For design aficionados and industry insiders, the High Point Market where furniture manufacturers introduce their newest offerings, is something to be followed and discussed — the dominant colors, shapes, innovations and, of course, The Next Big Trend. But what do the introductions mean for the average apartment-dwelling Joe looking for his first couch? Or the couple adapting their home for their first child? What about those who live by the crede: It’s high-design or the highway?
We’ve joined the thousands of furniture folks who transform this usually sleepy little town to scout the latest looks with readers like Katherine Matthews and Peter Graham, the Williams family and David Nelson in mind. Why them? They represent different life stages, style leanings, lifestyle needs and furniture-shopping considerations.
For Matthews and Graham, we picked durable pieces — a platform bed, an upholstered motion chair and a writing desk — that can move from first apartment to future homes. But more than that, they’re affordable — all less than $1,000.
And for the Williamses, we found stylish furniture that is able to hold up to a toddler’s not-so-gentle touch and can grow with a young family.
Finally, for Nelson and all of you who already have a look going and want to add to it, we picked out accent pieces that will add special touches and fit in with clean-lined furnishings.
(Editor’s note: In most cases, the pieces introduced at this High Point Market — formerly the International Home Furnishings Market — will hit stores in about six months.)
Katherine Matthews and Peter Graham
Home: A recently refurbished 1,000-square-foot two-bedrooom apartment in a Ukrainian Village six-flat, where the couple has lived since April.
Most important factor when they buy furniture: Price
Style/needs: Matthews, 26, a corporate trainer, and Graham, also 26 and a corporate researcher, describe their look as “an interesting mix” of IKEA pieces, hand-me-downs and bookcases from Office Max. “We’ve gotten very good at assembling our own furniture,” Matthews jokes.
High Point lessons: Manufacturers are introducing smaller-scale collections that translate into lower prices. Even if your living situation is temporary, your furniture doesn’t have to be. Designers advise those who are starting to buy furniture to invest in a few quality pieces (a sofa, table, bed and a couple of chairs) that will last (and survive multiple moves) rather than buying cheap just to fit the needs of the present apartment.
THE LOOK FOR LESS
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Zocalo, based in San Francisco, is a consistent source for great design at affordable prices. This Quadro queen platform bed, from the company’s new Elevation collection, is a stunner, with its beautiful lines and quartered walnut veneer inlay-patterned headboard. But what’s even more stunning is its price: $600. Wraparound legs ground the piece and add subtle architectural detail to the platform bottom. Unlike many platforms that work with only mattresses, this one is designed for use with both mattress and boxspring. The rest of the collection, which includes dining and living room pieces, also is worth checking out.
More info: www.zocalousa.com, 800-433-4650.
Nikita, Reginald Jr. and Nia Williams
Home: A three-bedroom Georgian (about 2,000 square feet) in Chicago’s West Chesterfield neighborhood, where the family has lived for a little more than a year.
Most important factor when they buy furniture: Durability, practicality
Style/needs: With a 14-month-old daughter keeping them busy, style is one of the last things on the minds of Nikita Williams, 29, who works for the Minimum Continuing Legal Education board of the Supreme Court of Illinois and her husband, Reginald Jr., 34, a pastor. Comfort and safety are very important. As for style, Williams looks for things that won’t look outdated in a couple of years.
High Point lessons: More upholstered pieces are being offered in sturdy and stain-resistant fabrics. Aside from Ultrasuede and microfiber, also check out the Sunbrella brand and Crypton’s Super Fabrics (www.cryptonfabric.com).
GAME ON
In keeping up with the skyrocketing popularity of flat-screen televisions, aspenhome introduced the 2.0, a versatile entertainment wall that showcases the latest in home-entertainment developments without overpowering the room. Shown in the company’s Young Classics style ($2,599 to $2,999), the 2.0, finished with cherry and hardwood veneers, has a slimmer, lower profile than entertainment centers of the past, with a console and light bridge that expands to accommodate growing TV screens (up to 67 inches wide). A gamer drawer features a handy videogame connector, power plug and A/V jacks, as well as a separate slot for consoles and drop-down drawer front for easy access.
More info: www.aspenhome.net, 602-442-5600.
David Nelson
Home: A stucco American Four-Square (2,400 square feet) with four bedrooms in East Rogers Park, which he bought 2 1/2 years ago and which he shares with his Newfoundland Radclyffe.
