High Point Furniture Market this fall was the most positive in energy and attitude that we’ve seen in a few seasons; the slight uptick we had in the economy this year gave vendors the confidence to plan for growth.

Of course there were the usual parties, lectures and events, including a concert by the B52’s!  They really rocked the plaza.  And of course, we shopped till we dropped, especially for area rugs as we are greatly expanding our selection at Posh Living. We had a chance to mingle with successful industry professionals and glean some of their wisdom too…

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Anticipating more demand from buyers, manufacturers expanded their product lines this Fall – but they were definitely playing it safe.  While it is true that many new pieces were introduced, most furniture lines seem to have trimmed down substantially from the variety they’ve offered before, focusing on the likeliest best-sellers. Trends that began in the last couple of years, such as Belgian linen looks, distressed paint and driftwood finishes, are now predictably entrenched in all of the major furniture showrooms. While we can’t fault the vendors for not wanting to take risks in a slow economy, there does seem to be a general lack of creativity at the moment.  We saw several vendors offering the same imported wood cabinet as their own “design”, and there was enough industrial “salvage” metal cabinetry for every twenty-something in America to turn their apartment into an urban loft.  We passed row after row of metal lockers, cart coffee tables, and tractor-seat barstools – a surprising investment for an industry whose best customer right now is the Boomer generation. Presumably they are looking to connect with the next generation of consumers.

Traditional furniture shapes are still going strong, but new finishes such as driftwood tones and pickled and limed woodgrains give them a lighter, more updated look.  Suites of dining room furniture and matching end tables are featured less, as the traditional decorating look becomes more collected, less “done”, and more likely to be purchased over time.  A shopper may buy a table and chairs one year, and a cabinet for the same room a few years later.  [flickr id=”6329754128″ thumbnail=”thumbnail” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”right”] We saw a lot of pieces that could be used in different rooms, and finishes that mix well with other wood or paint tones.  Carving and heavy ornamentation are definitely out. Some of the styles we noticed and liked at Market were:

Made in USA:

New this year, the Made in America Pavilion is a great idea, although the displays were a bit meager – most were small vignettes for manufacturers who had large showrooms elsewhere.  I guess we expected more splash, but we did find some new sources and smaller, close-to-home companies that also meet our sustainable sourcing needs.   [flickr id=”6329803650″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”large” group=”” align=”right”]   It was really helpful to have one place to find Made in America manufacturing – something we’ve always looked for.  Our clients appreciate the quality and shorter lead times of American furnishings.  In another building we were introduced to Lincolnton Furniture, a North Carolina company over 100 years old that has recently revived its manufacturing operation after being shuttered for years.  Featuring solid wood, classic bedroom and dining pieces sourced from Sustainable forests, Lincolnton has an impressive product and story that had them recently featured on Brian Williams evening news show…we enjoyed meeting family members and finding pieces that may work in our showroom.

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Coastal  and Timeworn:

Coastal looks grow even stronger with each Market; themes of Nature abound with shells, grasses and blues and greens everywhere.  Timeworn finishes such as a driftwood-gray tone can be used in so many interiors, from beach-front to shabby-chic, French and cottage. This is a look that is not going away – trend forecasters have already predicted a color palette called “Shanty” for next year that features driftwood, stone, and worn nautical finishes.

They also chose a “Tender” range of colors: romantic, handmade, timeworn – think mini-florals, pink and taupe linen, French touches.  [flickr id=”6329051349″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”large” group=”” align=”right”] Already appearing in showrooms: French furniture frames in driftwood tones, worn white paint, the romance of crystal mixed with shells and coral and found objects.  Light fixtures were covered in shells or wired to mimic coral branches. Even manufacturers with modern styles had touches of the coast in graphic art and fabric prints.

Travel:

It does seem odd that a country would have a furniture trend, but Britain is having a moment. Since HaloStyles upholstered a Chesterfield sofa in a giant Union Jack a few years ago, Britain has taken over.  The Union Jack is appearing on furniture, art, pillows, bedding and rugs, and morphing into different color palettes from neutral to pastels. We loved this fun chest [flickr id=”6329049987″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”large” group=”” align=”right”] and a desk with a map of London on top: [flickr id=”6329050713″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”large” group=”” align=”right”]

We did see a lot of American flags and stars also, so perhaps the Stars and Stripes trend is not far behind. [flickr id=”6329803650″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”large” group=”” align=”right”]

The ethnic trend is also holding on, especially in the eye-popping accents like Ikat print pillows, Suzani prints on occasional chairs, ottomans upholstered in rugs.  We saw a lot of Moroccan tile designs and fretwork patterns, even on modern pieces.  Ethnic accents were, for the most part, more clean and simple and easy to incorporate into different types of interiors.

