Umage
Danish designer Soren Ravn Christensen’s aluminum pendants for Umage, shown in polished steel finish, are also available in matte white, brushed brass, and brushed copper, as well as a brand-new range of vivid powder-coated colors.
Frank Ponterio for Arteriors
Chicago-based interior designer Frank Ponterio’s Salotto cabinet for Arteriors is modeled after bronze doors at Villa Necchi in Milan, which were designed to guide air through the solarium. Here, the effect is simulated by ivory vellum panels that front the oak frame, giving viewers a sneak peek of what’s inside.
Barry Goralnick for Currey & Company
For the sophomore season of his signature lamp and lighting line for Currey & Company, New York architect and designer Barry Goralnick unveils the Beaufort swing-arm wall sconce, the brushed-nickel shade holding an opaque glass globe and topped with a rubber wood fob.
Wall Art at Loloi
Loloi, a Dallas-based rug specialist, drew upon its expertise to roar into a brand-new category by unveiling 140 pieces of wall art, dovetailing with the market-wide trend of showcasing textiles as art.
Stitched fabrics, embroideries and textile collages are among Loloi’s offerings, which are assembled in Dallas using a variety of treatments including wooden frames and acrylic shadow boxes.
The ubiquitous performance fabric expert cemented its relationship with the upholstery specialist by commandeering the showroom’s inner lobby, fashioning a vignette that instantly became Instagram-bait. The not-so-subtle message: Sunbrella has turned the industry upside down.
Everybody got into the act, beginning with American Leather president Veronica Schnitzius, eagerly enabling the illusion.
