Market is always a blast, packed with days of appointments, fresh new fabrics and furniture frames and seemingly limitless inspiration. We go to pick up new products from vendors we know and love, source new merchandise, and scout out vendors we didn’t know we needed! And while we’re doing all of these things, it’s impossible not to spot the trends as we walk through showroom after showroom. Some of them we embrace, others we enjoy from afar, and all of them we enjoy coming and going as the Markets and years go by.
In this post, I’m talking trends and the things we loved seeing the most at Spring 2024 Market in High Point, North Carolina. Home decor often follows fashion, so many of these felt like a natural progression for interiors. From color palettes to the tiniest details, are you seeing these pop up around you? You will definitely be seeing some around the shop!
COLOR
Let’s kick things off with pastels! A throwback to the 80s perhaps (and the 40s/50s before that, and the 20s before that!)? A colorful yet soft palette, we saw sweet pinks, tender greens, serene blues, and gentle yellows all over market. They made just the right statement in the CR Laine showroom in an area highlighting new frames and fabrics, including a special area devoted to their collaboration with interior designer Bria Hamel.
CR Laine furniture designer and textile expert Holly Blaylock said it best, “Pastels just make you feel pretty!” and we couldn’t agree more. Light, happy, and gorgeous on every skin tone, pastels do keep us sitting pretty, and quite literally when it comes to home furnishings!
Within the pastels family, lavender was a standout color at Market. We spotted purples and plums frequently, but lovely lavender stole the show. Lavender started making an appearance last market and has been all over the world of fashion, but this spring it really was ubiquitous.
We talked about layered neutrals and high contrast spaces last Market, and they reappeared at this market in more varied hues – think cream to cognac in a single space – with a softened approach to contrast.
Fear not, despite the popularity of pastels, moody palettes continued to make their bold statements, with blacks and plums reigning supreme.
AESTHETICS
Cottagecore, a personal favorite of mine, was making its soft statement all over market. This shabby chic reincarnation, which is zero percent shabby and 100% sweetly chic, creates soft, cozy spaces often incorporating florals, checks, and ticking strips along with wood detailing, woven elements like wicker, and ruffles galore, made us feel like spending the weekend in the English countryside. The look is a welcome contrast to clean lined, low patterned contemporary spaces and prioritizes warmth and comfort over all.
Let’s travel from the countryside to the mountains – Mountain Modern plays up the neutral palettes mentioned before, bringing in cool leathers, plush furs, stained woods in varied hues, and accented with black elements. Whether you’re up for a run down the mountain or just here for the apre ski, this vibe will have you feeling like you’re perched in a mountaintop chalet.
DETAILS
In the world of design, it’s all about the layers. Whatever your aesthetic, it’s the layers of elements that pull a space together and give it the overall feeling you want to achieve. Perhaps it’s the resurgence of cottage charm, the return of pattern on pattern in general, or just our collective love of textiles, but ruffles, pleats and fringe were seen everywhere and we couldn’t get enough of them! Whether it’s a pleated ottoman skirt, ruffles around a bench, bed skirts (I think it’s safe to say these have made their comeback) or a canopy bed draped in layers upon layers of gorgeous fabrics, these elements soften the spaces they fill and offer opportunities to add pattern, color, and oh-so-lovely layers for which we are always looking.
In the same vein, while scallops are nothing new, we spotted them being used in fun new ways, including bed frames and furniture aprons and skirting. When a space begins to feel like it’s being overrun with straight lines, a sweet scallop addition is a great way to soften things up. Commit to the curvy lines of a scalloped furniture piece, or tuck in a scalloped tray on a tabletop or ottoman for just a dash of the look.
A material and texture that has been used, some believe, since the middle ages, shagreen continues to make its appearance in the world of home furnishings. We most often see it on case goods and accessories, and its newest iteration takes it beyond the traditional shark- and stingray-gray tones and into a new and very colorful direction.
While we’re on the subject of making old new again, canopy beds are perhaps one of the things I loved seeing most at Market, and not only because they give us just that many more surfaces onto which we can apply color and pattern and use more textiles in general! 😉 This historic concept used to serve a purpose beyond their aesthetic contributions – they kept their occupants warm and cozy in a time when central heating didn’t exist, and offered a shred of privacy when privacy could be hard to come by. Today, this style and its many variations are getting plenty of attention and I just can’t get enough.
Forest toiles were having a moment, too, in both true-to-nature palettes and more creative colorways. This concept looks amazing splashed up on a wall in large and small spaces alike, and create a stunning piece when applied an upholstered piece of furniture. Based on the colorway and material featured, these patterns play in many an aesthetic, from rustic country estate to penthouse chic.
Mural wallpapers are still going strong and encompass a variety of aesthetics. From bold colors and graphic patterns to idyllic English countryside scenes to classic chinoiserie, they all make their own kind of statement and add large-scale personality to spaces.
While we often build a room from the ground up (if we begin designing around a rug), I’ll have to end this post with what we spotted on the floor – hair-on-hide rugs and traditional rugs, both in all types of spaces. Hide rugs, layered or on their own, were featured in a number of spaces, and not just those with a rustic flair. Traditional rugs were also highlighted in settings that ranged from traditional to modern, serving as fantastic foundations to all. We spotted these individually as well as layered and love them in every way!
I’m off to another Market today and this time we’re shopping specifically for new fabrics! If you’re a fabric fanatic like me, I’d love to invite you to our Textiles 101 event at the shop on Thursday, June 6 beginning at 5:30 (RSVPs required – please fill out this form if you’ll be there). We’ll be talking all things textiles, including giving you a sneak peek at our trip to Market and upcoming Fall/Winter fabric collections! I hope to see you there, and until next time – Happy Decorating!