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Return to Quality:

It may seem surprising that coming out of a recession we would see consumers moving away from cheaper products. However, there is a definite return to quality as shoppers want to find pieces that last and reduce waste in the long term.  There were a lot of new and interesting products, such as this lovely organic wool bedding by Sleep & Beyond, which made us re-think our approach to bedding.

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And, of course, there are always the things we can’t believe exist – entertaining, but not our style at all!  Remember, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!

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To see a slideshow of  all High Point Photos, click on the thumbnails:

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Walking into our shop at 8:30 am and I’ve already answered one client phone call, a few emails from vendors and tweeted about my morning.  Every day is a different adventure filled with store customers, clients, freight companies, vendors, manufacturers, our workroom and various craftsmen that are working on projects for us.  I can usually sneak in the store, get my computer up and going, which can take about 15 minutes these days thanks to Microsoft and other various programs, all before the UPS and FedEx delivery people are waiting for my signature.  If I’m lucky, my business partner has a fresh cup of Joe brewed to start the day!

Even though my commute to work is less than exciting, it has always given me time to reflect on current projects and work out designs in my head.  No distractions, except for traffic, allow my mind to wander and visualize different scenarios, often working out details which I can draw later in AutoCAD.  So, if you see me driving down the road and I look a little consumed, it’s because I’m working behind the wheel.

Once I’m at the shop in the morning, I take advantage of the quite time, pre-phone calls and customers walking in the door, to handle accounting or calculating tasks.  It can be very difficult when there are so many distractions to handle the technical and mathematical side of design.  It’s also when I tend to research technical information, work on challenging construction issues or draw in AutoCAD to space plan or create custom designs.

When the clock hits about 10:00am the phone is ringing with customers, manufacturers, marketing sales calls, suppliers, sales reps and craftsmen.  I typically try to follow-up with vendors regarding backorders or manufacturing specifications and deadlines early in the day to move projects along.  We have had to find more replacement materials in the last 3 years than ever before due to the recession.  Companies going out of business or distributors no longer carrying any stock in their warehouses has created a huge stress in our industry.  We spend more time tracking down products and making sure they are still available and if they are not, finding replacements, than we often do actually designing these days.

Scheduling installations and furniture deliveries is usually next on the task list.  Setting up the appropriate help for the install is important for a successful delivery.  When our customers’ items arrive from the manufacturer, we thoroughly inspect them by unboxing and unwrapping them to make sure there is no damage.  Not until this is completed do we call the customer to set up an appointment time for their delivery.  An item can be damaged in many ways.  A stain on the fabric, wood might have dents and dings, a seam not sewn correctly or even a sofa frame damaged from being dropped by the freight line.  Or our favorite, fork lift damages, which are always noticeable before opening the box because of the two holes on the outside of a box.

So when does the fun begin in the design business?  After the claims have been started and all the grunt work of the day behind us, we can then start to tackle our clients’ projects.  We set up a materials board and start the search for the perfect furniture piece or fabric.  If the project is in the construction phase, we may be space planning and selecting finishes or researching green building methods. In this business, there is no “typical day.”  What we do depends greatly on what phase our projects are in and where we are needed.

Sometimes our day can start with an early design appointment at a client’s house.  I’ve met with people as early as 7:30am and as late as 7:30pm.  We have to be flexible in this business because our meetings usually involve working around more than one person’s work schedule.  I try to limit design meetings to 3-4 hours when the project is a large size.  We have found that after 3 hours, no one feels comfortable making a decision because you can get overloaded with not only color choices, but all technical information on the products as well.  We typically will meet the next day to continue the process and keep things moving along.  If it is a smaller project, let’s say a single room that needs paint, furniture and fabrics, most decisions can be made within 1 hour.

After selections are made, phone calls to vendors and manufacturers proceed to obtain availability and confirm pricing.  We also double check the size and scale of the items as well as durability and functionality to make sure they are appropriate for the project.  Sometimes alternates or value engineering may need to take place to work within a budget or timeline.  There is usually one more final meeting with the client to finalize selections and review pricing.  Then the ordering process begins on our end.  This is the “behind the scenes” work that takes more time than the actual designing process.  We have to manage our vendors’ employees to ensure the correct product arrives on time.  It is a tedious task because most companies right now are understaffed and we become their manager following the product along its course until it arrives at our shop.

If it is a custom item that is to be fabricated in our own workroom or on a construction site, we inspect the ordered material for manufacturing flaws and then we create fabrication drawings and specifications that explain the details of the design with exact measurements and notes.  We meet with our seamstresses or craftsmen to review the drawings and specifications to make sure everyone is clear on the design intent and our client’s expectations.  We mange and follow the fabrication process until the item is ready for delivery.

And this my friends, is just a small glimpse into the glamorous world of interior design!

Layla S. Altman, ASID is the co-owner of Posh Living in Surfside Beach.  She can be reached at 238-0078 or by email: layla@poshsurfside.com

Copyright 2011 by Layla S. Altman.  May not be reproduced without permission.