The Best Part Of The High Point Market Isn’t The Furniture

April 23, 2016
29 Comments
Posted in: Furniture, interior design

Last week was my blogiversary and this week, just returning from the Spring 2016 High Point Market is

my business ANNIVERSARY!

TWENTY YEARS!!!

Alright, technically, it’s next month, but the first time I went to the High Point Market was in the Spring of 1996. When I returned, I was so pumped that I gave my notice to the woman I had been working for and left a few weeks later.

After that trip, I never went back to the market. I started going to the New York Gift-(Now-Crap-Show) and actually, back about 15 years ago, it was pretty good. Then, I joined a buying group where I learned about a lot of different sources. With that and some other local sources, I had enough to run my business.

After several years, I realized by chance that I didn’t need the buying group for a lot of my purchases. I was paying a middleman for nothing. And that’s one reason why I wrote Laurel’s Rolodex.

People would sometimes ask me how I could do my business without going to High Point.

Pretty durned well, actually. Most of the time.

But, even if you see the furniture in person, there is no way that one can remember everything.

One can’t see everything either. It would take months to see everything, but the show is only 5 days.

If you’ve never been there, it is very difficult to discuss just how big the show is.

Alright, I just looked it up.

with over 10 million square feet by roughly 2000 exhibitors throughout about 180 buildings.

That’s how big it is and some of the buildings are HUGE!

A map of the downtown area where EVERYTHING is furniture. When the show is not in session, it’s a virtual ghost town!

Last fall I was selected to go on the Design Bloggers Tour and this spring was extraordinarily lucky to be selected to go on the inaugural Elevate Design Tour created by Adorno Mag.

There were about 15 of us but it varied from Day to Day. I am still not sure why they chose me. Maybe they felt sorry for me? lol But I was amongst interior design royalty.

The most extraordinary experience occurred at the Gala sponsored by Universal To The Trade.

Somehow I was asked to sit at a table with not one but FIVE Icons of Interior Design and Home Furnishings.

From left to right seated. Suzanne Kasler, Eric Cohler, Celerie Kemble.

Sorry, lame but I forgot the name of the lovely woman who’s getting her dress written on by everyone to protest of the HB2 Legislation in North Carolina. (I signed on the hem in the back)

*NOTE: April 25th – Sandy Hughes, a partner at Steelyard Access came to my rescue and identified the lovely woman as Jane Dagmi Editor-in-Chief at Steelyard Access

And then to my left was Christopher Kennedy and to my right the adorable and sickly talented Susan Hable.

Someone pinch me! And everyone was soooo nice too! I really did feel like Cinderella at the ball!

I think I can explain how I ended up at that table.

It was the dress. ;]

The next night, I met up with my peeps from the design blogger’s conference at their cocktail party. I met a lovely woman who follows my blog. Apparently, we have lead parallel lives.

And that is why we go to High Point. It’s for the camaraderie and connections more than anything else. At least it is for me.

Sure, it’s fun to see all of the beautiful things in real life too.

I know that lots of people talk about the latest and greatest TRENDS AT HIGH POINT.

Of course, there are always some new things, but it really doesn’t change a lot from year to year. It’s still flowers and color and ethnicity, but still, I saw some way cool things that I want to share with you.

When I started looking at the photos I had taken, I didn’t realize how many there are!

A lot!

To start with, I thought it would be fun to share with you something that a lot of people don’t know about.

[tweet_box design=”default”]High Point is not only the place for what’s new and trending, but for what’s old and exquisite. [/tweet_box]

ANTIQUES baby and some of the best you will find anywhere and at really great prices too!

One of our first stops on the Elevate Design Tour was at Randall Tysinger Antiques, where we were greeted with snacks and champagne. Ahhh… life is so rough. ;]

photo via: Elevate Design Tour on Instagram

Here we are. And that’s Mr. Tysinger in the yellow scarf. The guy behind me is Greg Natale who came all the way from Australia!

The theme of this antique emporium is BIG. As in CASTLE-kind-of-big-and-how-the-hell-did-they-get-some-of-these-ginormous-pieces-in-there?

With a crane, I was told. I suppose if you buy one of these Goliaths, they’ll supply the crane?

Some really gorge stuff.

Wonderful looooooooong Bench. Please don’t ask me what style it is. I forgot to look. Anyone know?

Beautiful French bookcases. Love the Teal!

Some old art, artfully displayed.

***

Next we headed to the High Point Antique and Design Center.

Yes, the High Point Market has a huge antique center which is housed in the historic market square complex. (complex is the word, if you’re trying to find your way around there!)

photo via: Elevate Design Tour on Instagram

We were treated to a wonderful tour by the charming and super talented Justin Shaulis who made everything at the Antique Center come to life. Next to him is the Antiques Diva herself, Toma Clark Haines. Toma is going to be one of our guides when I go to Italy on FRIDAY!

I just snapped away because each booth was more gorgeous than the one before!

Loved the booth of Box Road Antiques

Box Road Antiques

box road Antiques

This is the stuff they sell at places like ABC. Only this is wholesale for designers. Sweet.

Peridot Antiques from Savannah Georgia

I wanted to drink those yummy warm, coral-y red walls they were so delicious. The owner said the color is Benjamin Moore Fiesta Orange. But I’m not sure. Fiesta Orange is really bright and a lot more orange than this. Well, anyway, really cool display.

Above and Below – Davon’s Antiques

That is a real Dorothy Draper chest of course. Can I tell you how much I LOVE everything here!

Carol Pollard put together an exquisitely sophisticated, beautifully curated booth

Dang, I forgot to photograph who this belongs to. Yes, I wanted to take this Chinoiserie beauty home!

These Murano Glass Lamps are a showstopper in Nancy Price’s striking booth

Justin said that he had been coveting this enigmatic painting from The Dead Artist’s Gallery. Yes, that’s right. The Dead Artist’s Gallery. Is that Venice?

Tapestry above and vignette below by French Touch Antiques