Most important factor when he buys furniture: Style
Style/needs: An architect-turned-developer, the 43-year-old Nelson has “very eclectic” tastes. Although he gravitates toward Midcentury Modern pieces, he also likes to incorporate antiques (from his grandmother), and his overall tendency is toward clean lines. Nelson says he’s at a point where he has everything he wants/needs as far as furniture, and now it’s a matter of “enhancing and supplementing the pieces. I tend to be impulsive and I tend to buy what I want, but I have to love it.” One thing he definitely doesn’t love is traditional-style furniture: “If I wanted something that’s old, I’ll buy an antique.”
High Point lessons: Good news, David: Furniture manufacturers are shedding fussy traditional looks and continue to introduce collections with a more contemporary feel, simpler lines and “of the moment” fabrics, all in the attempt to win over a younger demographic. “Neo-traditional” was a big buzzword among introductions this market, with many putting a modern twist on traditional furniture, making for some very interesting style combinations.
LIGHT OF FANCY
From Baker’s first in-house lighting collection comes the Tatiana Scalloped Pendant lamp ($4,984), a lovely piece combining a graceful, interlocking gilt metal frame lined with semi-translucent antiqued German milk glass. Using a centuries-old Italian craft technique, the hand-blown glass is heated in a kiln to take the shape of its mold. When lit, it gives off a shimmery light reminiscent of mother of pearl, and the rustic metal and shell-like glass providing a striking combination. The pendant measures 40 inches long and 22 inches in diameter. It is sold with a 36-inch rod; another 36-inch rod can be added for a maximum length of 72 inches. Unlike most other market introductions, look for this to be in stores by November.
More info: Baker, 775 Waukegan Rd., Deerfield. 847-317-0752. www.bakerfurniture.com
The price (and size and style) is right
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Sit back, relax
Todd Oldham’s fresh take on the recliner, the Circle (starts at $799), is fun and functional. With its crisp, round design, this versatile push-back recliner can go from dorm room to condo, from living room to bedroom. The recliner is shown in Fusion (one of Oldham’s new fabric introductions), a perforated suedelike fabric (it’s actually polyester). And the most important part: It’s super comfortable.
More info: www.lazboy.com
The Chicago connection
Urban, functional, classic. That’s how Stanley Furniture describes its new Lincoln Park collection. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s named after and inspired by the Chicago neighborhood that is a magnet for the trend-setting young professionals the company is trying to reach. The look is sophisticated and unfussy, scaled for city living and exemplified in this Armitage writing desk ($990; measures 55 inches wide, 30 deep 24 1/2 high), a perfect perch for laptops and a great fit for the bedroom or home office.
More info: www.stanleyfurniture.com, 276-627-2000.
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Star power
Mariette Himes Gomez is known for her distinct forms and often unexpected details. It’s no surprise, then, that the top of the designer’s Superstar Console ($1,400), new to her collection with Hickory Chair, is created from thousands of individually placed wooden stars set in a brown resin with just the slightest touch of metallic sparkle. The stars give the surface just the slightest bit of texture to the touch, and if you think this sounds gaudy, it’s not. It’s at once elegant, glamorous and whimsical. And you can’t help but smile at the name.
More info: www.hickorychair.com, 800-349-4579
Wing it
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It’s rare to see a recliner with as much style and sophistication as the Vince, a new upholstered offering from Mitchell Gold + Bob William. We loved this modern take on the traditional wing chair, slimmed down and simplified. The handsome recliner’s tall back makes for a comfortable fit, for those short and tall, because what is a recliner if it’s not comfortable? The Vince is available in leather (from $2,830) as well as fabric (from $1,690).
More info: www.mgandbw.com, 800-789-5401
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Grow with it
The perfect solution for families with small children, Young America’s Built to Grow Crib from Stanley Furniture converts from crib to toddler bed to daybed to double bed, taking kids from infancy to adolescence and beyond. This design, from the company’s new 30-piece cottage-style myHaven collection, offers 20 color options, from cotton candy pink to sour apple green to navy blue to white. The cribs sell for $759; parents must buy a conversion kit to turn the crib into a toddler bed/daybed and again to turn the daybed into a double bed. Each kit costs $130.
More info: www.youngamerica.com, 276-627-2000.
That’s amore
From au (American Upholstery, the fabric division for American Leather), comes the adorable Adora Sectional ($3,299), which combines a love seat with an extended wedge seating area that creates what the company calls a “cuddle cushion,” perfect for families or couples. The Adora combines au’s top-quality stain-resistant microfiber upholstery with quality construction. All of au’s pieces are made in the company’s Dallas facility and come with a five-year warranty on the fabric and a life warranty on frame and suspension.
More info: www.aufurniture.com, 800-456-9599.
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MORE MARKET NEWS: See the who’s who of what’s new from the fall High Point Market in the Oct. 29 Home&Garden.