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Trendy market sightings
by Zoe
Voigt
HIGH POINT--Every spring and fall,
designers, retailers and architects descend
on High Point to look over new styles in
furniture, rugs and accessories and place
orders for clients and showrooms.
At this year's fall market in October, four
Triangle area interior designers looked over
the displays at several showrooms in the
International Home Furnishing Center in High
Point. The designers, all members of the
Interior Design Society Triangle East
Chapter, had many comments on the latest
styles, some of which they loved and some of
which they hated. They spotted some new
trends that are likely to be big in the next
year -- or for a very long time.
Western
Large tin star wall hangings caught the eye
of Linda Tuorto of Linda Tuorto Interiors.
The metal wall hangings are meant for large
rooms with high ceilings. Some are matte.
Some have mirrors on their facets. Others
are burnished in a deep red just short of
burgundy.
The look works well with what she sees as a
new trend in second homes.
"As beach homes become unaffordable, and
hurricanes discourage people from investing
in the coast, people are buying mountain
homes," she says, and they need to decorate
them. "It is a big business," she says.
Thus, there is a new surge in rustic,
mountainlike elements such as leather and
cowhide.
Designer Sharon Lake-Gargano calls this
style "the new Western." She likes the look
for the relief it brings from previous
styles that overstayed their welcome. "For
so many Markets, we've been looking at
monkeys and pineapples. It was so tropical.
So it is very refreshing, that the monkeys
are going away and we're getting away from
that tropical jungle to this Western look."
She found a trove of cowhide accessories and
even a metal statue that looks like the head
of a steer with a large ring in its mouth.
Lake-Gargano points out a practical
application, "See, it's really a towel
rack."
Roberta Frank says, "We went from the monkey
to the cow." She points out several lamps
with cowhide shades and accessories with
buffaloes, horses and other Western motifs.
"We are seeing this in the leather,
upholstered items, pillows and rugs," she
says.
Mary Larsen, of Mary Larsen Designs, calls
the look "Urban Western, sleeked up." She
points out that this look is in many of the
showrooms, finding a buffalo statue in black
metal that she likes.
Tuorto finds a bear statue and notices that
in many showrooms, "It's all about hides --
faux leopard, zebra. This is going to be
remembered as the market of the skins," she
says.
Buddha
The four women can quickly dissect cluttered
showrooms full of thousands of seemingly
disparate items into two or three
categories. In addition to the Western look,
this show has lots of shiny metal, peacocks
and Buddhas as the budding new styles.
Another trend spotted is one that has been
on the increase the past few
years: Asian accents, now being complemented
by Buddha statues. Frank has begun to
incorporate this look into some of her
clients' homes.
"With the popularity of bamboo, and the
quiet and calm of a spa, people are looking
for serenity," she says. In the Things From
All Over showroom, she finds the
Asian-inspired tiles intriguing and loves
the Buddha head and a life-sized standing
figure of a woman. When asked how she would
use this style she says, "Not as a whole
house ... but a few accessories would be
very nice as an accent. I love this look."
She prefers the simple, monochrome statues
because the highly decorated ones "seem to
defeat the purpose," she says.
Also, they all seem to like the jars and
bowls on display. "You can't have enough
containers," Larsen says. Frank likes the
small frogs and elephants on display in some
of the bowls. When she finds dozens of
little Buddha statues in a very large bowl
she says, "Hilarious!" Picking them up and
examining them, she says, "You could do a
whole bowl of these. Buddhas instead of
balls."
Metal
Larsen says that the finish on metal is
shifting away from the brushed look that has
been dominant for the past few years. "Every
human alive is going to want shiny metal
within the next two years. It is all
changing."
She points out a tabletop in shiny chrome
and a lamp with a mirrorlike finish.
In the Austin showroom, all the designers
approve of a small metal cube with cutout
holes all over. The tag says it is a garden
seat, but they have other ideas for it,
suggesting placement in front of a fireplace
or as a side table with a candle underneath.
Crystal
Lake-Gargano noticed a color shift in
crystal. "Up until this market, all the
crystal and mercury glass was clear. Now we
have blues and ambers in the colored
crystal," she says. She finds a dangly light
fixture with opaque black crystals. "I love
this black chandelier. It looks matador to
me," she says. Tuorto hates it. "This
reminds me of a brothel," she laughs.
This black-crystal chandelier caught the eye
of Sharon Lake-Gargano. She thought it was a
good example of all the color in crystal and
glass at this market. But not all of the
designers liked the unusual treatment.
Color
For color choices, Tuorto says, "Paprika and
cayenne pepper are big colors this market.
Orange is big, but it is more sophisticated,
a deeper color than it has been. It's more
of a pretty orange-red." She also likes some
blue and tan bed linens she finds in the
Legacy showroom. Frank gets excited when she
sees a deep red and purple color combination
shown on a bed. "It is a romantic look in a
master bedroom," she says.
Frank says her style is "Elegant and classic
-- I only buy what I love."
In Paper White Linens, she falls in love
with a soft blue on blue-green bed ensemble
with subtle hints of gold. "Couldn't you
just die for this color?"
she asks. Larsen agrees, calling it
"gorgeous."
... and the lack of it
Tuorto finds a solid white fluffy bedspread
at River Linen. It has eyelash detailing and
looks like a huge cloud on the bed. "How
lovely!" she says. She describes her style
as "Simple, classic and a little
monochromatic."
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